Diablo 4was officially announced at Blizzcon in November of 2019. During this event, Blizzard revealed three returning classes including the Barbarian, Druid, and the Sorceress. Most recently, during the February Blizzconline 2021 event, Blizzard revealed the Rogue class. The Rogue is the 4th of 5 classes to be revealed and hasn’t been a playable class sinceDiablo 1. The Druid and the Sorceress have not been a playable class sinceDiablo 2, so fans are more than eager to once again experience these iconic classes. Though this begs the question: how does the revitalizedSorceress compare to herDiablo 2predecessor?
Diablo 2 Resurrectedis the remaster of the cult classicDiablo 2, originally released in 2000, and was announced during the opening ceremony of Blizzconline 2021. The remaster will remain faithful to what fans know to be the currentDiablo 2patch version 1.14d. The developer behind the remaster has said it does not want to change anything that relates to balancing the classes and are more focused on bringing what fans remember, while also introducing a handful of quality-of-life features (such as an increase in stash size and a shared stash between characters.)
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This means that in terms of class balance, everything should be the same, exactly how players know the game today. With that said, fans may be receptive ifcontent that was originally cut fromDiablo 2was add; however, that seems unlikely.
The Diablo 4 Sorceress and Her Powers
InDiablo 2, the Sorceress was best known for her abilities to wield the different elements under 3 skill trees: fire, cold, and lightning. The fire Sorceress has a multitude of skills to specialize in such as throwing Fireballs, summoning autonomous Fire Hydras that spit fire, or raining down large Meteors burning enemies in a big area of effect.
Players who were more into slowing and freezing their enemies have access to cold skills such as the illustrious frozen orb and blizzard spells. Lastly, players who would rather zap their enemies into oblivion have the ability to throw charged bolts, chain lightning, and cast thunderstorm spells, to name a few. The Sorceress was also the only class who innately has access to the Teleport skill, outside of very rare loot or thecomplex nature of the runewords, making her a natural at farming items quickly. This made the Sorceress a very strong first pick when a new ladder would reset (much likeDiablo 3’s seasonal resets.)
The Sorceress inDiablo 4is described as being fragile yet destructive. Much like what will be the case inDiablo 2 Resurrected, she wields the power of fire, cold, and lightning. New toDiablo 4is a chilling mechanic that allows the Sorceress to build up cold damage against her foes that first slows, then freezes, and ultimately shatters them. Thankfully, this should not be specific to cold Sorceress players as, similar toDiablo 2, she will be able to spec into more than just one element at any given time. Players who want to wield the power of the elements will have good reason to choose theDiablo 4Sorceress at launch.
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Unlike inDiablo 2,however, the Sorceress will have access toDiablo 4’snew skill and passive tree system, adding new ways to customize her abilities. Charged Bolts, a skill available in bothDiablo 2 ResurrectedandDiablo 4, can be upgraded in the latter game to create additional bolts upon casting. Players wanting to increase the capability of their lightning Sorceress can spec into the passive Overcharge which gives players the chance to create Crackling Energy upon critical striking. Crackling Energy is a new resource that restores some mana upon pick-up. This would allow players to restore mana as they’re moving so as to not slow down their gameplay, similar to health orbs seen inDiablo 3.
The New Sorceress Enchantment System and Primary Stat Thresholds
Diablo 4will also introduce a new mechanic specific to the Sorceress called the enchantment system. Within this system players have the option to place active skills in the active skill slots or the enchantment slots, adding a new secondary effect. Players will not be able to use the active skill if it is used in this way. Placing the newly-introduced active skill Ball Lightning into the enchantment slot, for example, will change any generated Crackling Energy and turn them into Ball Lightning instead.
When mana sustain is no longer an issue, this could be a viable way to add more damage to her lightning skills. This new system, along withDiablo 4’s new itemization system, will allow players to come up with endless build possibilities not seen in such depth inDiablogames before. On top of this, players will be able to respec more freely than what was possible inDiablo 2, so this will ensure build experimentation and diversity.
A new addition toDiablo 4’s skill treewill be primary stat thresholds. Certain skills on the skill tree will have upgrades available if specific primary stat thresholds are met. The Sorceress’ Ice Blades skill conjures icy blades for 12 seconds that rapidly slash at enemies, chilling them. If players meet the 140 Willpower threshold requirement, then Ice blades will emit a cold aura with each attack chilling nearby enemies.
All this extra chill power means players are sure to freeze and shatter the demons of hell with ease. Of course, this information is subject to change asDiablo 4will release after 2021. Only time will tell if fans will be happy with the final product or not.Diablo 3ended up being a departure from the gritty and more hardcore style ofDiablo2 to the dismay of some.Fans of the series have been wanting a remaster ofDiablo 2for what seemed like an eternity, and they will not have to wait long asDiablo 2 Resurrectedwill be releasing sometime this year.
Diablo 4is still in development for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
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