Blizzard is on a mission recently to convince skeptical Diablo fans that Diablo 4’s outing into Sanctuary is one full of open-world surprises and demon-killing mayhem. Diablo 4 developers are sitting down for an “inside the game” video preview series to pull back the curtain on everything coming your way. The first video in the series lets the game’s designers break down just what makes Diablo 4’s Sanctuary a place where you will definitely want to stay awhile and…go explore its mysteries.
The art direction for the game returns to the darker and more macabre setting of Diablo 2. The designers really wanted to make you feel like you stepped into a painting, and it is actually horrendously beautiful to view in this new footage. The five regions shown off are extremely detailed and blend together naturally to really make Sanctuary feel alive.
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A lot of the iconic monsters have been redesigned to have a more sinister and creepy vibe. Monster families have different visuals based on how they have adapted to the environment, and will synchronize together to bolster each other in unique ways. There are even a few new monsters shown off, including snake men and the Spider House, which is a spider that puppets a corpse and explodes into baby spiders when it is defeated. They do make it clear that dogs are pettable in Sanctuary though.
Other features detailed include that the world is incredibly dynamic, featuring story-heavy sidequests, world bosses, dungeons that reward exploration, scenarios, and more. One particularly notable reveal is a dungeon called Endless Gates that features teleporters to take players through multiple dungeon biomes. There are also no loading screens when traveling through Sanctuary.
Diablo 4 is launching on June 5, but players will get their first taste of the game when the open beta launches next month. You can sign up now for it, or get guaranteed access by preordering the game.
