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Season 2 brings new Seasonal Legendaries, Conquests to Diablo 3
The second season of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls hasn't reached PC and Mac just yet, but that doesn't mean fans can't properly hype themselves for shinier gear while they wait. A recent Battle.net post details some of the changes due to launch with the arrival of Season 2. Loot hunters can of course expect fresh Seasonal Legendaries, and while some of this season's items might look familiar, they'll carry "game changing affixes" that weren't present in their previous attributes. Familiar-looking gear won't drop in non-seasonal games as they become Seasonal Legendaries, but once Season 2 concludes, they'll go back to the general loot pool along with their new affixes. New challenges in the form of achievement-esque Conquests will encourage long-term goals and varied, outside-the-box styles of play. The post cites previous level-to-70 "Race to the Top" and "Living Dangerously" Conquests as opposite of the sort of play Blizzard would like to encourage going forward, so they will not be returning for Season 2.
Diablo 3 earns Legendary gems, portal to 'The Vault' on PS4, XB1
The "first major content update" to Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One has arrived, bringing treasure possibilities that would make Scrooge McDuck salivate. Legendary gems – which were added to the PC version this past summer – can now be added to your collection on console. These stones can be found in Greater Rifts and give players powerful abilities when socketed into rings and amulets. Legendary gems have been hit and miss with the PC community since their inclusion, with some threads debating whether or not they adversely affect the game's balance. Welcome to the conversation!
Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition trailblazes the UK charts
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition is the new UK No.1, displacing The Last of Us: Remastered after three weeks running at the top. Data compilers Chart Track offer a few interesting infobits on the new chart leader, including that the top platform for sales was PS4 with 47 percent of the share. The PS4 version sold more than last year's original Xbox 360 release, but only around 500 units more. Xbox One took 32 percent of the share, Xbox 360 13 percent this time around, and PS3 8 percent. Also rising out of the undergrowth into this week's top ten is Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare, thanks to the brand new PS4 and PS3 versions. It takes third place behind The Last of Us: Remastered, while JRPG Tales of Xillia 2 debuts in an impressive tenth place. Finally, and quite incredibly, FIFA 14 is out of the UK top ten for the first time since its release. If only EA had another upcoming edition of its soccer sim to replace it...
Diablo 3 Ultimate Evil Edition round table: Should you upgrade?
Diablo 3 raises a lot of questions. If angels don't have heads and faces, why do they exclusively wear hoodies? Does the witch doctor have a chronic illness or is he just shaking like that because he drank way too much coffee? Biggest of all, though, is this whopper: Should you take this chance to upgrade? With Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition gracing PlayStation 4 and Xbox One this week, the Joystiq crew has been asking that very question. Richard Mitchell, a Diablo veteran back to the original game, joins console-only player Susan Arendt and complete Diablo neophyte Anthony John Agnello for a roundtable discussion of how best to enter the series while discussing their experiences with Ultimate Evil Edition on PlayStation 4.
PSN Store Update: El Diablo
Video games! They've been hibernating through the summer, but this week's PlayStation Store update brings plenty of the blighters onto PS4, PS3 and Vita. Let's start with the biggie, Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, which brings Reaper of Souls to the action-RPG on PS3 ($40) and debuts the game itself on PS4 ($60). It's also out on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The two other cross-platform releases are Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, which'll eat up 40 of your greenbacks on PS4 and 30 on PS3, and the stealthy CounterSpy, a $15 cross-buy purchase that unlocks the game ons PS4, PS3 and Vita. PS4 players also have a choice between the hyperviolent $10 Hotline Miami - also cross-buy - the somewhat less violent The Last Tinker: City of Colors ($20) and the retro Arcade Archives Rygar ($8).
