Blizzard has teamed up with veteran mobile developer NetEase to release the first Diablo game to land on mobile, Diablo Immortal. The title aims to bring back the magic to the series with high-quality gameplay and premium-feeling controls, a lower barrier for entry with the free-to-play model, and a clear-cut storyline that doesn’t require a lore roadmap for newcomers to follow. So if you have never touched a Diablo game before, now is a better time than ever to get a taste of why Diablo has been such a financial success for Blizzard.
Diablo Immortal is not afraid to slowly drip-feed its primary mechanics as you acquaint yourself with the main quest. So instead of relying on an unnecessarily slow and gradual learning curve, Android Police has laid it all out with a handy beginner’s guide. We’ll teach you about the selectable character classes and the multiplayer elements in the game while informing you on how to familiarize yourself with the chaotic gear upgrade system.
Getting started
Choosing your class
Each class is adept at a particular playstyle; however, some classes are slightly better than others at certain things, dependent on which type of content you’d like to focus on the most. Some classes are provided an edge over PvP content compared to others that excel in the game’s story content, so we’ve devised a list of classes with complementary strengths and weaknesses to get you through the game’s more formidable content.
Customizing your character
When you select your class, you’re presented with the option to customize your character. You can choose your gender, skin tone, hairstyle, eye and color, facial structure, and face tattoos/makeup.
Once finished, choose a name/tag for your character. Since Diablo Immortal is a multiplayer game, the name/tag chosen is what other players will see.
Gameplay
Battling in Diablo Immortal feels very similar to the previous games in the series. Combat feels extraordinarily smooth. With slick ARPG mechanics, you’ll manage cooldowns to combine your most powerful attacks to deal tons of damage. At the same time, the best survival measure is to constantly dodge and move out of the way from on-screen projectiles and trajected attacks (red circles). Tip: Learn how to stun effectively and push back enemies since the gameplay often boils down to buying time until you can unleash your powerful skills.
Some abilities are more potent in single target situations, whereas others provide helpful crowd control against hoards of monsters. You can customize your skills and primary attack loadout once you learn more from leveling up. Everything levels as you acquire experience points.
Quests are displayed on a dialogue box on the field. Choosing to navigate your quest will display footprints on where to go next. Following them will lead you to the subsequent objective. Autoplay is featured for questing; however, if you encounter enemies along the way, it is on you to take them out with manual controls.
Upgrade systems
It shouldn’t be a shock that you won’t get very far if you neglect to upgrade your weapons and gear. Some dungeons are a gear-check to determine if you’re strong enough to complete it, and you won’t stand a chance in PvP if your gear isn’t up-to-date. New players don’t need to stress too much about weapons and gear but should be aware of how these upgrade systems work — you’ll toss away/salvage most of your gear at the start anyway.
Gear
There are 12 slots of gear to manage in Diablo Immortal, split by primary and secondary categorization. The primary gear covers your weapons, head, chest, legs, and shoulders, whereas the secondary covers accessories, hands, feet, and waist. Rarities come into play for every piece of gear; common (white), magic (blue), rare (yellow), and legendary (gold). For the most part, you’ll convert commons and magics into crafting materials and will only upgrade your rare and legendary pieces by combining them.
The bulk of upgrading occurs once you’ve reached Westmarch. Visiting a blacksmith enables salvaging (disposing of your gear for crafting materials) and upgrades. Upgrading primary gear costs Gold, Enchanted Dust, shards, and scrap materials, while secondary gear uses Engimatic Crystals. As you begin upgrading, your gear receives a Gear Rank. Rare gear caps at Gear Rank 5, and legendaries cap at Gear Rank 10. Ranking your gear increases base stats/attributes and adds more bonus attributes. It’s incentivized to work towards gaining legendary gear by grinding dungeons and defeating more formidable enemies.
Note: If you’re unsure about committing to an upgrade, you have the option to transfer your Gear Rank to a higher rarity of the same type. That way, it’s not necessarily a complete waste of resources.
