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The majority of console titles being released nowadays are either first person shooters or sandbox games. Isometric Action RPGs, a genre so basic, so essential, I never thought would become scarce, hasn't seen a decent release on the current console generation in almost 7 years. Not one. Back in the PS2 era, the golden age of console action RPGs, we had the holy grail. Baldur's Gate: Dark alliance, and its more than worthy successor, Dark alliance II. The genre was so in vogue, even the Everquest universe brought a worthy contender to the table with the release of Champions of Norrath, and Champions of Norrath 2: Return to Arms. Oh, those were the days. I used to sit on the couch with my girlfriend (nowadays my wife) and play together for hours on end. Just us, exploring dungeons, marveling at the prospect of a dropped piece of armor or sword, which we would immediately pick up and analyze in order to compare to the one we were wearing. Since the current generation of consoles was released, we have waited, and waited, and waited for a worthy successor of one of these games. And there hasn't been any. There have been flops like Sacred, or Dungeon Siege's console version but none that were remotely decent (with the exception perhaps of Lord of The Rings: War in the North. Technically NOT an isometric RPG but a brilliant coop action RPG game nonetheless, which filled somehow the void we carried as gamers for over 6 years). Enter The Lord of Destruction.
The wait is finally over. Diablo III is that game. That worthy successor to Baldur's Gate: Dark alliance we had waited for (for more than half a decade mind you). From the moment you pick up the controller you can tell Blizzard nailed this port. It doesn't even feel like a port. It's like the game was designed with this control scheme in mind from scratch. Movement is fluid, combat satisfying. Everything is there. The search for better and shinier loot is just as fun as it was back in the PS2 with Baldur's. The co-op action is flawless. Minimap, skill trees, chests, weapon racks, everything you may have possibly missed is there, and then some.
If there is maybe one department where the game takes a hit vs. the PC version are the graphics. They're not bad. They do feel a bit...cartoonish. But they're totally current gen. You just can't compare the graphics of a current PC (even a mid-range one) with the graphics of a game, running in 720p on a console like the PS3, released 7 years ago, and already on it's way out. If you have never seen the PC graphics, these will look totally OK to you. Nothing to write home about but not bad by any stretch of the imagination. And my only other gripe with the game (now, this is a minor thing and I'm definitely nitpicking), is that I wish 2 players playing local co-op could enter their inventory at the same time instead of player 1 having to wait while player 2 compares 10 different kinds of armor in order to be able to enter his inventory, or at least, there should be an option to enable this. I'm rocking a 55 inch screen, there's plenty of room for both player's inventories. If a player has a small screen they could disable this option. The upside is when my wife is going through her inventory, I get to see everything she's carrying and sometimes a weapon or piece of armor catches my eye so she gives it to me and viceversa so it's not like it's super boring or anything like that. Like I said, I'm definitely nitpicking. This game is seriously awesome. I can't wait to see what Blizzard does with this game on the PS4. Even if it's just a graphics overhaul, I'll buy the PS4 version in a New York minute and play it all over again (Heck I intend to play the PS3 version all over again several times). Just take my money Blizzard. Keep releasing games like this on the console and keep taking my money. And I hope this game sells like hotcakes so publishers realize there IS a market for this genre on the consoles, and that gamers like us will buy anything you release in this genre as long as it plays this nicely.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love first person shooters as much as the next guy, but sometimes a gamer needs a break from that. No online lobbies, no 8 years olds yelling at the top of their lungs threatening to quickscope me or anything like that. Just me, my girl, the couch and the dungeons (wait, that sounded a bit kinky. But I digress). Sometimes you just want to sit on the couch with a friend, relax, and just have some fun. Sometimes, we need to get back to basics. And what a glorious playground Diablo III is for that purpose. Welcome home Lord of Destruction. What is thy bidding my master?
