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Diablo 3’s official site has been updated with new screenshots. As always this triggers the discussion, if Diablo 3’s art has taken a new direction, after the previous Art Director was sacked.
I think the new screenshots speak for themselves. They’re definitely more contrasty and have plenty of dark areas. The outside areas (Act II?) are looking similar to Luth Golein, so Blizzard seems to have taken to heart the pleas of their fan base.
Blizzard’s GFX team has been hard at work re-doing the effects: from the humble magic missile to more serious stuff like the Slow Time skill (Wizard).
It does look very much like the same skill in Starcraft II – the one that the Protoss mothership had. Anyway, it’s a fine animation, hopefully the finished game isn’t too heavy… I don’t want to upgrade my hardware so I can stop time.
Blizzard is hard at work figuring out the inventory management. If you compare the screenshots from the initial announcement to the current version, you’ll see plenty of differences.
Yet, they aren’t happy with it. Blizzard states:
Inventory management and the systems that surround it are something we’re obviously interested in, but not something that can really be tuned until we have more of the item game fleshed out and tuned itself. It’s hard to know exactly the best way to handle inventory management when the items, types, pickup frequency, and removal frequency can’t really be measured with any real accuracy.
I hope this doesn’t mean we get to play item tetris – as it was in Diablo 2 with different items taking different number of slots.
At the same time, Blizzard obviously don’t want to copy WoW’s inventory system. Or, Warhammer Online’s system of different bags filtering different item types. They want to make us THINK about which items we put in the inventory.
Remember the big discussion about Diablo 3 getting TOO SUNNY for a Diablo game? The fans had to re-do screenshots in Photoshop just to make their point that a darker Diablo is called for – no green fields.
In public Blizzard remained adamant about the art direction but since then they have let the Art Director go and lo and behold – the updated screenshots look very much LIKE Diablo 2!
Check out the desert screenshot below – I did some minor sharpening in Photoshop but I must say it looks like Act II (Lut Gholein). Mercifully, the green grass has been removed and the characters look dark and desperate!
As you’ve probably heard, Blizzcon 2009 is in full swing which means a ton of Diablo news will be pouring in the next two days.
For starters, a new character will be playable at Blizzcon – the Monk! According to pundits, he replaces the Paladin, so for all of you Hammerdin fans, try to find some love for the Monk.
The Monk’s skills are: Crippling Wave, Impenetrable Defense (bubble?), Exploding Palm, Seven-sided Strike, Way of the Hundred Fists. As usual, you can check these in action here.
You can check out gameplay video below:
Stay tuned for more Blizzcon coverage!
Remember past Blizzcons when we wondered if that horn is Diablo’s? Or anything else that looked like a clue that Diablo 3 will be announced?
Well, Diablo 3 takes center stage at this Blizzcon! The Barbarian is displayed prominently on the homepage (next to something green looking like a Starcraft II ghost).
OK, a few bullet points about Blizzcon 2009!
If you’re not able to attend, there’s the poor man’s Blizzcon – live Directv coverage for just $39.95. You do the murloc marine pet, so if you need a green/blue blob around you at all times, make sure you give your hard-earned cash to Blizzard.
It’s not just the fans anymore. Bill Roper is complaining that Diablo 3 isn’t Diablo enough.
Bill Roper is the producer of the original Diablo and Diablo II and he thinks that Diablo is a Gothic fantasy. He thinks the CLOWNs at Blizzard have took the game over and have repainted the graphics in their favorite cartoony colors.
I think that one of the things that we always tried to get across was that Diablo was Gothic fantasy and I think there was just a need that was put in there from the visuals that I didn’t necessarily get. I got it from the architecture and to a degree from the character design but not the feeling of the world. I can’t say that I dislike it. I didn’t look at it and go, oh my God that’s horrible. But I looked at it and went, it’s not really… to me as a player it just didn’t really ring with Diablo.
Admittedly, it could be that Bill Roper is bitter about the dismal failure of the Hellgate: London project. Frankly, though, I agree with him – we need MORE blood and guts and dark horrors, not LESS.
Blizzard has put out some screenshots of the Barbarian skill tree. It’s part of the new (N8) Blizzcast. It covers a lot of ground, especially when it comes to Diablo 3.
Combat Skills Combat Masteries Warcries
Level 1 Bash Sword Mastery, Axe Mastery, Mace Mastery Howl, Find Potion
Level 6 Double Swing, Leap Polearm Mastery, Throwing Mastery, Spear Mastery Shout, Taunt
Level 12 Double Throw, Stun Increased Stamina Find Item
Level 18 Leap Attack, Concentrate Iron Skin Battle Cry
Level 24 Frenzy Increased Speed Battle Orders, Grim Ward
Level 30 Whirlwind, Berserk Natural Resistance War Cry, Battle Command
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