With the news that Diablo 4 Beta Invitations are being sent out to more players to join Blizzard's final Diablo 4 RPG Beta, the wider Diablo community is once again reflecting on the various ways the series has crafted its loot in previous years. Reports say that unique items in Diablo 4 - traditionally the rarest items - will scale with your item level, leaving some fantasy game fans worried that they won't feel unique.
As previously discussed in Blog post Back in December 2020, Diablo 4's endgame items introduced two special types of top-tier items, in addition to the normal, magic, and rare items you'll find on your journey. Legendary items are very similar to rare items, but they each get one randomly chosen legendary modifier - these modifiers can appear on different items and in different slots, meaning you can find several that offer a matching bonus.
Uniques, on the other hand, receive a bonus that, as the name suggests, is unique to that particular item. For example, the Plaguebringer's Kilt, a set of unique pants, removes the damage over time effect of poison abilities and instead causes them to deal 127% of the total damage per time the poison expires. This is a special effect specific to this piece of equipment that can significantly change the way you play, similar to how legendary items work in Diablo 3.
Where the players are divided is in another aspect, reminiscent of Diablo 3. A certain legendary item in this game can drop at any level your character is at - it's good, as if you find an item that you like, only to to surpass him, he may appear later on your current level. As someone with an unhealthy obsession with Diablo 3's Barbarian Leap skill, I found myself clinging to each set of Lut's socks for far too long, desperately trying not to give up my triple jump before the next pair fell.
On the other hand, some players say they wish unique items were really just that—crafted items that can only drop in one given stat range and are balanced as such. For example, the Guardian Angel Cloak in Diablo 2 is always level 45, and the Vipermagi skin is always level 29. You may end up having to give up the cool effect when you get past it, but you can always run into it again on a future character.
Others say that such a system simply makes endgame progress too straightforward. Some point to Diablo 2 as a point of comparison, saying that once they get the basic parts of their character build, they have nothing else to work on. While this is normal for a game that may focus on repeat play with new characters and over new seasons, it doesn't provide the long-term goals that a game marketed as a live service might require.
Diablo 4 Game Director Joe Scheley and Diablo General Manager Rod Fergusson recently spoke to IGN about the scope of the final testing they're doing and how the transition to a modern live service model is moving within the company:
It also looks like Diablo 3 weapon damage skills came from Diablo 4. There have also been major Diablo 4 gameplay leaks, so be careful if you want to avoid potential spoilers. We'll keep you updated on everything from Diablo 4 classes to the latest Diablo 4 release date news as co-op gets closer to launch.
