Diablo III is undoubtedly THE most anticipated game of the decade. Among console gamers and computer gamers, all have heard or played part of the Diablo saga before. One reason Diablo is so popular is because of its simple, yet addicting, game play style. It also has massive replayability, unlike many games today. Even after beating the final boss on the final difficulty mode, you still haven’t mastered nor really beaten the game. That’s what keeps this Legend alive. And will keep it alive for decades to come.

Now for a little brief history on classes. Diablo I had three classes, the basic archetype Warrior, Rogue, and Sorcerer. Pretty obvious what they do. Diablo II expanded on those three with seven new ones, though each had some similarity to the previous game’s. The Amazon, Assassin, Necromancer, Barbarian, Sorceress, Druid, and Paladin. The Amazon was like the Rogue in her exceptional use of the bow but also excelled with javelins and spears in melee. The Assassin was a fairly new idea, being a capable caster somewhat akin to the Sorcerer but also being a quite dangerous (and extremely fast) melee combatant. The Necromancer was a somewhat more advanced Sorcerer but also used the dead to his advantage, as his name suggests. The Barbarian, quite obviously, was near to the Warrior as an exceptional melee combatant, though unlike his predecessor he could wield two weapons simultaneously. The Sorceress, of course, is a more advanced Sorcerer, having quite a few of the same skills while also possessing more. Druids were also new, though somewhere like a mix between a Sorcerer and Warrior, though they excelled at tanking damage in melee. Paladins were the closest class to the Warrior, fighting with a weapon and shield at almost all times. They possessed powerful auras as well, however.

Diablo III is no exception in terms of class relativity. In Diablo III you can choose from Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard. The Barbarian is actually the same Barbarian as from Diablo II, only 20 years older and with new and improved skills. The Demon Hunter combines the speed and deftness of the Assassin with the ranged prowess of the Amazon. The Monk also uses the Assassin’s speed while following the Paladin’s holy calling. The Witch Doctor is like the Necromancer, but not as close, they use many poison and dead spells though in different ways. The Wizard is basically a buffed up Sorceress and Sorcerer combined, having a wide variety of spells to choose from, all being very effective.

Diablo III does not have the highest end graphics on the market currently, BUT a wide variety of computers can still play the awesome graphics it does have. Diablo has always focused more on having a wide range of systems it can play on while still providing good graphics. Diablo I and II’s graphics were both pretty awesome for the time, though some may say those graphics are pathetic now. And compared to today’s, they would be correct. But there’s no denying they were great for their time. Diablo III proves that you don’t have to require $3,000 graphics cards to give a good game, as Diablo III’s graphics are just as good as the next game’s for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps one of the greatest parts of the Diablo series is its story. The story spans 20 years of game time and 16 years of real time. Diablo I was released in 1996, four years later Diablo II was released in 2000, and now twelve years later Diablo III is released. If you haven’t yet played Diablo I or II but are playing Diablo III, I would highly suggest buying Diablo I and II and playing them through. Start with Diablo I, play through, then do Diablo II, play through, and then start a new character in Diablo III and play through. You’ll see all the pieces of the story come together. Currently you may not understand the importance of Deckard Cain, Tyrael, or even Diablo himself. Going from start to finish will make you realize all this and more. It’s an amazing story that can only be told in game form.

The one annoying deviation Diablo III makes from its predecessors is the fact that it is online only. Mind you, you can still do single player, but it always requires an internet connection. Granted, this doesn’t cause many problems usually, but it caused quite an uproar the first couple of days when the servers were rocky. The lack of LAN or offline single player is to prevent ways of cheating that were easy when the files were stored locally on the player’s computer. Have to admit, though, that Blizzard has done a great job removing lag. My internet isn’t the greatest, but I have yet to see lag and have rarely had slow times. And only ocassionally have those been Blizzard’s fault and not my ISP’s.

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The next time you’re destroying demons in Sanctuary remember some of these things. You might not be able to see the demonic pores of the creature you just killed, nor the sweat dripping from your brow, but you will be fighting in an immersive world where you can feel the terrain and smell the music. All while playing through an epic, legendary, story.