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Wolcen Is Far More Than a Diablo 4 Filler
While fans wait for Diablo 4, some may be mistaken in viewing Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem as merely a filler to keep them busy until then. Wolcen stands as a uniquely impressive entry into the isometric ARPG hack and slash genre, with exceptionally high graphical quality, great combat that scratches the ARPG itch, and a robust character customization system.
Make no mistake, as Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem's launch has been mired by bugs and users should still do their homework and know what to expect before deciding whether they want to make the purchase of Wolcen at this early point during launch. However, assuming Wolcen will eventually take off in leaving the bugs behind when everything is hopefully fleshed out, there is enough unique differences between Diablo 4 and Wolcen by which they can each stand on their own in this genre.
This should provide players more quality choice within this genre which has become more niche in contemporary times, as players look for newer options beyond Diablo 3, Path of Exile or Grim Dawn, which have stood the test of time thus far.
DIABLO AND WOLCEN CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION
In many ways, fans were disappointed with Diablo 3's more linear and streamlined skill and character customization system, especially compared to Diablo 2, and Wolcen clearly pays homage to these sentiments. Wolcen allows for an archetypal approach to character customization, doing away with the traditional class system by allowing players to use any of the game's skills no matter which class they choose, along with weapons and equipment which take advantage of the chosen skills. In other words, no matter what type of character a player initially chooses, whether it be a magic user or melee combatant, Wolcen's characters all utilize the same massive skill tree.
Perhaps Wolcen took note of Path of Exile's gigantic skill-tree system, but offered a more condensed version of its non-linear system, creating a system that is more streamlined, yet still far deeper than Diablo 3's. If one wants to be a magic caster that specializes in melee combat, one can do so. Wolcen's skill tree can be reset at anytime for further experimenting.
That is not to say Wolcen is without its criticisms, as some players have expressed concern over Wolcen's system, even going as far as to describe it as lazy in simply compiling all the game's skills together in one skill tree, no matter what type of character a player chooses. The system certainly defies traditional class systems, and the important factor here is that Wolcen offers a different flavor among ARPG's which some players may desire. And for other players, waiting for Diablo 4, or sticking with Path of Exile, may better suit them.
WHAT CAN DIABLO 4 LEARN FROM WOLCEN?
While Diablo 4 has some interesting features confirmed so far, it still has some time to go before release. the good news is that Blizzard has stated it is playing and looking into other ARPGs, and hopefully, Wolcen can offer some ideas for inspiration, at least in the realm of a character customization system.
Diablo 4 can also take some notes on some of Wolcen's downsides as well. Some fans believe that Wolcen's graphics are better than Diablo 4's, and while it could be true, Wolcen still has a long ways to go as far as hardware optimization is concerned. Given the isometric nature of these type of games, most players expect a smooth experience which should stay above or at 60 frames per second at all times.
As it stands, Wolcen looks absolutely gorgeous and aims for a more realistic appearance, but struggles in maintaining 50 frames per second on very high settings in 4k, even with a 1080Ti video card, 16gb of ram, and the latest generation i7 processor, which is still considered optimal hardware by today's standards, especially for an ARPG. Diablo 4 still looks great, but it will need to run extremely smoothly and its hardware optimization should be top notch in order to satisfy those with a thirst for high quality graphics, especially when considering the fact that Wolcen looks vividly breathtaking at times, despite its frame rate issues.
For an ARPG, Wolcen also relies more heavily on timed combat maneuvers, such as dodge rolls to avoid key enemy attacks. While it is nowhere near the complexity of Souls-like games such as Sekiro, it stands far above the status quo of most. In most ARPGs, players can get by on spamming enemies with attacks and unleashing enough mayhem to take out hordes before their health bar even indicates potential danger.
While this is not necessarily a bad trait and certainly scratches the dopamine-releasing mental itch in feeling immense amounts of power in destroying hordes of enemies as if popping hundreds of balloons, some players may wish for slightly more skills involved in the choices they make in mid-combat. This is one area where Blizzard could make potential additions to the combat where ARPGs typically lack, especially on harder difficulty modes.
IS WOLCEN FOR EVERYONE?
Wolcen definitely is not for everyone, but as Blizzard has demonstrated, neither was Diablo 3. For those looking for something more complex than Diablo 3, but more streamlined than Path of Exile, Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem may be just the game. But the buggy menus which are unresponsive at times, as well as some of the input lag currently bogging down Wolcen's initial launch, may be a deal breaker for some. Other players may be less forgiving, given that the game has already been in Steam's Early Access for a few years.
However, it is important to also consider the fact that much of Wolcen's launch issues could be the result of going from a few thousand active players to suddenly jumping to tens of thousands within a few days. This can all be alleviated if given enough time, and waiting a few weeks or months for Wolcen to address these shortcomings may be just the solution for some players. And, for other players, sticking with Diablo 3 until Diablo 4 releases, or waiting for Path of Exile 2 may be the more desirable solution, among other options.
At the very least, Wolcen brings a refreshing new flavor and style to the ARPG genre, and for some, that may be enough of a selling point despite Wolcen's bugs.
Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is available now on PC.
