Slight spoilers for Diablo 4 ahead.Though largely set in completely new corners of Sanctuary, the Region of Kehjistan returns to Diablo 4, and with it, some of its iconic locations from Diablo 3 as well. When Diablo 4's open world was revealed in 2019, players already had a firm grasp on what to expect from its playable areas: the Shattered Peaks, Scosglen, Dry Steppes, Kehjistan, and the mysterious swamps of Hawezar. As fun as it was to explore the homeland of the Druids in Scosglen, many fans were wondering about the fate of Caldeum in Diablo 4.
Present in both Diablo 4 and its predecessor, Caldeum was one of the first locations ever revealed after Lord of Destruction's ominous finale, making its debut in the announcement trailer for Diablo 3. A jewel of the desert, much like Lut Gholein, Caldeum was the fourth and final capital city of Kehjistan. During the original Diablo 3 campaign, it was besieged by the Lord of Lies Belial, and following the events in Reaper of Souls, Caldeum never quite recovered from the recent string of calamities.
While the plot of Kehjistan as a Region is subject to heavy spoilers from the game, the zones themselves have proven to be a remarkably accurate adaptation of Diablo 3's second Act. The nation of Kehjistan has crumbled to dust in the fifty years leading up to Diablo 4, and the influence of the Zakarum has dwindled to near extinction. The Caldeum that players explore in Diablo 4 is but a shadow of a once thriving metropolis, as James_Bono has managed to put together screenshots that correctly match the old areas in Diablo 3 with their Diablo 4 counterparts.
The boss arena in Alcarnus where the heroes of Diablo 3 confronted Maghda now serves as a Stronghold in Diablo 4. Meanwhile, the town location of the Hidden Camp is now abandoned, allowing players to instead look upon the desolate ruins of Caldeum from on top the overlook. Despite often being critiqued by its art direction, the locations of Diablo 3 have successfully transitioned into the grittier art style of Diablo 4, and their inclusion opens up the possibility of more areas, such as Kurast or Lut Gholein, returning to the sequel in some capacity.
Though it remains to be seen where the expansions of Diablo 4 take place, the epilogue points the players in a very obvious direction. Until then, Blizzard Entertainment has built quite the sandbox for Diablo fans, as the five Regions of Diablo 4 represent the best artistic depiction of Sanctuary yet.
Diablo 4 is available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X/S.
