Diablo Immortal Review – The Price Of Playing With The Devil

My fingers would ache for hours after playing Diablo Immortal; my hands haven’t spent this much time curled around my phone this way in years. Despite the pain my aging hands suffered during my first few days with Immortal, it was worth it for the fun I had. The series’ core action/RPG smash and loot gameplay makes the transition wonderfully to mobile thanks to responsive controls designed for portable play and adherence to the sights and sounds of the franchise. The mobile version of this title has a completely free-to play model that almost everyone can use, although some aspects of the monetization model do not work well with this game. This is disappointing, as the game offers an otherwise strong experience.

Thematically, Immortal is a Diablo-style game. It reminds me a lot of the great mobile Diablo 3 version. Choosing between the six available classes – Barbarian, Wizard, Demon Hunter, Necromancer, Crusader, or Monk – you soon search for the shards of the shattered Worldstone, a vital relic from previous games. Although Immortal took place 20 years after the events of Diablo 2, the story is filled with captivating lore. Skarn is a demon who seeks to fulfill the power vacuum created by the fall of Diablo 2 and Baal. He also causes chaos on Sanctuary’s peaceful, never-peaceful plane. My favorite characters, Deckard Caine and Jin return while Rayek and Rayek add new dimension to the Diablo story in ways that I enjoy.

Playing Diablo Immortal is a treat; the intuitive and responsive touch controls are some of the best I’ve used in a mobile game, save for some minor hiccups. By touching a button, you can use your thumb to aim at the target. This is a great way to launch a fireball and/or hurl your character into an demonic horde. There is still room to improve hit detection of some ranged attacks, which can cause frustration in the heat.

You will find other players fighting with monsters as you explore the Sanctuary zones. This is a reminder that Immortal MMO is by design. While this design choice sacrifices the world map’s traditional random generation, I grew fond of how alive each zone feels with real people populating the area. Immortal features plenty of ways to group up with others. That includes 8-player Warbands for tight-knit squads alongside larger 100-player Clans that can show their allegiance to the PvP factions known as the Immortals and Shadows. I love getting a group together to run a bespoke four-player dungeon or even team up with someone on the fly to clear out the area’s bounties and knock off a few quests on the Battle Pass.

Diablo Immortal, a game that is free to play, has several monetization options. My experience is that you can access almost all aspects of the game for free, which I find very appealing. A premium battle pass (paired with a free reward track) and cosmetics for sale in the shop are among the less intrusive expenditures, implemented in a way that doesn’t feel exploitative. However, certain items that are available only for real money players and not free-to-play users, can be very limited. These legendary gems have variable stats and star ranks that greatly benefit the endgame. Not only is this special crest extremely hard to get for the non-paying players, but the odds of a high-quality gem dropping even when you’re spending plenty of cash makes this part of the free-to-play system disgusting. Considering how I’m delighted with most other aspects of Diablo Immortal, the monetization systems currently in place are deeply disappointing and truly sully what is otherwise a great experience.

I was searching for an immersive Diablo experience that I could play on my iPhone with Immortal. While I don’t see myself going deep into the endgame unless Blizzard resolves the issues with legendary gems, I still plan to spend hours in Diablo Immortal, leveling a character in every class and playing until my hands ache.