No, I don't mean a gimmick or a guy with a wrench who changes your oil.



While the new classes and graphics engine look phenominal, Diablo 3 still seems to be missing something. Something that the other ARPG games DON'T have.

For example: The ex-Diablo devs who created another ARPG, Torchlight, added a pet which all classes have. It carries inventory, it can fight for you, it can equip items and it runs off to town to sell your items while you continue to do battle. It was a pretty simple idea, but it allowed you to pick up more items, make more money off them and gave you a neat little companion. And best of all, it got rid of a ton of downtime where you would normally be porting back to town to sell off items.

Now, back to Diablo 3. So far, Diablo 3 looks like Diablo 1 and 2, with a major graphics update. Again, I'm not trying to be picky here, but there hasn't really been much gameplay evolution from what I've seen thus far. Yes, it's still relatively early. But still, most developers like to "sell" the new features of a game right off the bat. Right now, it seems as if the developers are focusing more on reproducing the nostalgia of the past as opposed to redefining the genre. Maybe that's not the direction Blizzard wants to go? I'm, not sure just yet.

Blizzard has always taken the established standards of a given genre and given them a nearly-flawless polish, while adding some new ideas that are almost genre-redefining.

However, lately, I ONLY see the polish and not much of the redefining elements.

Starcraft II, for example, looks great - but it really doesn't have anything evolutionary in terms of the RTS genre to set it apart from the original Starcraft, or other RTS game for that matter. From what I've seen and actually played, it's literally a graphics update with a couple new units.

Diablo 3 from what I've seen thus far seems to be following the same path - a highly polished version of the previous games in the series, but without any redefining gameplay elements.

I hope I'm wrong and Blizzard is about to unleash some new ARPG ideas upon us. But I'm starting to get this bad vibe that all we are going to get is some shiny new polish on an old shoe.

Diablo 3 needs a new gameplay element to set itself apart IMO. I don't know what it is or what it should be, I just think it needs something to make it a true evolution of the series.

And not to mention, something that will hold it over for another 10 years until Diablo 4 comes out.

:)


(EDIT- changed the title to "combat mechanic" to be more precise for the discussion.)