Diablo 3 on Xbox One levels up to 1080p with day-one patch
Remember that unfortunate bit of news that the Xbox One version of Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition would be running at 900p instead of 1080p like its PS4 counterpart? Well good news, everyone! Xbox One copies of Diablo 3 will indeed gather their courage and take on those 180 additional Ps thanks to a day-one patch. "The game will be available [in] 1080p on both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One," a Blizzard rep told GameSpot. "Native 1080p resolution. You will need to download the day-one patch for the Xbox One to get that support, but it will be there. We're very happy about that." We imagine Xbox One-bound demon hunters are happy, too. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3, Reaper of Souls condemn 20 million souls across all platforms
Since its initial release in 2012, Diablo 3 - combined with its recent Reaper of Souls expansion - has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide across all platforms, Activision revealed during a financial report today. Expect that number to level up when Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition, which includes the base game, RoS expansion and some goodies for PlayStation fans, releases for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on August 19. [Image: Activision Blizzard]
PSA: Diablo 3 Auction House closes its doors on June 24
The Auction House in Diablo 3 that allowed players to sell items for in-game gold or real-world money will close up shop this week, Blizzard has reminded us. While the option to bid on, buyout or list new auctions was disabled back on March 18, players still have until June 24 to retrieve any items or gold still lingering in the "Completed" tab. In other words, if you sold or bought an item via the Auction House before March 18 but still haven't picked it up or collected your payment, this is your last chance to do so. On June 24, any gold or items left will be sacrificed and banished to the ether. The removal of the Auction House has been a long time coming; it was a controversial addition to the game when it released in 2012, and the game's director admitted that its implementation "really hurt" the overall design of Diablo 3. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3 version 2.1.0 introduces Seasons mode, Greater Rifts
Blizzard has outlined the changes that will soon roll out as part of Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls' upcoming 2.1.0 patch, including a new "Seasons" mode that offers a number of unique quests and challenges. When playing as a Seasons-enabled character, players will roll back to level 1 at the start of each season as they work toward earning mode-specific achievements called Conquests. Conquest tasks range from high-level boss fights to time-attack challenges, and between 10-15 unique Conquests will premiere at the start of each season. Reaper of Souls version 2.1.0 will also introduce Greater Rifts, which are more challenging versions of Nephalem Rifts that can be unlocked via random Rift Guardian drops. Blizzard plans to launch new leaderboards for the Seasons mode and for Greater Rifts upon the release of the patch, and details a number of changes it will make to in-game combat during public testing of these new features. [Image: Blizzard]
Take a quick loot at Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls on PS4
Diablo 3 debuts on PS4 and Xbox One on August 19 in the Ultimate Evil Edition, which is also headed to PS3 and Xbox 360. If the thought gets you tingly in your legendaries, sit back and sip your morning cocoa with a minute or so of footage from the PS4 version. [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Diablo III's Crusader at 70: Post-patch impressions
The Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion changed the game from top to bottom. With the extra 10 levels came an almost complete reimagining of how Diablo 3 would play: from the relentlessly on-rails story mode to the free-form adventure mode, from wheeling and dealing on the auction house for the items you wanted to hoping for those items to pop out of a freshly slain enemy. In the wake of the game's sweeping changes, the new Crusader class has been something of an afterthought for many. However, Blizzard hasn't been shy to make adjustments to the newest member of their demon-slaying team. A patch just two weeks after the expansion's launch brought major buffs to the Crusader. This week, another patch featured a long list of changes that revamped the class from top to bottom. If you're wondering whether you should invest the time to level a Crusader, join me past the break for my impressions. The class has come a long way in just seven weeks, and this latest patch has been a gamechanger.
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls comes to consoles in August
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls will be making its way to consoles in just a few short months, on August 19. The console edition of the popular expansion allows you to play with up to four players on one TV screen. The console release, called the Ultimate Evil Edition, includes all content in the Reaper of Souls expansion set as well as Acts I through IV of the original release. In addition, players that pre-order the Ultimate Evil Edition will receive a pair of Infernal Pauldrons, wearable at level 1 and providing some pretty cool bonuses as well as just looking sharp. The Ultimate Evil Edition will be available for PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360 consoles, with a suggested retail price of $59.99 USD for the PS4/Xbox One editions, and $39.99 for the PS3/Xbox 360 editions. Keep an eye out at your local retailers for more pre-order information, and get ready to storm Westmarch with your friends, from the comfort of your living room couch.
