This wonderfully made book is a must-have for Diablo fans, as this tries to emulate/recapture the look and feel of that tome Deckard Cain carries in-game. Complete with rich lore and history of the entire Diablo trilogy, it gives players an inside look of the world of Sanctuary.
Here's some shots of the book itself:
Front w/ cover label
Back w/ cover label
Front w/o cover label
Back w/o cover label
The book cover itself looks and feels great. It's got a nice matte finish with a slight embossment on the details of the book which feels great. The book itself sports amazing artwork (as expected of Blizzard) to accompany the book's rich lore of the world of Sanctuary. It even has scribbles and notes from Deckard Cain, putting down important notes about certain events, people, places. It tries its best to closely resemble that of the tome that Decark Cain was carrying, as presented in the game. Even the page edges are small "tears" to make it look like an "ancient" book. It's those little attention to detail that makes this book more amazing to behold in person. :D
Just looking at the book coverpage, it reminds me of
those old manuscripts in museums.
It even contains a letter addressed to Deckard Cain's nephew; Leah.
The letter is abit bittersweet and made me a little teary-eyed.
(if you know what will happen to Cain in Diablo III)
The book also details how the world of Sanctuary
was created, with accompanying artwork.
The Archangel of Justice; Tyrael, looking majestic, as his illustration
accompanies his description in this page.
The book also includes description of the many
places in Sanctuary where our heroes hail from;
just like this entry about Ensteig... home to the Demon Hunters.
Aside from the said lore and illustrations, the book also has a special surprise at the back:
It's the map of Sanctuary itself!! To be honest, as a fan of the series, this is the first time I've ever seen the world of Sanctuary detailed as a map, and its simply glorious to behold. Seeing where Lut Gholein is located, or even Tristram is just amazing for a Diablo-fan like myself!! :D
The book is priced locally at Php 1,395 (roughly $31) and is available in Fully Booked. So if you're a fan of the series, this book is definitely an excellent addition to your book collection, as it fully compliments the game and gives fans additional information and lore that fully fleshes out the world of Sanctuary. :) Hopefully I get my hands on it's supplemental book as well; The Book of Tyrael. :D
After reading up this post, I was pretty much bummed out. Because after hearing the news that Blizzard will finally be removing the Real Money Auction House from Diablo III on PC, I was hoping that they would finally include an offline version of the game like in the console version. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. That being said, I scouted online to find suitable offline alternatives to Diablo III for PC (as well as consoles and handhelds), and here's what I got:
PC:
Titan Quest (Windows)
Think Diablo, but using greek mythology as a backdrop, you get Titan Quest. With its dark atmosphere that brings me back to my Diablo II days. :D
Torchlight II (Windows)
From the same team who made Diablo I & II, it plays just like Diablo of old, and works wonderfully. If you are gonna play the game using Steam, may I suggest you get the "Torchlight II Essentials" mod, as it basically adds a new class, and tons of improvement from the vanilla game (respec, tons of new pets, items, etc)
Consoles:
Dungeon Siege III (PS3/Xbox 360)
Developed by the same team who made the PC version of Neverwinter Nights 2, its a decent enough hack-and-slash game for the console space. The fact that finding a brand new copy of this game nowadays is relatively cheap, I'd say why not?
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (PS3/Xbox 360)
Do you like to play hack-and-slash games but you don't want to spend too much? You okay with digital downloads? Does $12.99 (roughly Php 600.00) sound good to you? Then get this hack-and-slash gem from Gameloft. It's a pretty barebones hack-and-slash game, but hey at least you got it cheap.
Diablo III (PS3/Xbox 360)
Do I really need to say any further? Critics have been calling it the best version of Diablo III, and rightfully so. Offline play, amazing loot, local co-op, and so much more, its definitely THE version of Diablo III to pick up. If you want to find out why the console version is considered by many to be the better version against the PC version, you might want to read this post I made comparing the 2 versions.