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As ports from PC to systems go, there haven't been too many successful examples. Most games suffer from trying to take the PC/Mouse controls and set them up on a system controller. Or suffer from the limited graphic capability on systems. (Or are like Starcraft on the N64, one of the very worst PC to console ports of all time, and the last time Blizzard tried to do this).I'm happy to report, Diablo III bucks this trend in a BIG way, and is a must-purchase for RPG and loot fans.
Controls can't get much simplier then what Blizzard accomplished on the PS3. Move with the left stick. Look around with the right. Attack buttons are mapped to the face buttons on the controller. No gaming mouse required! You'll get into the flow of battle and wonder how you ever survived using a gaming mouse or keyboard; it's that intuative.
Naturally, the graphics do take a hit, but it still looks better than you would expect a port has any right to.
Another thing you will notice is the Inventory interface is a little clunky, but that's a minor gripe.
If by some chance you've never played any Diablo games, it's a very simple concept. Slash and hack anything that gets in your way. Mix in a little magic. Grab the loot that drops at random. Rinse and repeat.
The bottom line is this game has at least 30-50 hours (or more) of gameplay and if they release the PC expansion as DLC you can take another 5-10 onto it as well.
As I stated in the open, most PC to console conversions are poor or worst, a complete abomination of the game. Diablo III is neither of those, and if you're the type who love Borderlands for the loot, you will adore Diablo III as well.
The grades:
Presentation: 8
Graphics: 8
Controls: 9
U/I: 7
Replability: 10
Overall: 9/10
Best Deals for Diablo III - Playstation 3
Of course this game is going to get bouts of negative reviews. Because it sucks right? No. No it does not.Diablo III has been a huge subject of gaming controversy since its release last year on PC. A lot of people were sorely disappointed and as a result, the Diablo fanbase has turned into a giant swarm of hate. And thus, because this is Diablo III, the negative reviews are piling up.
Please ignore the negative reviews. They are not credible. Why? Because even if someone hates the PC version of D3 for completely legitimate reasons, THIS IS NOT THE PC VERSION. The console version of Diablo III is not a mere port of the PC game.
This version has been touched up and fine tuned specifically for consoles. Not only that, but every single PC patch that was released to enhance the original game has been include in the console game's content. Thus, the console version is a far more polished game and is undoubtedly a five-star experience.
The two biggest topics of controversy on the PC version (the Real Money Auction House and the Always-Online connectivity) have been completely removed from this version of the game. Now, the main reason for this was because neither of those things were even possible to replicate on consoles, but nevertheless, they are gone. And because of this, there is no more lag or server errors. And the loot drops have been fine tuned and enhanced since the Auction House can no longer be used to buy better gear.
Believe me, I've heard the countless stories about how much of a let down the PC version was. I'm not saying that I don't believe the players who have the PC version that it isn't a let down. But to come onto a product page of a revamped version of the game and give it a 1 star rating just because you are upset at Blizzard is not only childish, but it's about as silly as those people who negatively review products because of a late delivery from their mail provider.
Enough. Diablo III is a great game. If you hate it, more power to you. But don't review this one poorly just because you're offended by Blizzard's mistakes.
(Now if you ACTUALLY hate the console version for legitimate reasons, then that's another story...)
Honest reviews on Diablo III - Playstation 3
Whew, it has been a long wait! I thought Dungeon Siege 3 would be the best we could hope for on the PS3. This is a terrific game from the company that invented the "Diablo" genre. I have not played it on my Macintosh and I am glad that I waited. A few pros and cons:Pros:
*Multiplayer is great with no dumbing down of secondary (not player 1) players.
*Eight difficulty levels within each "Master" difficulty level (Normal, Hell, Nightmare, and Inferno) that can be changed at any time.
*Lore is audio based as well as text based.
*No two button finger maneuvers for effects. I have never seen a game do the button mapping better.
*Intelligently designed-this is an understatement.
*Fun (another understatement).
*Random dungeons, leveling up, and replay-ability.
*Thank goodness we did not have to wait for the PS4 version.