Diablo 3: Ultimate Evil Edition reaps into consoles in August
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls - Ultimate Evil Edition is coming to PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PS3 on August 19, Blizzard announced this morning. The action-RPG's new console edition includes the Reaper of Souls expansion, and represents the debut of Diablo 3 on Microsoft and Sony's new systems. It's priced $60 on PS4 and Xbox One, $40 on Xbox 360 and PS3, and pre-orders include "Infernal Pauldrons" for players to equip and look all Infernal in. Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls launched for PC and Mac in March, and it rocketed up to 2.7 million sales in its first week. Our review said the game's new Loot 2.0 system has its biggest impact in the expansion's Adventure Mode. "Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls doesn't reinvent the wheel in the dungeon crawling genre – it reinvents Diablo 3 itself," wrote Joystiq's Xav de Matos. "Gone is the diabolical auction house, replaced with a better loot system that rewards a player's loyalty. "While Loot 2.0 is available as a free update for Diablo 3, it's Adventure Mode that helps Reaper of Souls stand above the original. With its emphasis on getting directly into the action with no interruption, Reaper of Souls brings Diablo 3 back to basics: A mouse-breaking, loot-craving killfest to Hell and back." [Image: Activision-Blizzard]
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls soundtrack now available
The epic soundtrack from Blizzard's first Diablo 3 expansion is upon us, featuring such cheery song titles as "Paths of the Drowned" and, sure-to-be wedding first dance fave, "Blood for Blood." The Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls soundtrack is available via iTunes for $9.99 (or $1.29 per song, because maths) and features 22 music tracks from the expansion to Blizzard's loot simulator. Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls launched for PC and Mac on March 25, adding a devious new act and the marvelously replayable Adventure Mode, as noted in Joystiq's review. A PlayStation 4 version featuring both Diablo 3 and the Reaper of Souls expansion is on the horizon. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls soundtrack available on iTunes
Sure, Diablo III: Reaper of Souls has the perfect soundtrack when you're playing Diablo III. But what can you do when you're not playing the game but you're just out reaping souls on your own time? You can't hum the songs; you'll just look like an idiot. Well, don't despair, because you can now purchase the expansion's soundtrack on iTunes and forever have access to the perfect reaping music in your day-to-day life. The full soundtrack can be purchased for $9.99 and contains 22 tracks with a total running time of just over an hour. Clips are available on the official page in case you just want a couple of tunes and aren't quite sure what they're called; at 22 tracks, though, it's almost more economical to just buy the whole thing.
Joystiq Weekly: Amazon Fire TV, Reaper of Souls review, Mario Kart 8 video preview and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. With this week's announcement and release of the gaming-capable Amazon Fire TV, we're starting to think we'll need a spreadhseet to keep track of all the gaming platforms that aren't from Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft. Want to check Instagram after a round of Super Hexagon on your TV? Okay, there's Mad Catz's MOJO for that. Want something a little beefier that you can take on the go? Alright, Nvidia's Shield might be your thing. Spreadsheets are boring though - maybe a mock Pokedex would work better? Come on, it'd be fun! We could assign attributes, treat future improvements as evolutions and pit them against each other in battles! There could a category for dual-type devices like the Ouya, a console that's both its own thing and associated with a storefront on other platforms. We'd even have ghost-type entries, for efforts that have returned from the grave. We'll let this idea stew for a bit longer, but you can read this week's bulletpoints of news, previews and original content right now! Amy Hennig is now serving as creative director of a Star Wars game, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls has been properly reviewed and we've got glimpses of Mario Kart 8 and Soma to share, too. It's all waiting for you with more stories after the break!
