Release Date: 19/08/14
Publisher: Blizzard/Activision
SYNOPSIS:
Diablo III Reaper of Souls Ultimate Evil Edition XBOX One contains Diablo III and the expansion Diablo III Reaper of Souls
FACE ULTIMATE EVIL
Over 13 million players have battled the demonic hordes of Diablo III. Now, it’s your turn to join the crusade and take up arms against the enemies of the mortal realms. This Ultimate Evil Edition contains both Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion set, together in one definitive volume. So stand ready. Something wicked this way comes.
Call upon your allies - Play solo or form a party of up to four other heroes - either with local players together on the same screen or online with players via Xbox Live.
Rise as a champion - Stand as one of humanity’s last defenders - crusader, barbarian, witch doctor, demon hunter, monk, or wizard - and level up with devastating powers and legendary equipment.
Lift the demonic siege - Lay waste to hordes of evil throughout all five acts of the Diablo III storyline. Or explore the open world in Adventure Mode to hunt bounties on the elder evils that lurk throughout the mortal realms
Features
Deluxe edition contains Diablo III and the Reaper of Souls expansion pack
Form a party of up to 4 other heroes, either locally or via Xbox Live
Play as a crusader, barbarian, witch doctor, demon hunter, monk, or wizard
Lay waste to hordes of evil throughout all 5 acts of the Diablo III storyline
Explore the world in Adventure Mode to hunt bounties on the elder evils
REVIEW:
OK, I played the original Diablo 3 on the Xbox 360 and whilst I had fun with it, I did wish I could have done more with the character and achieved higher levels. So when this update landed I couldn’t wait to try not only the new Crusader class but also to see how far I could push my favourites (the Demon Huner and Monk) to the max to see what I could manage to do with so many new skills as well as items to unlock.
Whilst it was a little strange getting back into it, what the game designers have done is to modify some of the existing levels so that you get new monster attacks or area’s to discover that weren’t available in the original. It adds a bit of variety and as a veteran of Diablo 3, I loved this as it showed me that they really care about giving the gamer the best experience possible.
Add to this a whole new set of problems for the gamer to embark upon alongside levels to achieve all round gave me a whole heap of fun as some of the skill runes I didn’t manage to unlock which I spent quite a bit of time testing.
All round I had a whole heap of fun with this game and when you add all the extra’s, it made this a great experience to go through, add a friend or two online and it becomes even better which when you can send gifts to each other allows the player the chance to boost their own levels. Magic.
Release Date: 05/09/13
Publisher: Blizzard
SYNOPSIS:
Blizzard Entertainment’s epic action-RPG Diablo III is moving the eternal war between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells to a new battleground--Xbox 360! Armed with a controller and a custom-designed interface tailored for consoles, players will step into the role of one of five powerful character classes—barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, or demon hunter--and embark on a dark journey to save the world of Sanctuary from ancient demonic forces. As these heroes adventure from the humble town of New Tristram all the way to the Diamond Gates of the High Heavens, they’ll engage in pulse-pounding combat with hordes of monsters and challenging bosses, grow in experience and ability, and acquire items of incredible power.
Features
Five powerful character classes to choose from: barbarian, witch doctor, wizard, monk, and demon hunter.
Direct character control and console-focused changes to character abilities and combat mechanics thrust Xbox 360 gamers into the action.
Four-player online co-op and four-player local co-op for seamless cooperative play.
Four different difficulty modes--Normal, Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno--that progressively increase the challenge and reward players with more powerful armor, weapons, and abilities.
Hardcore mode for players who seek the thrill of constant peril that comes with the possibility of permanent death for their character.
Completely reimagined interface and new dynamic camera designed specifically for console play.
Interactive environments with dangerous traps and obstacles, and destructible elements.
Randomized settings, events, and loot deliver endless, dynamic gameplay.
A wide variety of fiendish monsters, with unique attack patterns and behaviors redesigned for console.
Features like the Paragon system, Monster Power, Infernal Machine and Brawling add substantial replayability.
Connect with friends, send game invitations, and access voice chat through the Xbox Live.
REVIEW:
Ah, for a great many gamers the name Diablo conjures up a whole host of fond memories, although I did know the game name, I wasn’t sure what I was going to get although having heard about marathon gaming sessions from others reliving the nostalgia I was hoping for a title that would not only entertain but give me a whole host of fun in the process.
What unfurls if you’ll pardon the layman in me is a more modern game of Gauntlet, you have a whole range of characters to choose from and to be honest, if you’re playing on your own, finding the right one for your gaming style can be tricky (The Barbarian didn’t suit me although I did have a whole host of fun with the Demon Hunter), but when you get a back up buddy such as a Templar or a Thief etc. you have a great fun gaming through the challenges. It’s fun, the chance to upgrade your inventory/items gives you great looks and when you add the different skill upgrades, finding something to suit your gameplay really does give you so many choices. However just because you can have an upgrade doesn’t mean that it will suit your style of gameplay, so tinkering around a little will help you find what does work well.
OK, this title is fun to play on your own and whilst some may feel that it’s a little limited, the character graphics a little clunky with acceptable sound, the real gem of this game is the ability to play it in your home with your friends all round, it’s a great way to have a whole heap of fun whilst battling the enemies of darkness grabbing levelling goodies and sharing the spoils round. (Unless you have a tightwad buddy that believes in hogging all the good stuff for themselves.)
All in, it’s a game with quite a few options and to be honest the one addition I’d have liked would have been able to modify the faces, bodies so that you can tailor the things more to your own likes. That said it’s a whole heap of pleasure all round and one that I’d advise to get in when you have your friends round. Just prepare for it to be a lost weekend.
Lady Eleanor is Falcata Times Mistress of Mayhem, be it in the Horror Genre or on the console, she gives it her all and loves to blow the hell out of anyone who gets in her way. You can often find her perusing the game sites to get the latest gossip on what’s arriving next or checking out the latest movie/book releases to see what grabs her attention.
In addition to this Lady Eleanor is a lifelong fan of pin up and in particular the Fetish Queen of the 50’s Bettie Page and whilst the name is an alias, its due more to her love of a song by the same title by the group Lindisfarne rather than her dominating presence when she lays down the law.
(Artwork by Isis Sousa for Falcata Times)
