Video Games
New ‘Diablo IV’ Quarterly Update Turns to Weapons
As the year draws to a close, Blizzard has released their fourth quarterly update for the upcoming Diablo IV. This time around, the update focuses on itemization including weapon types, item qualities, and some of the game’s new legendary and unique items.
As is the way with the series, grinding to get new gear is essential, and finding that one cool piece almost always makes it worth it. Diablo IV Game Director Luis Barriga touches on this in the update that the team “reviewed every aspect of itemization from top to bottom and reworked elements that [the team] felt weren’t living up to their potential” in order to put this aspect of the game on a “more solid foundational path”.
Lead Game Designer Joe Shely explains how the team has made “substantial changes to core itemization”, starting with class items. “We’ve also done a lot of work in the game engine to make weapons feel more real and physical,” says Shely. This now includes weapon speeds and inherent characteristics to all weapons. Examples given include wands should be faster than quarterstaves, and swords and maces should do different things.
Item qualities have also seen an overhaul. “We’re increasing the potential power of individual affixes on Magic items. We’re increasing the maximum number of affixes on Rare and better items in the endgame. Legendary affixes now roll randomly (Yes, really!) on Legendary Items. And Unique items will replace Mythics.” Speaking of Uniques, there will be a greater focus on these weapons in Diablo IV, with the team “embracing the fantasy of these build-around items with completely fixed affixes, heavily thematic and usually class-specific powers, and distinctive looks.”
You can read in detail what Blizzard has come up with in the link above. Diablo IV is currently being developed for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
For those wanting more wintery horror games, Nord Unit has you covered with their upcoming co-op Antarctic horror FPS, UNFROST. Coming to Steam, the game has you braving the elements in Antarctica as you hunt for tough-as-nails ancient otherworldly beings that require some heavy firepower to take down.
UNFROST is set in Antarctica, where you and your squad seek out ancient entities known as the Riftborne. It’s easier said than done, as you’ll need to gather evidence, survive extreme conditions, and prepare to launch a nuclear strike, which is the only weapon capable of killing them. Of course, you’ll also need to figure out how to escape before the strike hits.
But, in order to launch the strike, you’ll need to figure out just the right tunings in order to actually damange the Riftborne, which cannot be defeated with conventional weapons. That involves exploring abandoned stations, frozen ruins, and anomaly zones to recover samples, scan anomalies, and analyze evidence.
You’ll need to work together with your squad by divvying up tasks, sharing evidence, and transporting equipment. For example, one squad member may investigate anomalies, while another secures the perimeter or hauls critical equipment through a blizzard.
And yes, as you might have guessed, the Antarctic weather will be your first and foremost foe in UNFROST. You must brave the freezing temperatures and inclement weather while managing warmth, supplies, and sanity. The longer your mission lasts, the tougher it will be to survive.
Obviously, the Riftborne isn’t going to wait around for you. In fact, it’ll be hunting you from the very start. As such, you’ll need to constantly adapt in order to avoid certain death. Once you’ve determined the Riftborne’s weakness, you must configure the correct nuclear payload, launch the strike, and get out before impact. You don’t want to be around when the bombs drop.