The developers of Diablo 4 over at Activision Blizzard have released an exciting sneak peek at five new zones for the upcoming action RPG. The team also provided more information on how enemies will have unique designs based on these specific regions.
In a recent devlog, called Inside the Game, Senior Quest Designer II Harrison Pink, Game Director Joe Shely, Senior Dungeon Designer Dina McMurry, and Art Director John Mueller gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at the five areas: Kehjistan, Scosglen, Fractured Peaks, The Dry Steppes, and Hawezar.
The story of Diablo takes place in a dark realm referred to as Sanctuary, where you’ll fight alongside humanity against demons and other ghastly enemies in line with the franchise. The five zones showcased in the video are all within the world of Sanctuary, and all of the areas will have resources to gather, quests to complete, in-game events to partake in, and more.
McMurry said “[the team] wanted to bring Diablo 4 artistically back towards Diablo 2, the much darker style; it’s very macabre”, and you can see the influence from the previous games in the concept art previews for each location.
- Kehjistan, a dry and arid desert, with rolling sand dunes throughout.
Screenshot via Activision Blizzard YouTube
- Scosglen, a vast grass-covered and mossy landscape, inspired by Scotland.
Screenshot via Activision Blizzard YouTube
- Fractured Peaks, a snow-capped region, inspired by the Carpathian Mountains.
Screenshot via Activision Blizzard YouTube
- The Dry Steppes, a mountainous desert region.
Screenshot via Activision Blizzard YouTube
- Hawezar, a swampy, southern region.
Screenshot via Activision Blizzard YouTube
One of the most impressive design aspects mentioned by the team is the transition between zones. Pink said, “making sure that [transitions] felt sort-of geologically true was really important,” before going on to describe how the snowcapped region of Fractured Peaks will have melted snow to supply the waterfalls of the region, which you’ll be able to see flow into the swampy region of Hawezar.
The monsters of Diablo 4 have also received a similarly considerate approach, with enemy types getting redesigned to make sense in their respective zones. McMurry describes an example of how the Goatmen will appear differently depending on which zone you’re in. There will be Snowy Goatmen in the Fractured Peaks and Lightning Goatmen around the Dry Steppes, for example.
Diablo 4 will also include various neutral creatures, such as deer and dogs, and yes, you can pet the dogs – and yes, we will pet all of the dogs! Stay tuned for more Diablo 4 news, guides, and more.
Featured image via Activision Blizzard