Battle pass
Another method to stocking up resources (helpful for upgrading) is working through the battle pass. You’ll need to acquire Battle Points to level up your battle pass. Battle Points are earned by completing activities and seasonal quests, but you’ll stop earning once you’ve reached your weekly cap. The cap resets every Monday, and points from seasonal quests do not count towards your weekly cap. Some activities are repeatable each week to guarantee points towards the battle pass. You’ll unlock the battle pass after completing the Mad King’s Breach for the first time; a free version is available by default, but you can purchase a premium version, “Empowered,” to unlock more rewards.
Note: Battle pass resets every season, so always claim your rewards before the current season is over.
Claiming in the shop
Another reliable source for procuring upgrade materials is the free daily bundle in the shop. To claim your free daily bundle, access the shop in your main menu and tap Claim Now. It might not amount to much initially, but it’ll eventually add up once you’ve stuck to a routine of claiming each day.
Legendary Gems
It’s no secret that legendary gear is the best you’ll get in Diablo Immortal. Each piece of gear retains a chance of holding a socket where you’ll equip gems. Gems are divided into normal and legendary. Equipping gems grants access to modifiers, further empowering your gear and enabling your class’s gameplay. Placing a Legendary Gem in one of these empty slots will skyrocket the value of your gear. The catch is that retrieving Legendary Gems is very difficult, so make sure to utilize your Rare Crests for Elder Rift pulls whenever you can.
Multiplayer
Warbands
In Diablo Immortal, Warbands are miniature versions of clans (you can join clans later on). Only up to eight players can join a Warband. The Warband menu allows you to browse existing Warbands and apply for them. If you’re not interested in finding a Warband to play with from a list, you have the option to create a posting that’s viewed by other Warband leaders in which they can invite you to join. The benefits of joining a Warband include increased drop rates when playing with other Warband members, ranked rewards when challenging Helliquary bosses, and access to a Warband storage box.
Dungeons
You’ll encounter dungeons that are solo or offer support for up to four players. These can be completed throughout the story. Be aware that you’re matched with players that exist only on your server (there’s currently no way to play with friends on other servers). Expect to encounter tough monsters and bosses while in a dungeon; always thoroughly prepare beforehand.
Once you’ve entered Westmarch, you’re introduced to the Elder Rift and Challenge Rift. These are repeatable dungeons but may require Crests to open, such as the case for the Elder Rift. It’s only worth using Legendary Crests, but that’s a precious resource and challenging to get from a free-to-play standpoint. However, using a Legendary Crest guarantees gaining a Legendary Gem (refer to the Upgrading system section to learn the importance) in your rewards, while Rare Crests add Runes to your reward pool used to craft Gems.
In contrast, the Challenge Rift doesn’t require Crests to open. The dungeons are much more difficult in nature, so they may require adequate preparations before going in. Rewards include higher quality gear and Enigmatic Crystals, used to upgrade your gear.
PvP
A few options are available if you’re interested in PvP content. The first is the Battleground mode. Six players fight to protect an Ancient Heart while the attackers compete to take it down. The next is the Cycle of Strife, an end game activity where Immortals are pitted against Shadows, leading into 8v8 PvP, but only players who’ve joined a Dark Clan can participate. Note: To become a Dark Clan, you’ll have to partake in a lottery system to be considered.
Diablo Immortal is a deep ARPG
Fans and newcomers finally have Diablo lore to gab about; Diablo Immortal expands on the storyline between Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III while still being a well-contained storyline for anyone jumping right in. Since it’ll be some time until the next Diablo game comes out within the mainline series, you might as well grab your fill of Diablo lore by checking out Diablo Immortal using the widget linked down below.
Oh, and if you’re in the mood to play more action RPGs that bring just as much polish as Diablo Immortal’s gameplay; luckily, there are a few alternatives that fit the bill.
