“Diablo 3,” which started a closed beta service in South Korea on Wednesday, is garnering mixed responses from local gamers, offering a clue about its impact ahead of its officially release May 15. 

The online action RPG game by Blizzard Entertainment has been regarded as one of the biggest titles by gamers in Korea and elsewhere, as its previous two versions were huge hits across the world.

Some Korean users who played the game through the closed beta said “Diablo 3” was too easy, saying that complicated gameplay and narrow viewpoints were less than satisfactory.

“I heard that Blizzard seeks perfection. But the game doesn’t even look like a finished product, even considering that it’s in a beta service,” said a user who identified himself as “Amitaro.”

Another user said the game was simply “’Diablo 2’ with reinforced 3D effect” and the element of excitement was far lower than previously expected.

However, other gamers here said the game was satisfactory considering its beta service status.

“The story was interesting and Korean translations allowed me to complete quests easily,” said one blogger invited to the beta service.

Korean users also said “Diablo 3” has rich content like the milestone system and a variety of skill sets, making it deserving of praise.

Blizzard said that users do not need to worry about the game being too easy, as the official version will have advanced difficulty levels such as “nightmare,” “hell,” and “inferno.”

First released in 1996, the “Diablo” franchise has enjoyed great success, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide.



By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)