Cons:
*Local multiplayer only allows one player at a time in their wonderfully engineered and easy to understand inventory screen.
*Expansions will be delayed for the console.
*No in-game keyboard chat like Diablo 2.
I love this game-it does so much right and is a kick in the pants to play. My two recommendations for future patches:
1.) Allow 2 players in inventory at the same time.
2.)Allow USB keyboard chat.
Thank You Blizzard for bringing this masterpiece to the Playstation 3--I appreciate your outstanding product.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Diablo III - Playstation 3
First ImpressionsI wanted to share some of my findings with the Console version of Diablo 3 since I've been playing on the PC version since beta. On my pc Diablo 3 account, I've leveled each class to 60 (except my wiz who is 57) and have played my monk and witch doctor to paragon levels above 60. I share this info because I feel it's important that you know that I speak from some level of familiarity with the game.
I am a PS3 Noob
Diablo 3 is the very first game I've played on a PS3 console. Frankly, I purchased the PS3 and the game on the same day. I read some reviews on the console version of the game and wanted to try it out. I know, it's a lot to spend for a simple game play-thru, but I figure since I'm single and don't need the money to buy jewelry, I can use it for Beer and video gaming.
Control
I found controlling the characters quite simple. The controller layout is shown in the game menus so you can see how it's originally laid out. You can set the game (in menus) to elective mode, which allows you to assign any spell or ability to any controller button. I found this a big help. On PC, D3 is a point and click title where you hit the spells and special abilities with buttons 1 thru 4 if they're not bound to your mouse. With the Console version, you pound on X for your primary attack. Blizz did an admirable job of making the transition from keyboard to controller as it relates to PS3. There is no keyboard mode for this game that I'm aware of on PS3, so keep that in mind. Moving your characters (at least to me) was extremely intuitive. I found using the joystick to move your character to be simple, smooth and accurate. No complaints. I was also pleased to find an "evasion" ability added to each class that is bound to the second control stick. Each character can now roll or strafe to avoid damage.
Graphics
I've read a number of comments where people were displeased with the graphics on the TV. I'm actually glad I read those before firing up my copy because I was pleasantly surprised by how good the game looked. I was expecting something less than HD quality, but found extremely good color, contrast and visual effects. I'm playing on a 42 inch 1080P TV. Nothing special, I think I paid $500 for it. All the lines were smooth and all the colors sharp and crisp. I am using the HDMI cable directly into my TV.
Sound
I love the game sounds of Diablo 3. Many go all the way back to the very first Diablo for PlayStation (which I still have by the way, and no. .you can't have it). The voice characterizations, background sounds and other audio candy is wonderful in this game. Having the surround sound on your TV certainly makes this game come to life.
Game Play
The play through itself has been a blast. The learning curve (for me) on the controller ended when I got through Act 1. After that, I was hammering buttons and firing off skills like I actually knew what I was doing. The monster fights are very similar (to pc) with some modest exceptions. The differences are subtle and noticeable if you've played on PC, but not largely different, and equally as fun. Quest rewards sometimes provide gear due to the lack of an auction house as was available (and will be till March 2014) on PC. Crafting is also much the same except the requirements have been reduced to compensate for lower drop rates of items you salvage for crafting materials.
Item Drops
This has been a huge point of discussion which led me to want to try the title myself. "Magic Find" or "Farming" is a significant part of the game play with the Diablo franchise. The quest for better items and increasing your character stats can quickly become an obsession. The PS3 version of Diablo 3 doesn't disappoint in the item drop category. Granted, you don't get as many items as you do on the PC, but from my limited experience I can tell you that the items are better suited for your character and for the level of your characters progression on the console than on the PC. I did not have to buy any items for my character from the vendors (although you certainly can) for leveling. I was able to play comfortably and effectively with items that I found on my play through. The key difference here between the PC and the console (for me) was that with PC, you rarely (if ever) found a direct upgrade for a piece you were wearing after you got past level 30 or so. With the console version, the upgrades don't fall like rain, but they will fall. I had a great deal of luck exploring every nook and cranny of each zone before leaving to the next. And for those that were waiting for it, yes. . . unique items do drop on the console version. And they aren't what I would consider over-blown for your level. My experience (yours will vary) was the unique items I found were level appropriate and replaced within 3 or 4 more levels with better blue or yellow gear. I got my first unique at level 13. It was a 15 dps upgrade and I used it for 2 levels. Finding shiny items is why we play Diablo 3, and the console version delivers. I've not played at level 60 yet because I'm still leveling. My hardcore monk is level 22 and my hardcore witch doctor is level 57.
