Diablo III

Diablo III picked up, more than a decade later, the cult action RPG series and brought the dark world of Sanctuary into modern graphics with a bolder, more stylized art direction, which sparked discussion among fans accustomed to the darker tone of the previous installments. The player chooses one of several classes, such as the barbarian, witch doctor, monk, or demon hunter, and moves through procedurally generated dungeons, destroying hordes of demons and collecting ever-better gear to advance through the difficulty levels. The core gameplay stayed true to the series' legacy – fast clicking, gradual character improvement through runes and skill, and the endless hunt for better loot that made the series famous.

The release was accompanied by significant controversy: the game required a permanent internet connection even for solo play, which led to overloaded servers and the infamous error 37 message in the first days after launch, when many players couldn't get into the game at all. Also criticized was the real-money item trading through the auction house, which, according to many players, undermined the motivation to actually play and devalued the value of found items. Blizzard responded to this criticism, later eliminating the auction house entirely, and with the Reaper of Souls expansion and the Loot 2.0 system, fundamentally reworked rewards and progression for the better, with an emphasis on the joy of finding gear itself.

After these adjustments, Diablo III turned into one of the most-played games of the genre, with regular seasons offering new content, leaderboards, and reasons to return again and again. Although its launch was stormy and accompanied by distrust from part of the community, today's assessment of the game is much more forgiving, and Diablo III is considered a full-fledged and long-term viable continuation of the legendary series, one that earned the respect of even skeptics after years of fixes. Subsequent installments, including Diablo IV, built directly on its systems and the lessons learned from its mistakes.

Why play it: Anyone looking for a long-term living action RPG with regular seasons and new content will appreciate how Diablo III, after its stormy launch, turned into a respected and full-fledged entry in the series.