Handhelds:
Heroes of Ruin (Nintendo 3DS)
If you own a Nintendo 3DS, and you are craving for some on-the-go Diablo-style gameplay, then look no further and take Heroes of Ruin for a spin. It's basically a stripped down version of Diablo, but it still nails the simple and addicting hack-and-slash gameplay of Diablo perfectly, which is what's important. It's got local co-op as well as online co-op, with daily quests and other features that makes it a decent enough game for those looking for hack-and-slash gaming on their portable. Now that it just recently got a price drop, its definitely something to consider picking up.
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (Playstation Vita)
Yes, its the same game for the PS3, but unlike its cheaper console counterpart, this one charges a full price for the experience. As much as I don't like recommending this game really for PS Vita owners (coz the price is just extortion), there's little hack-and-slash games out there that I can recommend (considering the once promising Ruin was cancelled) as of this writing so yeah...
So what do you guys think? Do you have any other suggested offline Diablo-like games to share? Sound off on the comments below! :)
After my first post here, some people asked me alot of questions regarding the console version of Diablo III. One of the biggest was, how was it different from the PC version. Well here's a breakdown of the key differences between the 2 versions. WARNING: Long post ahead.
No Real Money/Gold Auction House
One of the most controversial features of the PC version; the Real Money Auction House (RMAH), is not present on the console version of Diablo III. For most old-school Diablo fans (like myself), this brings back the core Diablo experience of finding awesome loot in-game, NOT in auction houses. Another positive thing about the lack of RMAH is...
You can play Completely Offline
Yes you read that right. You can play the game OFFLINE. A side-effect of removing the Auction House, was removal of any need for any online verification to play the game. Thus Blizzard was able to make the most requested feature of alot of Diablo fans a reality. No more logins. No more "Error 37". No more need for Internet connection to be able to play the game... ever! Just pop in the disc, and you can start slaying the denizens of hell to your heart's content.
Yes, Blizzard fine tuned the loot, and made it awesome again. The picture above just show how amazing loots are now in the console version. It actually reminds me of Diablo II (particularly patch 1.10-onwards) where the loot is so rewarding (and addicting) that it keeps you hooked in finding more evil things to slay. It captures the very core of the Diablo experience. The best news is, loots are now custom tailored to drop a higher percentage of items that are suited to whatever class you're playing as. In my personal experience, I have actually gotten my fair share of awesome Legendary items. Here's some of what my Demon Hunter found in-game, when I was just starting out at Normal Mode.
If this is but a taste of what "Loot 2.0" will be for the PC version, I'm all for it!
Reworked Boss Fights
Some of the Boss fights in the console version of Diablo III, has been retweaked. They are either given new abilities, new attack patterns, new dialogue, and even new view angles (as seen on top with the Belial boss fight, which looks more epic than ever before) which gives the game a fresh new look and feel, even if you've played the game before on your PC.
A completely new way of playing... using a Gamepad
Mouse + keyboard controls are NOT supported on the console version of Diablo III. Instead, the game is controlled using a gamepad. And after spending much time playing it this way, I actually prefer this method than the mouse + keyboard config. Now, before you raise your pitchforks and claim "sacrilege", I suggest you give it a try first. It feels as if you have a much more direct control over your character than using mouse + keyboard. Yes you will lose the precision of directly targeting specific enemies from afar using this setup, BUT with the game's smart auto-targeting system and Target lock, you won't feel too frustrated dishing out punishment to the denizens of hell. Which brings me to...
The new "Evade" Button Mechanic
As I mentioned in my previous post, exclusive to the console version of Diablo III, is the new "Evade" mechanic. It is an indispensible ability that ALL CLASSES have, which can save you from very hectic situations. It has no cooldown, no cost to use, ensures you don't get hit by monsters/incoming projectiles if timed correctly and is totally very useful throughout your adventure. You can see it in action by watching the clip above (being spoofed by Team Coco at the 1:05 mark).
Completely reworked Inventory System
This is how the Inventory system looked on the PC version:
It's got the usual, familiar look as in the previous Diablo games. Item management in your inventory is pretty much a mini-game of its own, where you try to fit in as much loot that you can, using Tetris-like skills to make everything fit. On the console version, it looks like this:
It may be a stark change from the usual, since the console version of the game doesn't support mouse + keyboards. As clunky as this may look, it actually has some benefits:
All items are now organized by its item-type, making it easier to sort thru items.
