I’ve dipped my toe into Diablo III many times over the years. I am not much of a PC gamer but when it hit consoles I put a decent amount of time into it. I just picked it up again on the Switch and tried playing a seasonal character in adventure mode which is something I’d never tried before. In past versions of the game you had to beat the entire story to unlock adventure Mode, but the Switch version allows you to jump right into it. I’ve probably started the Diablo III campaign a hundred times, but never gotten all the way to the end. I like the game on the Switch but honestly wasn’t looking forward to grinding through all the same quests I’ve already seen a million times. Enter adventure Mode!
(I would totally have gotten this rad Diablo edition if I didn't already have a Switch)
I didn’t know how this mode worked and so I figure maybe some of you don’t either. When you start adventure mode the entire map and all the acts of the game are unlocked and you can freely travel to any of them. There are no longer any story events, just zone after zone of monsters to murder. Instead of pushing you through a story, adventure mode lets you explore however you like and guides you with bounties spread across the various acts. A bounty might want you to kill a 100 monsters in a particular zone or defeat a specific boss. There are a few different types and they offer a variety of gameplay. After you complete five of these bounties you’re rewarded with a Horadric Cache which is just a goofy word for chest full of rad loot. I love playing the game this way as it strips out all the fluff and just puts you right into that sweet, sweet grind.
I’m also playing a seasonal character which I have never tried. These characters must be started from scratch and can only be played with other seasonal characters. The hook is that the character comes with a “battle pass” style progression system (only it’s free) that has you completing challenges during the season to earn special rewards. During the season you can get all kinds of stuff like new pets and cool cosmetics. Once the season is over the character becomes a normal hero and you can start a new character for the next season if you want. I am really digging the combination of seasonal progression and adventure mode. There’s nothing wrong with the campaign and a new player should probably check it out. If you’ve been down that road already though, the Switch version allows you to bypass all of it right out of the gate! No more checking on the Blacksmith’s wife, just killing piles of monsters and opening treasure chests. The only way I’ve discovered to stop playing, is for the Switch battery to die.
-Gabe out
