If you haven’t played Diablo 3 by now, in any of its incarnations, then you must have been living under a rock.
Originally releasing on PC in 2012, Diablo 3 has seen a release on virtually every major platform. It was a shaky start, to be honest, but there have been many “quality of life” updates.
The major one being the Loot 2.0 update, which released in mid-2013 and made the looting aspect of the game far more enjoyable. Major DLC releases have also transformed the game into an almost completely different entity.
This version, Diablo 3 Eternal Collection, includes the base game as well as the Reaper of Souls and Rise of the Necromancer expansions, making it virtually complete.
Diablo 3 Eternal Collection Review
This leaves players with five Acts to play through, seven Character Classes to choose from, as well as the Seasonal content that provides season-specific challenges and rewards for dedicated players.
For this reason alone, the game is packed full of content for both casual and hardcore players alike.
But what is Diablo 3?
At its core, Diablo 3 is an Action-RPG, a top-down hack’n’slash looter and it’s a damned good one. Sure, it’s simpler than others that have come since, but much of its beauty lies in its simplicity.
It’s a game that’s very approachable for new players. That said, there is a complexity that has been added over the years in terms of armour sets and runes, which makes the game far more complex at later levels.
If all you want is the base game, then you’ve got 10-15 hours of content to play through, across seven very different character classes. For many, that will be enough. Beyond that, the game is essentially endlessly replayable, with Seasons providing fresh content every 2-3 months.
Devil in your Pocket
The role-playing aspect is light initially, with players choosing a class primarily based on their initial abilities. These include strength-based, healing, destructive magic and beyond.
As players progress, they unlock new abilities, all of which have multiple options, depending on your playstyle. On top of this is the choice of weapons, some of which are specific to certain Character Classes.
There is plenty of variance within the available options, allowing players to lean into a preferred style.
Eventually, players will begin to unlock both passive abilities and runes for active abilities. This is where the more “hardcore” aspects set in, allowing players to really create a build that suits them best.
In addition, players can add gems to weapon and armour slots, allowing certain augments to improve player stats.
Role-playing can get a hell of a lot more complicated than this, but the relative simplicity of these mechanics gives Diablo 3 a more arcade feel, which suits a more fast-paced action game perfectly.
Gotta Slay ‘Em All
So how does all of this work on the Switch?
Damned well, if I’m honest!
As much as I’d love to say this is the definitive version of Diablo 3 on console, I can’t really. The Eternal Collection is also available on the Xbox One and PS4. However, the ability to put this on a handheld unit that you can play virtually anywhere puts this version in a league of its own.
Not only can you play anywhere, but the game is not negatively impacted when the Internet drops out; unless you are in multiplayer. Progress seems to be saved locally, and perhaps uploaded the next time a connection is established.
As is often the case for Switch titles in handheld mode, the controls can get fiddly, depending on the size of your paws. However, the button configuration has been organised really well, simplifying the task of playing a game that was initially designed for keyboard and mouse.
In fact, it somehow feels better than it felt when I played it on Xbox. Why this is the case? I’m not exactly sure, but it feels great to play and even better when using the Pro controller.
Delightfully Devilish Seymour
I thought the small screen would complicate things. There’s a lot of text and small items to collect and I thought it might be incredibly unclear. But I was very wrong. Clearly, it was something that the developers kept in mind, as they applied a very bright aura around items, making them stand out a little more.
In regards to the text, while it is small, it wasn’t really an issue for me. In fact, the little screen on the Switch is glorious and in some ways, I think it looks better on the small screen than it does in docked mode.
I don’t really know what else to say. Diablo 3 is a game perfected over time and one that’s currently in a really good place. If you’ve never played it, the Switch version is really worth checking out.
Even if you HAVE played it before, just the fact you can now play it anytime, anywhere is enough for me to be able to offer a hearty recommendation.
It’s simple, really, Diablo 3 Eternal Collection for the Nintendo Switch is one of the best games available on the platform, period, and it comes highly recommended.
Plus, you can dress your character up like Ganondorf and have a Cucoo pet. Win!
Diablo 3 Eternal Collection was reviewed using a promotional copy provided by the developer and a retail version purchased by the reviewer.
PowerUp! Reviews
Game Title: Diablo 3 Eternal Collection
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Amazing portable version of Diablo 3 - 9.7/109.7/10
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Locked in at 60fps, even in handheld - 9.8/109.8/10
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Loot for days...no, MONTHS! - 9/109/10