Stop the Reaper of Souls with 50% bonus XP weekend in Diablo 3
Need a little help carving through the Angel of Death's armies? Blizzard is offering 50 percent bonus XP this weekend for it's gothic clicking simulator, Diablo 3. You'll have until 5 a.m. PST, April 7 to reap the bonuses from Blizzard's offer, which the company noted on a blog post is intended to celebrate the achievement of more than 1.5 million players completing Act 5. Blizzard held another 50 percent bonus XP event last month, though that was intended to brace the world for Death's coming. Now that we've had bonus XP to prepare for his arrival and celebrate his defeat, it'll be interesting to see what justification Blizzard gives should another weekend of bonus XP occur - Death's sister's boyfriend's aunt celebrating a half-birthday, perhaps? Unfortunately, only nephalem with access to a computer of either the Mac or PC variety can partake. Sorry, console-bound adventurers. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls expansion sells 2.7 million in one week
Activision announced today that Blizzard's Diablo 3 expansion Reaper of Souls has sold more than 2.7 million copies worldwide since its launch for Windows and Mac platforms on March 25. The publisher additionally notes that Diablo 3 earned more than 2.4 million Twitch views on Reaper of Souls' launch day. Players have completed the expansion's quest line more than 1.5 million times in the week following its release. Along with new story content, Reaper of Souls introduces the new Crusader class and raises character level caps. The core Diablo 3 experience was recently overhauled to make item drops more plentiful and better-suited to player classes. A PlayStation 4 version of Reaper of Souls is also in the works. [Image: Activision Blizzard]
Blizzard rings in April Fool's with faux fisticuffs, Flappy Bird spoof
Blizzard Entertainment has long had a reputation for its meticulously crafted April Fools' Day gags, and this year, instead of a sole punchline, the company is offering the willingly gullible a trio of faux announcements. For instance, it has been revealed that the next segment of the StarCraft 2 trilogy will be titled StarCraft 2: Herald of the Stars. In lieu of focusing entirely on strategic warfare, the real-time strategy game will instead explore the history and heartwarming minutiae surrounding the alien Protoss race. You'd expect new weapons and units, but the game will also offer new hairstyles, a dance editor and built-in Twitch audience interaction. Blizzard senior game producer Hony Tsu describes StarCraft 2: Herald of the Stars as "a hug for the soul." Hoping to make Diablo 3 more palatable to the average person, Blizzard is swiping a page from the Flappy Bird playbook to make Happy Reaper. "With a series of well-timed mouse clicks or finger taps, skillfully guide Malthael through a network of ancient Pandemonium ruins to collect human souls and obliterate all puny nephalem with your trusty Death Laser of Doom," reads Blizzard's official description. Rounding out today's gags is Blizzard Outcasts: Vengeance of the Vanquished, a fighting game starring the developer's most famous characters. While it won't be coming to consoles, the game will be available on PC, Mac and expensive, custom arcade cabinets. We urge you all to read Blizzard's full description, but if you've only got 47 seconds available, watch the above teaser. It tells you pretty much everything you'll need to know about this fake game. [Image: Blizzard]
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls review: All you need is kill
With Diablo banished once again, the people of Sanctuary have finally found themselves in a place of peace. Five minutes later ... The angel of death, Malthael, steps in as the latest evil force descending upon the land, once again raising the question of why Sanctuary's citizens never consider moving somewhere nicer. Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls brings in a terrifying new villain with a frightening motivation. In a bid to end the eternal conflict between angels and demons, Malthael seeks to rid the world of demons by absorbing all of the demonic essence found in every living creature. Though it would bring some semblance of tranquility to the universe, humanity would be also destroyed, as a small part of each person's soul is demonic. Malthael, aware his plan will eviscerate all of humanity, in unfazed and torments anyone who attempts to stop him. Just another day in Sanctuary.
