After spending between eight and 10 minutes playing the game on Xbox Series X, I can say that the short amount of time I played the game was a bit shocking -- but in a positive way. Diablo 4 Gold "Return To Darkness" tagline isn't just an advertising ploy. It signals a return to the dark, dark and bleak world of Diablo that has been captivating gamers since the game's first appearance in 1997. At the time, playing an opponent known as Diablo was enough to make you feel uneasy. In 2022, the envelope is been pushed back a little further. It is clear that the loot, items that are equippable and can alter the character's abilities up to the point that they can alter the way skills function is subtley moved away from the center of the on the stage.
Equipment can be upgraded and then its rank transferred to a different item in that same spot. This means that a large part of your progress is now shifted away from receiving exciting drops from monsters to an incremental monotonous grind in which you can salvage huge amounts of loot that you don't want to be used in an upgrade system.
In addition, your items have been greatly improved by placing them in the hands of legendary gems with immense power. This is the reason that most complaints about Diablo Immortal's monetization has been directed.
The Diablo Immortal character comes with six legendary gem slots. Each gem has an arbitrary rating, ranging from one to five stars. These ratings can't be altered, and has a huge impact on the power of the gem. Gems with five stars are more rare than ones with one star. Legendary gems are upgradeable and the most efficient way to achieve this is through eating other gems that are legendary. The upgraded gem could be further improved by the "gem resonance" system , which requires -you know what -additional legendary gems, as much as five additional gems per gem slot.
If you're looking to increase your character -- and maximising your character is what Diablo is all about -- you'll need plenty of legendary gems. You need to choose the best ones that match your character, to get good star ratings, to improve the gems you already have, and finally to add gems to the additional resonance slots. It's endless.
In the Diablo Immortal's myriad of upgrades, currencies, and reward system, legendary gems are the ones where the business model is at its the most. Blizzard and NetEase haven't been as reckless as to offer them directly through a loot container or buy Diablo 4 Gold gacha mechanism, however, what they've created could be, in some sense that is even more alarming.