If you noticed below, there's an "Inventory" limit (which says 22/60). This means you can loot as many as 60 items at a time, regardless of its size, as each item is treated as a value of 1. This means lesser trips back to town and time spent making every item fit in your bag.
It's easier to compare detailed stats between 2 items as they are placed side by side. Here's how it looks like:
There's is now a quick stat guide for those who are not into reading tons of stat effect text. This is great for new players, so that can quickly and easily see whether or not an item is better than the one they are currently holding by just looking at the quick stat guide.
Mutliple ways of Playing Multiplayer
First off, there is no cross-platform multiplayer for the console version of Diablo III. What this means is, PC gamers cannot play with PS3/Xbox360 gamers, just as PS3 gamers cannot play with Xbox 360 gamers. That being said, there is alot of different options for console gamers to play multiplayer with friends:
Offline local co-op - one of the highlights of the console version of Diablo III, is this mode. Playing with friends on a single console in the same room, is an experience that is hard to beat. No internet required (but pizza and chips are recommended).
LAN Play - if you don't want to share the screen with buddies, then you can hook up 2 PS3 via LAN cable and play multiplayer with your respective screens all to yourself (just like in the PC version).
Invite Only - if you want to play online, but you don't like random people popping in your game, then you can invite friends over to join in your game.
Friends Only - similar to "Invite Only", but in this mode, you don't need to invite friends to come play. If you set your game to this mode, you simply put up a game room online where only your friends on your friends list can see and join in at anytime while you're playing.
Open to Public - similar to "Friends Only", but in this mode you put up a game room online where everyone online can see and join in your game at anytime while you're playing.
Quick Match - in this mode, you can search for hosted online games and automatically joins you in the said game. You can set the search based its on its Difficulty level, Mode, Quest, etc.
Adjustable Difficulty modes
As I mentioned in my previous post, the console version of Diablo III allows players to adjust the difficulty to suit their tastes. Unlike the Game mode (Normal, Nightmare, Hell, Inferno), Difficulty simply adjusts a monster's health, damage and number of monsters that appear on the screen.
This is perfect for players with varying experiences with the series. If you're just new to the series (or you're a PC player who isn't used to playing using a gamepad), set it to easy. If you're a Diablo vet and you're comfortable playing with a gamepad, then set it to either Medium or Hard. All 3 difficulty modes (Easy, Medium, Hard) has no differences in terms of item drop rate and experience points bonuses, thus you can switch between difficulties with no problems.
However, if you are up to the challenge, you can set the difficulty to Master I or higher. Setting up the difficulty in this level gives bonuses similar to "Monster Power" mechanic found on the PC version, but works differently for the console version. Here's a quick guide:
Master I = +60% Magic Find, +60% Gold Find, +120% XP Bonus
Master II = +70% Magic Find, +70% Gold Find, +140% XP Bonus
Master III = +80% Magic Find, +80% Gold Find, +160% XP Bonus
Master IV = +90% Magic Find, +90% Gold Find, +180% XP Bonus
Master V = +100% Magic Find, +100% Gold Find, +200% XP Bonus
Other Notable Differences
Aside from the ones I posted above, here are some notable differences from between the console version & the PC version of Diablo III:
Paragon Levels are included in the console version. However, what's different is, Paragon Level bonuses are account wide. This means all characters under your account will receive the bonuses unlocked by a SINGLE Paragon leveled character in your account. So even new characters you create will get those bonuses as well.
Nephalem Glory globes are added in the game. These are similar to Healing globes, but they give characters a boost in stats and skills when picked up.
Stash space is much more larger than in the PC version when fully upgraded.
Crafting gems & gear now have different costs, due to the removal of the RMAH. All ingredients can be easily found in-game.
Players are now given a choice how they should be resurrected (go back to town, revive on your last checkpoint, revive on spot).