Vendors
Some vendors sell yellow items mixed in with the typical blues. This is random so each game the items and vendors selling them will vary. The farther you proceed into the game, the more items they seemingly offer. Again, I didn't need to purchase any (and gold is still tough to get) so I didn't bother. But I can confirm they are there.
Followers
These guys seem to do more damage in the Console version, but I can't be certain. I did let my follower pound on some mobs a few times and they did die, so I definitely think there's something to this. Another neat feature is that you can respec your follower. So if you want to try other follower talents, feel free. You can change them whenever you like. On a personal note, the Scoundrel is still the funniest one to listen to when you're questing.
Game performance
This is a bit of a sticking point with me. I bought a brand new PS3 and a brand new copy of D3. There seems to be a great deal of disc thrashing with this game, but I'm not sure if it's this title or just the PS3 in general. I have a 250GB hard drive so space isn't an issue. Since D3 is the only game I've played on it, the drive is empty, less the space taken by saved characters. It doesn't make the game unplayable, and it's not a rubber-banding type of issue, but my game does hesitate at times when the mob density is highest. It recovers quickly and moves on, so I don't know if this is something to do with the game or the system. I did a little research and from what I've read, the game plays strictly from the DVD and cannot be uploaded to the hard drive (I've not verified this) so that may be a factor. Although since it can be downloaded from the PSN store, I'm not sure why you cant upload it to your drive from the DVD. Again, I'm a PS3 noob so I could be wrong here.
Crafting
This seemed to turn out more upgrades than I typically experienced on the PC version. Granted, all of my crafting has been done below level 60 so far (57 and 22) but I did have some luck.
Character Leveling
This part of the game on the PC became a chore, but it's pretty fun on the console. The difference here really lies in the ability to find level specific upgrades for your character. On the PC, my experience was that all upgrades need to be purchased from the auction house or needed to be crafted. With the console version, my experience so far (both toons I'm playing) have been able to manage very well with the gear they find on their journey. Again, unique items did drop for me, making leveling seem more like low level magic finding than an actual grind to level 60.
Loot 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 ?
I've read too much on this topic so I'll just summarize. More item drops (while leveling) are usable in the console version than the PC version. Unique items don't drop like rain on the console, but you will find them. As I shared, I got my first at 13. Used it for a few levels and dusted it for a yellow. The game (per blizz) was made to allow you to level without the need for an external source to obtain items and gear. So far, I've found this to be an accurate account based on my limited experience. Again, we play Diablo 3 for the pretty glowing items that drop in the hopes that they will benefit our toon (or at least one of them). So far, my loot experience has been fun. I am not worried about obtaining upgrades because I know that I will. So far so good.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read) Review
Like many, the luster of the PC version wore off for me. I was reluctant at first to try the PS3 version of Diablo 3, but I'm very glad I did. Diablo 3 for the console is fun. Loot falls and in many cases was an upgrade for my toon (yes. unique items drop too). Using the controller is simple and intuitive. I play Hardcore, but losing a character doesn't hold the same negative connotations as it does on the PC because I know I can find gear to replace what I've lost during the course of leveling up. The sound and graphics were quite enjoyable for me. If you've enjoyed this title on the PC, you'll really enjoy it on the console. The game itself is very much the same, with the added benefit of knowing that you will find shiny new items. Feel free to comment or ask questions.
dom
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