Blizzard’s infernal ARPG opens its gates

Rogue demon Lilith spells bad news for Sanctuary, if only because of her penchant for blood, worrying talk of divine prophecies, and many scary monikers

Developer/publisher Blizzard Entertainment

Format PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series

Origin US

Release June 6

Cleaving our way through the demons of Sanctuary, we quickly learn not to get too attached to what’s around us – and not only because our progress won’t carry over to Diablo IV’s full release. NPCs who at first seem to take on great importance soon die, depart or betray us. Each town we visit is replaced by another dingy hamlet never far away. And as we venture into underground dungeons for loot, it quickly becomes obvious that a tactical retreat is often more valuable than whatever prize lies at the end.

Yet it’s our interactions with other players that cement this sense of ephemeral progress. After partying up with a couple of online adventurers in the wilderness of Fractured Peaks – a harsh, icy wasteland and the opening area to which we are limited – we set out on a somewhat uncommunicative journey across the map. Relying only on a limited set of emotes and a text box that’s little use when talking to non-English speakers, our group uncovers a handful of new regions, ticks off a couple of sidequests and clears a few dungeons that had given us grief when we attempted them solo. Mobs of enemies are easier to dispatch in a party, and the loot more frequent. It’s so good, in fact, that one dungeon’s generous haul satisfies our companions, who promptly teleport away with naught but a goodbye. In the world of Sanctuary, it seems, party members are among the most fickle finds of all – invaluable when you have them, but hard to keep hold of.