March 9, 2014

Beating Diablo III

UntitledUnlike a lot of my gamer friends, I’ve never really been interested in the Diablo universe before. Diablo III was my first experience at all with the game, and since the latest big changes, I’ve enjoyed it quite a bit.

Last night my witchdoctor reached level 37, and I defeated Diablo for the first time. Of course once that was done I ramped up the difficulty, and started playing through again. It’s one of those games I can play that doesn’t require me to exert a lot of effort, which I know sounds badly but I honestly mean it in the best way possible.

Since starting my new job with Carbine Studios I don’t have nearly as much free time as I used to have. In my old jobs, back when I did work that involved videogame news, it was a lot of frantic active traffic filled in with luls. There was a lot of time to game, and I could flip between games easily. Now I’m wondering if I don’t want some sort of schedule so I can still play the games I love and enjoy without feeling as though I have neglected some other game. Anyway, back on topic. Diablo III is one of those games I can play for an hour a day and feel as though I have accomplished something wonderful. That’s very important to me with my limited time.

I haven’t tried another class yet because I’m determined to get at least one character to 60. I did pre-order the expansion but I’ll also admit that the biggest reason was because it comes with a pet for World of Warcraft. If there’s one way to get me to buy expansions and digital collector’s editions, that would be the way. I now proudly own a goblin treasure hunter.

Leveling has been incredibly fast with the 50% bonus to experience turned on in preparation for the expansion, as well as bonuses based on how many are in your party, the difficulty of the game (which you set), and any buffs you may encounter along the way. I went from 32 to 37 in the hour I played yesterday. Now, you may think that is far too quick, but since they’re trying to get people in and playing before the expansion, I think it’s understandable. They want you to realistically gear up for the next part. A reason to buy that next expansion.

Are you playing Diablo III? Going to pick up the expansion? Let me know in comments! As always, happy gaming, no matter where you find yourself.