NO. 12 IN THE INDEX · ACTION RPG · CO-OP
Diablo IV
Lilith returns, and so does the grind.
By the editorial desk · Blizzard Entertainment, 2023 · Steam version
Common
Tier C · 79/100
THE VERDICT
A great campaign inside a live service. Good.
The darkest Diablo in tone and the most polished in feel. A superb campaign, then an endgame that depends heavily on which season you play.
The ledger
- Developer
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Publisher
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Released
- 17 October 2023
- Steam builds
- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Verified
- Modes
- Single-player, Online co-op, Online PvP
- Steam price
- $49.99
- Typical playtime
- ~35 hours
- Cost per hour
- ≈ $1.43
The world
Lilith, daughter of Hatred, has returned to Sanctuary, and the campaign that follows is the best story Blizzard has told in years. Cinematics, voice acting and the open world's gothic villages give it real weight.
Diablo IV key art
The fight
Responsive, heavy and impactful; every class feels good to play from the first hour. Shared-world events and world bosses bring other players into view.
The build
Skill trees, aspects and gear affixes give decent variety, but the meta narrows quickly and seasonal changes can rework builds overnight.
The trial
A comfortable campaign; endgame difficulty tiers scale as high as you like.
The port
Polished and well optimised. Verified on Steam Deck. Requires an online connection and a Battle.net account even for solo play.
Worthy
- A gorgeous, grim campaign
- Combat feel that is best in class
- Excellent performance and Deck support
- Seasons add regular new content
Unworthy
- Always-online, even solo
- Endgame quality depends heavily on the season
- Paid battle pass and cosmetic shop in a full-price game
Who should enter
Players who want a big, cinematic campaign and are happy to dip in and out of seasons. If you want deep builds or offline play, Grim Dawn or Path of Exile 2 are better fits.
How the score was reached
- Combat 25%
- 88
- World & lore 25%
- 84
- Builds & systems 20%
- 74
- Fair challenge 15%
- 86
- PC port 15%
- 84
Strongest campaign among the codex action RPGs; weakest long-term value.
Kindred worlds
Chosen for how they feel to play, not just the genre tag.
