Features change from game to game and many of Diablo 3’s features didn’t make it over to Diablo 4, presumably, in an effort to make the new game stand out and assert its own identity. However, D4 players believe that some of these iconic traits need to be brought back.
There’s always a fine light that developers need to tread with sequels. A follow-up ideally needs enough of its own identity to make itself a viable sequel, but it helps to keep gameplay features that fans loved and gravitated toward its predecessor.
It seems that this is something that Diablo 4 has wrestled with since its launch. While Mounts and Strongholds have represented a new way forward for the dark and depraved franchise, players have also conversely missed elements of previous entries – such as the reroll system.
Diablo 3 features could make Diablo 4 “more fun”?
Two interesting points of contention have got the Diablo 4 community talking. The first is the subject of Nightmare Dungeons vs Greater Rifts – the former being a D4 feature and the latter a D3 mechanic.
“Greater Rifts were better content,” said one Reddit user’s post and explained that they “can’t get over how much more fun Greater Rifts were. Running Nightmare Dungeons just feels like you keep running the same bounties over and over. It just gets boring so quickly.”
Nightmare Dungeons have effectively replaced Greater Rifts, but the slower-paced nature of NDs and its instance of completing mini-objectives and backtracking is seen as a step backward from the fast-paced, action-packed nature of Greater Rifts.
“They tried so hard to make D4 be NOT D3, they flushed many of D3’s best features. I understand wanting to innovate but I’m not sure this is it,” said one user, and another explained: “GRs were certainly massively better than NM dungeons. Having to deal with sigils, trying to get a specific level of sigil, salvaging the sigils with awful affixes or that are for nearly empty dungeons, etc, is just a pita that adds nothing fun or even interesting to the game. I just want to kill stuff.”
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Another bone of contention concerns the lack of a minion to pick up Gold for the player. A relatively simple concept that may seem benign, but it’s got the goat of many players.
“I feel like there is a lot of backtracking in game, in general, but to backtrack to pick up gold is annoying af,” said another post.
The top comment dropped a bomb for the forum to take in: “Coming from the last season of Diablo III to this was painful. My blessed minion was upgraded, grabbing poor-quality loot and auto-dismantling for parts. Speeding off after any and all gold. Even picking up all the gems? My guy was the MVP. Now look at me. Minionless. It’s just not the same.”
A more positive user also agreed with this point too: “I haven’t complained anything about D4. I’m mostly enjoying the game. Of all things, the one thing I really wish would be different is the pet. Picking up gold and materials is so boring.”
We’ve seen already since its debut that there are certain parts of the game’s design fans would love to see change. These are another two aspects that may possibly get tweaked, but we know for sure some changes are coming with the much anticipated new Diablo 4 1.1.1. update.