We can only kill so much time before Blizzard makes good on its promise to release a game every year by releasing Diablo III in 2011. Torchlight may have kept us occupied for awhile, and Deathspank certainly delivered something new to the action RPG table, but Diablo III is what most of us really want to play.
In keeping with Blizzard's recent track record of releasing its games on time (or at least just a few months late, instead of years), there's a good chance that we'll be seeing Diablo III this year. And even with the game so close to release, we hardly know anything about it.
Here are just some of the things that we'd like to see in Diablo III.
Worthwhile Skills
There's no question that Diablo II featured an abundance of skills. Sadly, most of them were as useless and ineffectual as the French Army in World War II. While no one's expecting each and every skill in Diablo III to be equally powerful, the least the developers could do is put some conscious thought into the design of each skill to ensure their usefulness in a variety of builds. Every available skill should be a worthwhile addition to a player's repertoire.
Unique Playstyles for Each Class
Judging from the gameplay videos, each character will be no less than unique with few overlapping skills and abilities. After all, there's little point in having multiple types of characters who abilities which are different only in name. Blizzard should go the distance and offer multiple playstyles for different builds within classes. After all, variety is the spice of life.
Player Killing: Do It Right or Don't Do It At All
The term "Player Killer" spells one thing: grief. As a primarily cooperative game, Blizzard should build on Diablo III's strengths instead of pandering to players who would be better suited to playing Guild Wars. That said, there's no reason why Blizzard shouldn't put the appropriate amount of effort to make their recently announced PVP Arenas a worthwhile experience.
Full-on Violence! Pull No Punches
Sanctuary is a brutal place, so the visuals should be accordingly gory. While the first two games depicted violence in all the glory which 2D was capable of, Diablo III needs to go all the way with ragdoll physics, dismemberment and monsters that go squish when you hit them with something big and heavy. In short, Diablo III needs to give God of War III a run for its money.
Give Single Player Some Love
It's already been established that Blizzard North loved its multiplayer fanbase a lot more than anyone who jumped into the single player version of Diablo. The single player version, bereft of cooperative experiences, was a very watered down experience. Blizzard shouldn't do the same. They must create a campaign so memorable, and well crafted that anyone who touches the single player mode wouldn't feel as if they've gotten the short end of the stick with the Diablo III experience. After all, Blizzard managed to deliver one of the best single player campaigns with Starcraft II, so there's no reason why Diablo III shouldn't get the same amount of love. Of course, nothing beats playing with your friends.
Tactical, Cooperative Gameplay
No one can deny that the co-op mode in Diablo II was little more than a clusterf*ck with its 8-player parties and spells that lagged the hell out of everyone's screen. In contrast to the thoughtless and button-mashing gameplay of its predecessor, the new game needs to take lessons from Left 4 Dead and its sequel and place a heavy focus on teamwork and class-dependent tactics. Counting on another player to watch your back should mean something more than just sharing loot.
Make It Challenging
Diablo II wasn't a very hard game. With barely adequate equipment, any mediocre player could easily plow through the hordes of hell like a knife through brains. The game's only challenge came in the form of grinding, which was mind-numbing to say the least. Diablo III's challenge should come in the form of gameplay–intelligent monsters, clever puzzles and the need for players to cooperate within parties.
Respecs
It's no lie that one of the most tedious aspects of action RPGs is the inability to respec your character. Make it possible, but make it cost a pretty penny. Consider the fact that you might want to re-roll the shouting Barbarian as a weapons master–having to remake your character from scratch would be nothing short of a nightmare, especially if you've spent dozens of hours and find yourself displeased with the results.
Player Economy
Having a player economy would go a long way towards making the game a more social experience. Allow players to trade their equipment using a form of currency that isn't as abundant as gold. It should hold some amount of real value and require actual effort to acquire. Likewise, the Battle.net 2.0 interface should allow players to trade their equipment with ease, without having to log into a game. There should even be an online auction board.
Tell a Story
Diablo II may have gotten by with minimal storytelling a decade ago, but there's no reason why Diablo III shouldn't be infused with a rich plot and an equally well developed setting. Imagine the fan-fiction that'll come out of something like this. It's a goldmine for the community, Blizzard.
Needless to say, there's a world dying to be populated by personalities of every sort. Special attention should be paid to each of the playable characters in the new game–give them personal motivations and incentives to participate in the story. Tie them into the game world, ground them in the reality of Sanctuary. What could be more satisfying than following your character's personal story to the end?
