Diablo III

Eight years after Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, that insanely popular expansion to its equally well received predecessor, Blizzard has finally *gasp* resurrected the Diablo series with the unveiling of Diablo III. And from the looks of it, Diablo III appears to stay true to the original storyline and game play, promising to be wilder, better and darker than before.

Which means this is one game I WILL be queueing up sic pre-ordering even if it means I have to take leave for it. After all, Diablo and Diablo 2 & the latter expansion were highly enjoyable if only a little addictive in the beginning. All the skipping of classes, nonchalantly strolling past the teachers' office, out of the bright red gates and hopping on a bus home just to play Diablo and subsequently thereafter Diablo 2 and the expansion.

Even if the quests were the same after having completed one round of the game at normal difficulty, the allure of Diablo remained so much so that I was able to level my assassin, sorceress, paladin, necromancer and paladin to levels well above 80, which naturally involved numerous runs at hell difficulty and 15 mins fights with the major bosses. There was something gratifying about plowing through the endless hordes of demons and fixing together sick items/armour.

What helped too in a way I guess was the tight storyline which like most Blizzard games makes sense and is highly attractive to those partial to the fantasy genre. Nothing like a bit of lore to put some meaning behind what would otherwise be wholly and absolutely brainless slaughter. Which isn't too bad in itself but it's always nice to have something extra.

I still remember the first time I saw the cinematics at the end of the acts in Diablo 2 and Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction, particularly act 3 and the start of act 5. I was enthralled. In a way, I almost wished, it were a movie and not just a cinematic. But that's how good their storyline is. Which is why I will wait for Diablo 3's release with bated breath.

I leave you now with the 2 cinematics which sent chills down my spine, Diablo's return to hell (end of Act 3) and Baal's breach of the gates of Sescheron (start of act 5) as well as the very short teaser of the official Blizzard trailer for Diablo 3 replete with a scene that could have come straight out from Saruman's orcs and the siege of Helm's Deep in LotR.

The Three Prime Evils (Diablo's return)



Baal's breach of Sescheron



Official trailer for Diablo 3 (Teaser)




And the Heavens shall tremble.