Why Diablo 4 is eating my free time & why it's not letting go anytime soon
Baldur's Gate 3. Tears of the Kingdom. Spider-Man 2. It's been an unbelievable year for games, and yet at 1 AM on Boxing Day, full of turkey and chocolate, I found myself bleary-eyed and finally face-to-face with the game's final boss.
Diablo 4 has its hooks in me, and I don't think it's going to let me go, even as I roll credits.
I have a Diablo problem
Click to enlargeLet's rewind a little. I picked up Diablo 4 at launch, having got into the franchise later in Diablo 3's life cycle (namely the PS4/Xbox One console versions).
I blitzed through Acts 1 to 3, but found myself feeling pulled in other directions (mostly Final Fantasy 16) and then it was new, shiny game after new shiny game.
I never found the chance to re-engage that 'loot treadmill' between live service titles and new releases, until Diablo 4 came to Steam, making it much more reliably playable on Steam Deck. With that, I found myself diving into dungeons from the comfort of my bed, much more easily able to play for 10 minutes here, and half an hour there.
That helped me get through Act 4, and with my family asleep after a busy Christmas day I logged on to see off Lilith, Daughter of Hatred, eager to get into the seasonal content for Season of Blood (because who doesn't love vampires?).
The trouble is, it's been hours since I 'finished' the game, and I'm still not done with my Sorcerer from the campaign.
(Not) in the endgame now
I'm no stranger to endgame content in games. I've enjoyed my fair share of Destiny 2 Dungeons and Raids, and used to spend hours jumping into Monster Hunter World in the hunt for better jewels.
The thing is, I'm not even close to that yet.
One look at my Diablo 4 map shows I've got entire swathes of Sanctuary still to venture through, and the areas I have unlocked include Cellars, Events, and Dungeons I've not seen yet. In fact, while I first felt certain that having so many Dungeons in the game would be to its detriment, I'm hooked on seeking them all out.
It doesn't hurt that the game is so clear about Aspects that can be earned from each Dungeon completion, meaning I was able to target the Aspect of Piercing Cold early on and empower one of my most-used abilities within an hour of the campaign ending.
Build and rebuild
Click to enlargeThat ties into what's refreshed Diablo 4 for me - build flexibility.
I got through the campaign using a build that kept me alive but decided to refund every single skill point to go for something a little flashier. The result is a little more 'glass cannon' than I'm used to, but between a giant snake made of fire, a blizzard, and an array of fire and ice spells, I've essentially rebooted my enjoyment by breaking free of limitations I put on myself.
In the ultimate test of my character's newfound proficiency, I worked my way through the post-game Tree of Whispers tasks before tackling a World Boss with a group of half a dozen other players.
With so many explosions, effects, spells, and resurrected skeletons onscreen, it was a tough fight, but we managed it with a minute of the timer remaining - giving me the gear I needed to upgrade again.
I'm still working toward World Tier 3, too (I'm finding plenty of challenge on World Tier 2) and am determined to slay The Butcher at least once. Then I've got literally dozens of side quests to mop up and undertake, even more Dungeons to complete, and more Tree of Whispers rewards to earn...
... and then, and only then, it'll be time to jump into the Seasonal content with Season of Blood. In any case, I'm having a blast, and even writing this article has me itching to jump back into Diablo 4.
Work be damned, I have demons to slay.
