Diablo III Reaper of Souls: The First Fifteen Minutes
A Nephalem's job is never done. Here's what it looks like to bring a world of hurt to the archangel Malthael.
This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247. Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team.
Saints be praised! Blizzard Entertainment has fixed Diablo III. When the game first launched, classic Diablo fans were disappointed in the title. The always-online requirement, the real-money auction house, and the lack of endgame stung hard in the face of heightened expectations. But Blizzard went back to the grindstone and began slowly bringing Diablo III up to snuff. They made changes for the consoles releases - like the Loot 2.0 system - that made their way back to the PC release. They killed the auction house. And now Reaper of Souls is here with a new class, a new story, more weapons, an increased level cap, and a new Adventure Mode for that pesky endgame.
And with Reaper of Souls, the game is now the Diablo III players always wanted.
"Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is a reminder that even in this era of micro-transactions and quick-hit DLC, Blizzard is still a deeply old-school PC developer. Who else but Blizzard would make an honest-to-god expansion, let alone put this much care and effort into it?" asked writer Kat Bailey in our review of the game. She gave the expansion 4.5 out of 5 stars.
"Reaper of Souls does exactly what an expansion pack should do -- elevate the original content and extend the life of the game indefinitely. Over the years, Blizzard has proven themselves masters of breathing new life into their games, and Reaper of Souls is certainly no different. With Adventure Mode in hand, something tells me that I'll be playing Diablo III for a long time to come. "
"What did strike me, however, was not long into my first foray through the expansion's new fifth act is that Blizzard seems to be keen to make up for any loot-related issues of yore," added Jaz in his second opinion. "As I tore through the first waves of monsters, I was swapping in new weapons and armor so quickly, I barely had time to warm them up. That felt both gratifying and motivational: if there's one thing I want from my dungeon-crawling adventures it's a big fat pile of loot - and Reaper of Souls certainly delivers."
Their love for the game was so strong that I actually went out and brought Diablo III and Reaper of Souls this weekend. I've never been a big Diablo player, but I enjoyed Torchlight and Torchlight II. With the new patches and the expansion, my girlfriend decided it was time to start playing the game in earnest after a disappointing start at launch, so I decided to join her in her online forays. Unfortunately, I won't be online anytime soon, as Elder Scrolls Online is sucking up all my game time. But soon...
If you're still unsure if Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is the Diablo sequel you've always wanted, our video team has whipped up a look at the first fifteen minutes of the expansion. If you like it, you can pick up the game online. If not, well, there's still Torchlight II and Path of Exile to feed the beast within.
And don't worry console-only gamers, Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition - which contains Diablo III and Reaper of Souls - is coming to PlayStation 4 (and maybe Xbox One) eventually.