The Diablo 4 build system feels limiting, as Blizzard’s newest ARPG game puts a heavy focus on restricting experimentation in pursuit of a more streamlined experience. As someone who plays Diablo 4 for the long haul, I want the freedom to change up my playstyle without feeling penalised for it.
Don’t get me wrong, Diablo 4 looks and feels polished, but the ARPG’s steady stream of seasons is a long-term commitment, and Blizzard’s approach to player agency feels like arguing with the game rather than a creative partnership. With several key systems locked down in the name of balance, I can’t help but feel as if my character has been hobbled from the start.
On one hand, Diablo 4’s build system feels intuitive and straightforward, with skill points often enough to fully optimise your build and legendary aspects shaping your weapon and armour slots. But in the long run, I feel as if my options are more limited than in previous entries thanks to a handful of design choices.
For example, the only way to get skill points in Diablo 4’s endgame is to level up in a region where the enemies are too difficult, which often means grinding out the same zones for weeks on end. Sure, you can cheese the system by buying skill points in the Auction House, but that feels like admitting defeat and denies you the sense of accomplishment from earning your skill points the hard way.
On the other hand, legendary aspects are crucial to character shaping, but if you lose them, your build can fall apart. Diablo 4’s seasonless structure means that you can’t just buy replacements from the Auction House, so if you’re unlucky enough to lose your aspects, you’re forced to change your entire build around to accommodate for them.
Changing builds isn’t easy either, as you’ll need to spend crystals on skill resetting, a resource management minigame that feels like a grind in and of itself. The Paragon Board is interesting, but the endgame grind to unlock its bonuses is too hefty for my tastes, and respeccing at level 100 requires a similar gold sink to replace crucial gear.
Comparisons to Grim Dawn, another successful ARPG, highlight the limitations of Diablo 4. Like Diablo 4, Grim Dawn is a long-term, seasonless game that offers an open world and a closed area for endgame progression. However, Grim Dawn offers a more flexible build system that includes the option to choose two masteries rather than sticking to a single class tree.
Grim Dawn’s Devotion system also runs parallel to skill increases, so you have more flexibility with what skills you choose and when you choose them. Grim Dawn’s legendary items are not a requirement for a solid build either, so you can make do with what you find or buy. Finally, respeccing in Grim Dawn is more affordable and doesn’t require you to replace crucial gear.
In short, Grim Dawn feels like a more open-ended experience, whereas Diablo 4 feels more streamlined but at the cost of player agency. Diablo 4 feels like you’re playing within a framework, whereas Grim Dawn can feel overwhelming in the best way possible due to its charm, which I would describe as a classic, contained crunchiness.
On the other hand, Grim Dawn is a contained experience, whereas Diablo 4 aims to be a long-term online game. Diablo 4’s closed beta seasons and season-like seasonal mechanics like the recent Malignant Hearts event shake up the formula without requiring a full re-installation of the game. In a way, Diablo 4 can be a more contained experience too, but it’s a trade-off that feels like a limitation on player agency.
I’m certainly not saying that Diablo 4 is a bad game. In fact, I’m still playing the game and enjoying myself, as I’m a big fan of the ARPG genre.
