WithDiablo 3 expansion pack Reaper of Souls barreling toward players at the end of the month, it’s not only anxious gamers gearing up. Their in-game counterparts are literally gearing up thanks to the latest Loot 2.0 Patch.. The update offers a return to the successful roots of not simply the Diablo franchise, but successful RPGs in general. While the newly departed Real Money Auction House (RMAH) was an innovative feature, it snatched away one of the fundamental components of a dungeon crawler: the search for gear. Yes, getting experience points and completing quests are great, but the feeling when you pick up a rare helmet or slay a boss and recover a menacing sword is arguably more momentous than defeating a difficult adversary.
While the RMAH was present, loot drops were frankly uneventful. If you didn’t want to use what essentially felt like Ebay for Diablo 3 gear, you were forced to slog through hordes of minions with whatever gear you found. Since the update, almost each drop has been heroic. Satisfaction factor +1, Blizzard. Aside from the improving dropped gear, the update gives the difficulty system a face-lift. Players have five settings: normal, hard, expert, master, torment. In keeping with tradition, the various difficulty levels provide various rewards.
Other tweaks include additional runes and skills for all classes. These recent goodies translate to increased customizing options, once again returning to the basics of the franchise. Luckily, the Loot 2.0 Patch indicates that Blizzard is prepared to continue listening to and incorporating player suggestions. Weeks before Reaper of Souls revamps Diablo 3, exploring the sinister world feels like a fresh product already. And the 50% XP bonus from now until March the 24th should offer plenty of happy leveling.
In the immediate aftermath of the release two years ago, a few differences kept me from appreciating the update as much as the predecessor. Primarily, maps felt too linear. There were no maps quite as expansive as the Flayer Jungle. I remember playing that particular level for hours, losing myself in the blocky green landscape. There was a map, but no GPS with a flashing arrow guiding my path. As evidenced by Patch 2.0.2, Blizzard keeps rolling out bug fixes and enhancements. Their overhaul of Diablo 3 thus far seems to indicate that they’ll continue considering player commentary. Though I’m pleased with advancements thus far, a few key features are still absent, namely an offline mode (hint, hint). Reaper of Soul promises a much anticipated revitalization for the base game, though the Loot patch has offered plenty of replay incentive. Whether Reaper of Souls can meet the standards Diablo 2’s expansion Lord of Destruction set remains to be seen. In the meantime, here’s to slaying bosses and waves of menacing cronies.