I am a junkie. A fiend. An addict. A treasure goblin. I can’t get enough of the gameplay loop provided by the ARPG genre, and even more so after finally getting hands-on time with Diablo 4. While the wait is slowly coming to an end, what’s an addict to do in the meantime? Quitting cold turkey is not an option and something is needed to feed the craving. Luckily, many, many other developers are just like us and have these cravings too, and turned their addiction into games you can play right now.
So, if you’re like me and just need something to hold you over until Diablo 4 is out, here are six games you can play right now to satisfy your Diablo 4 craving while you wait.
Path of Exile
Diablo 2 lovers rejoice. If Diablo 2 Resurrected has become stale for you, it might be time to check Path of Exile out. Grinding Gear Games clearly set out to entice the Diablo 2 diehards with Path of Exile but aims for more complex and robust skill, itemization, and endgame systems. The Free to Play P.O.E. takes APRGs to another level with massive passive skill trees, tons of Unique gear, ever-evolving skills to utilize through skill gems, loads of content, and an endgame designed to keep you playing, and playing. Don’t fear the free-to-play model, though, Path of Exile’s monetization system is purely cosmetic on every level. You won’t find a single pay-for-power avenue in the game. I won’t lie though. If you truly get deeper into the endgame, you will be enticed to open your wallet to expand your game’s stash.
From endgame zones called maps to heist missions, and to an endless dungeon that gets progressively harder as you delve deeper, You will surely run out of steam before you complete everything this game has to offer.
And, if you’re a seasoned ARPG player, Leagues will entice you to do it all over again. Leagues in POE are essential to the longevity of player engagement, as these, similar to Diablo games, start your character(s) from nothing. Through Leagues, players will be able to engage in the newest content added to the game.
Last Epoch
While Last Epoch is still currently in an early access beta, it fits itself nicely right in between Path of Exile and Diablo 2. Whereas Path of Exile prides itself on the complexity of its systems, Last Epoch aims to ensure players are informed on its own less-complex designs to keep you in-game and slaying monsters. Last Epoch sets itself apart from the others with its weapon crafting and focus on endgame dungeons.
Crafting in Last Epoch at first can be a bit off-putting as you face the inevitable disappointment of rendering a piece of gear worthless due to a roll of the dice. Rest assured that as you’re playing, gathering new loot, and materials, this crafting system becomes the optimal avenue to how your power grows in the game. There’s nothing quite like rolling the exact stat you need that sends your build over the edge.
Newcomers to the game can even use the various build guides that exist for the game as there is a dedicated playerbase who’ve done all the homework for you and can guide you through to the endgame. Speaking of the endgame, Last Epoch has what they call Monoliths and Echos. This is somewhat similar to mapping in Path of Exile where you’ll see a web of maps that you load into slay monsters, complete simple objectives, and acquire loot. The echo system in this game allows you to target farm specific gear pieces and materials you need by giving you a preview of what rewards you’ll obtain upon completion. This is great when you’re feeling light in specific areas of your build or are just low on resources.
Grim Dawn
Guns. Grim Dawn has guns. That’s a nice change of pace, right? When all other APRGs are about wands, swords, and other various sorts of fantasy elements, Grim Dawn lets you shoot the undead in the brain. Alright that’s not the only reason it’s on the list. In a world where Diablo 3 took a more colorful aesthetic or “cartoony” look, Grim Dawn brings out the grittiness of a post apocalyptic world in yet another game where humanity is in peril and you must use your powers to vanquish evil. And yes, it’s got scepter, swords, jewelry, and all sorts of manners that you can expect from ARPG itemization.
The deep character customization provided by Crate Entertainment makes for a satisfying journey to the level cap cap of 100. Stat bonuses on gear earned while playing will take your character's power to newer heights. For the endgame, players can look forward to modes like the Crucible or the Shattered Realm, which is an endless dungeon that gets progressively more difficult as you progress. One of the more satisfying parts of Grim Dawn are the sheer amounts of builds players can put together. Expect to spend a lot of time swapping playstyles and even creating new characters to experience new ways to play with all the tools available at your disposal.