Vendors now actually sell better (useful) gear. Most of which are actually powerful rare items.
So what do you guys think? Sound off your comments below! :)
After playing a Barbarian for 20 or so levels, I tried playing the Demon Hunter, which turned out to be more difficult than playing a Barbarian (at least for me). I played the character for a few levels and then switched again, this time to a Monk.
And man, the Monk is AWESOME!
He seems much stronger and more durable than the Barbarian and the Demon Hunter (at least in my experience) but his moves and attacks are much more cooler. Visually, at least they look more lethal. I tried taking a screen shot of my character but it doesn't seem to work. WTF, Blizzard.
Anyway, I'm thinking I'm going to be playing the Monk for a while.
All right, now I think I can talk about how attributes are distributed in this game.
Path of Exile attributes distribution.
With something like Path of Exile, or even Diablo 2, you get to choose which attributes your character will achieve (Intelligence, Dexterity, Strength, etc). In Diablo 3, a set group of attributes is given to you each time you level up.
I only noticed this when I did level up and I looked at the bunch of text that appeared on the lower left corner of the screen. I didn't pay much notice to that area because for much of the time, it simply repeated what's being said on the screen by the characters. But when I looked again, it actually listed the attributes that were added to my character when I leveled up.
Now, for me, that takes a little of the fun out of the game. In Diablo 2, you get to choose which attributes to improve. In Diablo 3, they're spoon-fed to you.
I guess it makes the game more accessible to casual players but to someone like me who has played Diablo 2 and other games which allowed me to have bigger control over how my character is developed, well I'm kinda frustrated.
Like a little kid who has dutifully finished his veggies and has thus earned his dessert, I installed Diablo III after finishing off all of my outstanding projects.
I've been putting it off for a few days now (I actually got the game on May 15, 2012) because I'm afraid that I'm going to miss all my deadlines once I start playing, similar to what happened when Diablo II came out somewhere back in the year 2000. But now that no obstacle (read: work) remains in my way, I decided that it's time to begin my decent into hell.
I brought out the box and popped that Diablo III CD in there and let 'er rip! And boy did it ever!
You're going to need to create a Battle.Net account before you start to install the game (don't worry...registration is fast and it's free). Just head on over to Battle.Net!
During installation there were was the requisite eerie background music playing which started as something like from Simon and Garfunkel and ended up as something Wagner-inspired. Aside from the music, you're treated to a story told in motion comics style (the illustration done in rough pencils was just gorgeous) giving you an overview of this particular chapter in the Diablo series.
After installation, I proceeded to create my character (Barbarian of course) and put him through his paces. I was supposed to take some screenshots of my first few adventures but it seems that I can't take any screenshots while being in-game which was a bummer.
Diablo III does take some getting used to however (it seems a lot more complicated now) but the game (thus far) remains as exciting as I remember it (more even).
I've been waiting for Diablo 3 ever since they announced it in 2008. I remember freaking out back then, so you can imagine how long this freak out has been going on. Now that I think about it, I've been waiting for Diablo 3 ever since I finished Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction in 2002. Now it's 2012!
Ten years, man. Ten years!
I've been distracting myself playing Diablo-like games since then, and I've played a lot: Dungeon Siege, Revenant, Torchlight, Drakensang-Online and a few others, just to get my Diablo fix. Now that Diablo 3 is almost here, I feel like a kid again just about to enter a newly opened comic book store.
I've been debating whether I'll buy this directly from Blizzard as a digital download or buy it on disc at a local store. Local stores here in the Philippines are now accepting pre-orders.
It all started in the year 2000 (for me, at least).
A friend of mine introduced me to Diablo II (I think it was my good pal, Gerry Alanguilan) and the game consumed me like no other game before it did. I logged in many hours playing it on a daily basis, all week long. It wasn’t long before I began neglecting my work and started missing deadlines (definitely not good for a fresh graduate and a struggling comic book creator).
This was the status quo for about a year and then I started getting the addiction (this is what it was, honestly) under control.
But evil always returns: Diablo III is being released this coming May 15, 2012.
