Can we all just take a moment to appreciate how awesome it is seeing titles like Diablo IV coming to the cloud? GeForce NOW is growing faster than ever, so many of my favourite titles are finding their way to the cloud layer. It's been so much fun returning to old favourites and replaying them with better graphics than my old rig could ever manage, just like I've been doing with Diablo IV.
I usually open these spotlights by describing a bit about the game, its genre, how it plays, etc. So that any reader unfamiliar with the title can get up to speed. I don't think I particularly need to do that with Diablo.
The great granddaddy of isometric action RPGs, it's hard to name many more legendary series in gaming than Diablo. So, let's focus on this latest entry and how it plays on GeForce NOW, shall we?
Pretty dang well.
I should say first that I didn't complete my first playthrough of Diablo IV on GeForce NOW; I was very excited about this game and sank dozens of hours into it on release. But the moment it arrived on the cloud, I knew it was time for me to take a second run at it as another class and see just how good it could look, instead of running it on minimum settings on my old workhorse of a PC.
And man, was it good to be back! Having played Diablo II and Diablo III as well as other similar titles such as Torchlight and Grim Dawn, I can confidently say that Diablo IV is my favourite ARPG. I'm a massive nerd for good lore, and Diablo IV had the most fascinating story of the series so far. It grabs you right from the start as you stumble into an all-too-welcoming town to escape a blizzard, only to find yourself fighting your way out with the aid of a man you initially dismissed as a raving madman, both desperate to avoid being sacrificed to the town's new fell God. This dark tone sets the story's mood. Diablo IV embraces dark fantasy with a level of aplomb and grace that few manage.
Safety is fleeting and far between in the cold dark.
But the story is only one piece of the engrossing puzzle: Diablo IV. From the vast variety of environs to the engaging and genuinely worthwhile side quests with their own story to tell, to challenging boss encounters that push your build to the limit. Bosses with unique mechanics rather than thousands of hit points are often sorely lacking in action RPGs, but Diablo IV is stacked with them.
All these aspects add to Diablo IV, but the two that take the crown are the build variety for each class and the seamless multiplayer. For my first playthrough, I played as a rogue, and across my adventure, I moved from a dagger-flinging tornado to a guerilla warfare master, laying dozens of traps and darting in and out of visibility, to an occult nightmare, chaining explosions of dark magic that would thread their way through entire crowds of foes.
These builds carried me across the world, and as I explored, I'd run across other heroes on their own adventures. We'd come together for events on the overworld, teaming up against impossible odds and then parting ways or sticking together as impromptu parties. One of my fondest memories was encountering a barbarian who waved me over to a dungeon. We explored for hours, never saying a word but united in our adventure.
From snow-capped mountains to mildewy swamps to the depths of hell.
If you've yet to experience Diablo IV for yourself, I can't recommend it enough, even if you have no prior experience in action RPGs; after all, there is no better way to start than with the best. With its arrival to GeForce NOW, letting all of us with underpowered systems enjoy it at the beautiful fidelity it was meant to be experienced in. So, hop on down to the dark lands of Sanctuary and defend it one more time from the hordes of heaven and hell. Forge a land for humanity amongst the madness, as Sanctuary's creator always dreamed.
This spotlight was written by CloudGG team member "Motley" and does not represent the opinions of CloudGG or NVIDIA.