Grim Dawn also has one final thing that a lot of APRGs just refuse to have. Auto loot crafting materials. So simple, yet such a wonderful feature.
Superfuse
Have you ever wanted to play Diablo in space? Well that’s what you’ll get with Superfuse, sorta.
Superfuse, which is currently only available on Steam, is in a very early access state. Like most ARPGs of its kind, Superfuse is a game that owes its addictive gameplay loop and loot system to Diablo 2. This isn’t a knock against the game by any stretch, as the developers wear that as a badge of honor and wholly lean into it. Superfuse manages to set itself apart in two ways: its theme and its innovative skill system.
Wearing a comic-book style coat of paint, Superfuse is set in the distant future within our own solar system. You’ll be sent all across various planets to fight hordes of gross mutated monsters in order to bring down “the man” in a dystopia where billionaire corporate rulers have a vice grip around the survivors of a now dead Earth. On top of this setting, Superfuse’s skill system can become incredibly addicting, as there are so many cool and unique ways to customize your skills and slot fuses to grow your power and drastically change how your skills behave. Turn a basic fireball into a giant blob of flames that arcs into the air at a slower pace but for massive damage increase. Or what about having that fireball track enemies, split and pierce on impact, then track and split some more? Getting creative is a must when slotting thes fuses.
One thing to keep in mind, at the time of this recommendation, Superfuse’s early access is very limited on content. While they are still updating the game, the endgame is in its infancy and can leave much to desire as you get more and more familiar with it.
Lost Ark
After several years in testing markets, Amazon unleashed Lost Ark to Western markets. Upon release, there was a major surge in popularity and, to this day, Lost Ark still retains a very healthy player population. While there aren't a ton of similarities to any Diablo game, considering it’s an MMO first, Lost Ark has what makes games like Diablo just so damn fun; tons of monsters on screen and a myriad of skills that decimate them all is a satisfying blaze of glory.
When you start Lost Ark, you essentially start with most of your skills available to use, in exchange for a different type of power growth system where you level specific skills. Upon reaching the endgame, you can look forward to doing things like epic, large-scale dungeons, monster raids, daily and weekly quests that send you all over the vast world the game has, and a gear leveling system to even further push the boundaries of your power.
Though free to play, Lost Ark does offer players the option to buy in-game currency and crafting materials that can drastically improve the grind for increasing gear score. So while there are some slight “pay to win” avenues in Lost Ark, everything can easily be achieved without spending a dime.
Diablo 3
By now you might be saying “WTF? Obviously.” Hear me out. Yes, of course Diablo 3 is the most recent mainline entry to the franchise, but when was the last time you played it? Diablo 3 is currently in its 28th season. With it came arguably its biggest update since, well, the game got good. Enter the Altar of Rites, Diablo 3’s season 28 theme and main new mechanic.
The Altar acts as a new passive skill tree. Do certain activities in the game to acquire specific materials, then sacrifice them to gain cool new traits like spawn pylon and shrine effects when consuming a potion or having pets pick up all the trash loot on the ground and auto dismantling the gear for mats. Finish the entire tree, you’ll even get double Primal Ancient drops and some cool wings. The Altar of Rites makes for a really fun season that shifts the way you play Diablo 3. If ever there was a time to return to the game, it’s now. Especially considering, per Blizzard, Diablo 3 will not see any new content updates after Diablo 4 launches. Instead, it will only be recycling and/or blending past seasons going forward.
And that’s it. Off you go. Take this information, figure out what best suits your needs and what will satisfy the need, and in no time you’ll find the wait for Diablo 4 is becoming that much easier. You can be certain that IGN will be covering Diablo 4 up until its release later this summer and even more so as the game evolves over its lifespan.
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