Switch •
While the original Diablo and its much-lauded sequel are two of my favorite digital experiences, I have more of a love/hate relationship with the third installment. I bought it eagerly when it arrived, even taking a day off work to really sink my teeth into it. Within a week or so I was done. While the graphics were great and the mouse-destroying clicking was at the correct level, the ridiculous story, killing of the only character you give a shit about, and lack of any high-level content made it a bust. A couple years later the (only) expansion was released and I reluctantly crawled back in. Again I stopped after going through the new areas and leveling up a new Crusader. Eventually, however, Blizzard stumbled on the Season model where you could start a new character every few months, race to level up, with new and awesome loot to discover on the way. This hooked me pretty good and had me playing for a month or so at a time, then wait until the next season and start again. I had been doing this for quite a while until last winter when I’d had enough. Blizzard must have sensed my apathy and in a successful bid to get me playing again are going to offer Diablo 3 on Switch starting this fall.
The Switch version of Diablo III will bring much of the same to our miniature console. It will include the base game, Reaper of Souls expansion, as well as the Rise of the Necromancer add-on. The thing that really has me excited is the ability to play 4 player multiplayer locally either on a TV, between multiple Switches, or a combo of both. None of this will require an internet connection, so the kids will be able to play Diablo III on those long car rides without worrying about them hopping on my phone’s hotspot.
Other than that, not a lot to say. This is a huge AAA title heading to Switch and it makes me excited for what else we might see come to the little console that could. XCOM2 anyone? How’s about Factorio?
If you want to preorder the Switch version, they’re offering up some in-game trinkets to make your characters look cooler than all your friends. You can preorder now and be ready to play when it releases some time this fall.
Yeah, I’m sold. I’ve been playing since the PC launch, have countless characters at 70 on both PC and PS4, and play nothing but hardcore these days, but the prospect of playing anywhere at any time is drawing me right back in!
Ehm somewhere a reaper of souls should be hiding in here…I am about to find him…any moment now…
On other news, I am not much for endgame stuff…I always enjoy games more in early to mid game…so the season-model was ok ish for me since I did not aim for the top on normal so i wouldn’t bother to do it on season as well…
I still haven’t bought a Switch…yet (soon™)…but I think I won’t purchase D3 again for it.
Too many (good) ARPGs out there to play in too limited amounts of time…I still haven’t finished Titan Quest, Grim Dawn or Path of Exile (if that could ever be finished) but now with my Warhammer 40k: Martyr addiction I won’t return to D3 anytime soon.
I’d love to play this couch coop with my boy, but there’s no way in hell we could play a game about demons without him being petrified by it. I’ll have to give this one a few years
You guys have fun with that. I’ll be too busy Slaying the Spire.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Wait, is Slay The Spire coming out on switch too?
OMG.
Oh man, I played the original Diablo with my brother about 21 years ago, I think on PS1, then spent a few months playing Diablo II on PC whenever that came out. I haven’t played Diablo III because I didn’t have the right platform at the time, would you say Nintendo Switch is a must buy for an itenerant gamer?
It depends on what your gaming tastes are. Switch certainly has most genres covered, but it doesn’t necessarily cater to everyone. I have a Switch and a PS4 and my time is split between them. The PS4 still reigns supreme for racing games and fighting games. If you like your yearly sports games or AAA series, the PS4 (or XBox, I presume) is the way to go. The Switch has some good RPGs. It where is shines for me are the mainline Nintendo IPs like Mario and Zelda or the local multiplayer party-style games like Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, and for sure the coming Smash Bros.
Nintendo’s online service is launching soon, but I don’t expect it to be anywhere near as good as the other systems.
Word…everyone is complaining about PSN+ but the free games I accumulated and loved over the years which I would have NEVER bought (at least never planned to do so) were totaly worth it…the Switch Version is a toothless pale limb version of that.
I haven’t bought a Switch yet…but I love my PS4 more than I probably should…I was late to the PS2, PS3 and PS4 because of backloggus giganticus but I have the Sony Platforms mainly for RPGs (more precisely JRPGs and SRPGs (or TRPGs depending on viewpoint) since not all Nintendo offerings on that front are to my liking.