The Dark Phoenix

Christmas has come early. The Diablo Immortal Technical Alpha is upon us.

What seems like eons ago now, BlizzCon 2018 was quite the memorable event with fans split on the announcement of Diablo Immortal instead of the much anticipated Diablo IV. Emotions ran high but we still had hope, clinging onto faith that Blizzard would do the right thing. Fast forwarding to BlizzCon 2019, which also seems like ages ago due to the COVID time warp, my faith was completely restored in the series and Blizzard teams after days of hands on demos of both Diablo Immortal and Diablo IV. The excitement was becoming palpable again…

To put it briefly, Diablo Immortal is shaping up to the best mobile gaming title ever. Yes, I know that mobile games are loved and hated equally by hardcore gamers but even this grumpy old gamer has felt nothing but absolutely bliss with the time spent with Immortal so far. This may be the game that converts many a hater to what I am guessing will be a mobile companion to Diablo IV.

While only a Technical Alpha in title, make no mistake that the amount of detail, polish, and content is absolutely staggering. From the opening scenes and character creation, Diablo Immortal is absolutely gorgeous on both the iPhone and iPad that we tested. We were able to crank the graphics settings up to Ultra and High (60) FPS on both devices to get the true experience. Animations, movement, and UI elements are top notch as you bash, burn, sizzle, and shock your way through mountains of baddies and loot.

Sound is also absolutely stellar between the soundtrack, voice acting (some familiar voices from the series return without missing a beat) and the sound effects just crush. Audio visually speaking, Immortal is a treat for fans and newcomers alike. ARPGs are definitely a mixed bag when it comes to sound effects and the impact they have on gameplay and just the overall feeling of ‘power’ — Diablo Immortal excels in this department. My Wizard truly started to feel like an arcane powerhouse as I leveled up.

While Immortal looks and sounds sublime, how does it actually play? I am pleased to report that the gameplay polish is right up there with the graphics and audio. Skills and combat are slick, easy to execute, and satisfying. Rarely did I find issues casting basic and advanced spells and attacks on either on phone or tablet. Content wise, the game feels like a mix between Diablo III and the Diablo IV demo at BlizzCon last year. That is definitely a good thing and while some may shy away from it, it’s more MMORPG vs a single player game with other players not only present but actively fighting through the dark, detailed maps. Truly, this is the dark Diablo that fans have been clamoring for and a true return to form.

While we still have no release date for Immortal, I can confidently say the game is absolutely headed in the right direction. Wyatt Cheng and team have been fairly quiet since BlizzCon 2018 but their efforts, persistence , and vision are finally paying off. Diablo Immortal is a glorious, blazing phoenix rising from the ashes of a contentious moment in gaming history, soaring above the skeptical, burning a bright path forward for both the ARPG genre and the mobile gaming market worldwide.