Diablo 3 Console Version

On Thursday during the last few hours of E3 2013, I got a chance to get some hands-on time with Blizzard’s console version of Diablo 3. This play test was on the PlayStation 3, but the company also had the Xbox 360 playable build available as well.

For the demo, I stuck with my favorite Wizard character class which was already leveled up to around 35 and packed full of potent, boosted abilities like Disintegrate and Frost Nova. The difficulty was also set on Hell or Nightmare – I don’t remember exactly but it sounded like bad news for my character. Luckily the Wizard was ready for action.

The setting was during the “Trailing the Coven” quest towards the back of ACT I. I really didn’t recognize the area although Diablo 3 gamers will know the overall terrain: each ACT has their own unique style. I mostly blew through this area killing everything with a red hot dose of Disintegrate or Frost Nova if the masses got too overwhelming. The Wizard had several other abilities on call, but these two were my most used.

So how does Diablo 3 work on the console? Incredibly well. The left analog stick handles movement while the right stick adds a new evade feature. Push down and the character quickly steps back. Push left or right, and the character jumps left or right. Piece of cake. This makes it extremely easy to stay alive in the higher game modes like Hell or Nightmare.

It’s funny: Diablo 3 feels extremely comfortable on the console given it has been a PC/Mac exclusive since May 2012. Unfortunately, my time with Diablo 3 was limited, so I didn’t explore other options like using the Town Portal or digging through the inventory.