When Diablo 3 launched on the PC, I was disappointed. It wasn't the Diablo game I expected after waiting so many years. Thank the heavens that Blizzard Entertainment worked their asses off on fixing all of the issues with the game when they released Reaper of Souls in March. The new Act, a new Loot 2.0 system, and the removal of the auction house — among other additions — earned a 9.5/10 when I reviewed it, which you can read HERE.
Now making its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is the best version of the game that you could play.
The Ultimate Evil Edition is everything from Reaper of Souls, but updated for the next-gen consoles. I didn't play on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3, so my console experience with the game began on the PlayStation 4. You're getting everything that came with Reaper of Souls: the Loot 2.0 system, level cap increase, adventure mode, Bounties, the new Crusader class, an Act 5, an expanded Paragon system, the Mystic, and Nephalem Rifts. If you'd like my thoughts on any of that, read my Reaper of Souls review.
As for what's new to the game on the PS4, well, there's a whole slew of new actually.
First off, the game looks great on my 60" Samsung LED TV. Unless you're a burglar… then it looks good on my old 30" Panasonic from 1997. 1080p. 60fps. It's just a joy to be able to play this game from the comfort of my couch. The UI has been changed a tiny bit to make it more console/controller friendly, but it's still largely the same.
Speaking of controllers, Ultimate Evil Edition feels great with the DualShock 4 controller. It feels a lot like Baldur's Gate, and combined with the zoomed-in camera view, the Ultimate Evil Edition is the definition of action-RPG. The control scheme works great, with face buttons and triggers casting spells. As far as action is concerned, the controller feels natural, and it makes it feel like a whole different game — a different experience than the one I had on PC.
I prefer the controller now, which is something I never thought I'd see myself type. The only time I had some difficulty with the controller is in the menus. The precision of the analogs sticks was a bit of a nuisance when trying to select and assign spells or gear. Then I discovered I could also use the touchpad; that made it easier.
Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition is all about multiplayer — from online to the four-player local multiplayer. There are some new additions to make multiplayer better, too — namely apprentice mode. This allows two players, no matter what level they're both at, to play/level up with each other. Think of it as a sidekick system where the lower level character gets boosted to the level of the higher character for that session. Both players get experience and gear according to their base level, while the lower level character gets extra XP and gets to level up faster.
Ultimate Evil Edition is also built for social interactions. You're able to send items to players on your friendlist via an in-game mailbox. Then there are player gifts; when a Legendary item, like an awesome intelligence sword for my Witch Doctor drops, there is a chance for an extra Player Gift to drop for someone on your friendlist. This hasn't happened to me yet, but I've received some legendary gifts from my friends. The item will roll a rare or legendary for that character.
There's also no fighting over loot. Loot in local multiplayer gets assigned to the character that can use it. So if my Witch Doctor picks up a Dexterity item, it will go to the Monk or Demon Hunter in the group because that's the character it dropped for. You'll always see which player each item is meant for when it's picked up.
One last exciting feature is the Nemesis system. This is how it works: if a monster kills you, that monster has a chance to level up, turn into a different creature and gain new abilities. It can then jump out of your game and show up in your friend's game. It will be named and be made obvious that the monster killed your character. If that monster then kills your friend, it gets more powerful and transfers to someone on their friendlist. But, if the monster is killed, both players will be rewarded with some sweet loot.
This is the definitive version of Diablo 3. It's the best game I've played on both the PS4 and Xbox One, which surprises me. The changes made have me hooked. If you own a next-gen console, you'd be doing yourself a huge disservice if you don't purchase Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition — unless you just hate the Diablo franchise. In that case, I can't help you.
You can follow Features Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. Or you can email him at [email protected].
