Nearly 12 years later, DIABLO III is finally here.

In Blizzard Entertainment's latest and highly anticipated sequel of the PC and Mac exclusive series, a lot of things have changed while still managing to keep the core gameplay intact. DIABLO was a true originator of its subgenre of fantasy adventures, and DIABLO III is yet another flawless venture; a perfect example of Blizzard's mastery of all things RPG.

DIABLO III picks up roughly 20 years after the ending events of DIABLO II. The follow-up takes place in the world of Sanctuary once again, and stars an unnamed group of heroes as their journey begins in the town of Tristam, where rumors of a fallen meteorite have quickly spread throughout Sanctuary and prophecies of the End Times have begun. It will, once again, be up to you to protect your planet from an invading demonic force and play a pivotal part in the battle for Hell, Sanctuary and Heaven. The magnificent storyline features some returning characters and many new, memorable faces, alongside the best ending in the series.

If you've ever played DIABLO or DIABLO II, you’ll know what to expect here. Although many of the game's core gameplay mechanics, battle systems and designs have been tweaked or overhauled, the game still feels familiar to past titles, and that's a good thing. There's a great narrative to enjoy here, but DIABLO III was meant to be enjoyed over and over again while looting the best equipment available to your character and reaching maximum level through gaining experience points. To make playing through the game numerous times worthwhile, Blizzard has added a new difficulty setting in addition to the Nightmare and Hell difficulties, called Inferno. This game mode is only unlocked if you've completed the game on Hell mode, but it ensures longevity by offering something to play for—namely bragging rights and the rarest items in the game—long after reaching the level cap, and even longer after beating the game for the first time.

When you start up DIABLO III, you'll have to create your own character to enter the world of Sanctuary. There are five primary classes in the game: Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor and Wizard. The Barbarian class is the only one returning, while the other four are vaguely reminiscent of classes from previous titles (i.e. The Monk class takes elements from both the Assassin and Paladin classes from DIABLO II). There have also been numerous changes and enhancements made to the health and mana systems, new monsters, new henchmen (now known as followers), and even the game's controls have been improved.

With so many vast improvements made, the most impressive are still in the game's graphics. DIABLO III boasts the best aesthetics seen in the series and some of the best ever seen on PC, period. Even the in-game menus are littered with stunning art, as simplistic and manageable as they are alluring. Of course, DIABLO III includes great music while exploring dungeons, and the game's voiceover and sound effects are superb, as well. There lies so many new features in DIABLO III, it would be impossible to list them all, but you may enjoy playing through the game online with up to four players, dueling it out in new player vs. player arenas or head over to the new auction house where you can sell in-game items for in-game currency, or even real life dollars.

While long overdue, DIABLO III is a wonderful game and a perfect sequel for the franchise. There's really nothing to dislike about it. Well, unless you're a jealous console gamer.

Bloody Blogs - Biogamer Girl