A few days ago we saw that Blizzard had implemented a very aggressive micropayment system in Diablo Immortal, so much so that it cost him to stay out of countries like Belgium and Holland, where the use of button boxes in video games is not allowed. Shortly after, the game was released on mobile devices compatible with iOS and Android, and the open beta also came to PC.
I’m not going to lie to you, despite the fact that I told you that I was going to completely skip Diablo Immortal, in the end I decided to give it a try after seeing the wave of exaggeratedly negative reviews it has received, and its score of 0.8 on Metacritic. My motivation was simple and clear, I wanted check first hand if this game really was as bad as it seemed, and form an opinion of my own beyond what I had been able to see through different sources.
Those of you who read us regularly already know that I am a fan of the franchise, and that I have been playing it since the release of Diablo in 1996, so I have an important basis to thoroughly and impartially assess this new release from Blizzard. I have tried Diablo Immortal on PC for three days, and the truth is that I have mixed feelings. With everything, i keep everything i said at the time when it was confirmed that the game would not reach Belgium and the Netherlands.
Diablo Immortal: It’s not a bad game, but the integration of micropayments sinks it completely
Diablo Immortal’s proposal on PC is that of a game for smartphones with an improvable adaptation. We have a huge interface that will take some getting used to, but the gameplay has been resolved quite well, thanks to the implementation of shortcuts for the use of skills in numbers, as was the case with Diablo III. We also have the potion key on the “Q”, which makes the control system intuitive and we do not have any adaptation period.
On an artistic and design level, it is clear that Diablo Immortal is a “recycled” version of Diablo III, so much so that we could almost describe it as an adaptation of it for mobile devices. However, it must be recognized that Blizzard has done a good job with the graphics, since the game looks good and in the end it achieves its objective, which is to hook the player. For the first few minutes it’s fun, but as we go along we realize that everything is so automated that it almost feels like an ARPG on rails.
As we progress through the game we find ourselves with a gradual push of micropayments, to such an extent that we come across totally absurd situations. For example, when we kill a boss we expect to receive a reward in the form of items dropped by that enemy, and not with an “offer” to buy a loot box with an “800% value” for 0.99 euros. This simple detail shows how aggressive Blizzard has been with micropayments, and shows that Diablo Immortal is deeply affected by them.
Micropayments have an absurdly important role in Diablo Immortal that goes beyond the aesthetic plane, since completely breaks the gameplaybut this is not all, they are also presented to the player as something necessary and “profitable”, when in reality it is possible to invest hundreds of euros and not get a reward that is really worth it. The case of cracks enhanced with cracks that end in garbage drops is the clearest in this regard.
What can I say, it’s a shame because, being totally fair and impartial, I recognize that DDevil Immortal is not in itself a bad game. Without those exaggerated and absurd micropayments it would be something very different, and I would not have received such bad scores, that is very clear to me.
Diablo Immortal vs. Guild Wars 2: The Value of Well Implemented Micropayments
Whenever I talk about free games and micropayments, the excellent Guild Wars 2 comes to mind, a title that I have been playing for almost a decade, and which has become the best example of how a game can be monetized with micropayments in an easy way. balanced, without destroying it or turning it into a “pay to win” title, And all despite the fact that this game contains paid items that can affect gameplay, such as experience boosters.
Guild Wars 2 can be played perfectly without having to go through the gem store. Most of the items have cosmetic effects, and the ones that affect gameplay don’t amount to much of an imbalance. But this is not all, it is possible to buy gems, which is the currency for which real money is paid, with game gold, which opens the door for any player to get these exclusive items without investing a single euro. Yes, this requires more time and more “farming”, but in the end it is what moves the players of this type of title, enjoying the game to get resources with which to dress and equip your character.
Another thing that Guild Wars 2 does much better than Diablo Immortal is the way it introduces micropayments to its players, and that is unlike the Blizzard title at no time does it show intrusive offers or produce the feeling that we really need to spend money. It is true that it has random components whose profitability is more than doubtful, but even in these cases we are aware of what we can achieve, and what we cannot, and in the end they do not have a real impact on the game.
I am very clear that Blizzard could have learned a couple of things from Guild Wars 2 when it comes to implementing micropayments, and also from Path of Exile due to the similarities it presents with it. In general, Diablo Immortal is a title that lets you play quite well and that, despite how simple and routine it is, It would have potential if it weren’t for the fact that it has one of the worst micropayment systems I’ve ever seen.
Guild Wars 2 has a much more balanced and friendly micropayment system.
Justifying the unjustifiable: If you don’t want to, don’t pay, it’s something that has always been done
This has been one of the arguments that I have seen the most in recent days when trying to defend what Blizzard has done with micropayments in Diablo Immortal. Comments such as “this has always been done with free mobile games”, or “if you don’t want to, don’t pay, the game doesn’t force you”, are empty arguments that in the end only try to defend the indefensible.
That something has been done “forever” doesn’t mean it’s okay. We all know the criticism that many mobile games have received for implementing abusive micropayments, and we can’t say that it was wrong before but now it’s fine because we’re talking about Diablo and Blizzard.
On the other hand, in this case to say that the game does not force you is to be cynical. It is true that the game does not force you to pay, but frequently encourages you to do so with more than questionable offersand if you want to fully develop your character without having to invest an inhuman and unreal amount of time in the end you have to go through the box, yes or yes.
Defend what Blizzard has done with Diablo Immortal It’s not good for anyone, not for the franchise or for us, the players. This is showing game developers and publishers that we are willing to jump through hoops and accept this type of practice, and I need not tell you what effect this will ultimately have on the industry.
