Diablo 4 may still be a long wait, but franchise fans are now able to dive into the franchise's latest installment with Blizzard's first mobile first developed game. Diablo Immortal dropped this week and the game's mobile first development and cross-platform support for PC is an appealing proposition even for gamers who aren't traditionally grabbed by mobile titles.
Many PC gamers have been playing Diablo for decades and console gamers were able to join in the fun starting with Diablo 3, as well. The franchise's accessibility continues to grow and Diablo Immortal is aiming to offer a AAA quality experience that can reach as many potential fans as possible. That is likely going to mean a lot of first-time visitors to Sanctuary.
Hopping into a franchise that's been around longer than some gamers have been alive can be intimidating, but the team behind Diablo Immortal feels confident that the mobile game is a perfect gateway to the franchise. Game ZXC had a chance to sit down with Principal Game Designer Joe Grubb and SVP, GM of the Diablo franchise Rod Fergusson. Part of the core Diablo Immortal team spoke to the new player experience in response to a question from Game ZXC about how the game might tackle some of the confusion new players could experience when they dive in...
Joe Grubb: Immortal from a currencies perspective works because it's built off that Diablo backbone - slay demons and get loot. And everything funnels towards that goal. Even if you're a free player, if that's what you're doing out in the world then you're doing something right. The main storyline is going to help carry you through that, but we do have supporting systems that help you along the way. If you're a new player, the Codex was very much designed to help you understand what to do, what hilts are, etc... The first step I would give anyone new to Diablo is to pay attention to your Codex.
Rod Fergusson: One of the things I love about Immortal is that because it was designed for mobile it has a very streamlined feel to it. There's a lot of Diablo experiences available right now with D3, D2R, and eventually Diablo 4. And the franchise has existed for 25 years, so that can be intimidating. My advice [to players figuring our where to start] is to start with Immortal. The notion of that streamlined way to play is guided in certain ways with options for things to do. If it's your first Diablo game, definitely fire up Immortal. I think you'll be really comfortable there. And if you're someone who has played a lot I think you'll be right at home as well since it's such a true Diablo experience.
It will be very interesting to track the buzz around Immortal in the coming weeks and see what sort of player base the game is able to develop. The team has lots of post launch plans, so there should be plenty of content for fans who get hooked. Be sure to check back in the coming days for lots more Diablo Immortal news, updates, strategy guides.
Diablo Immortal is available now on mobile and PC.