Summary
Diablo 4has seen ups and downs in popularity since it first came out, and there are many ways the game can still be improved upon by Blizzard in future patches, seasons, and even expansions. Issues withDiablo 4’s loot and itemizationcan be solved with players' feedback and Blizzard’s intervention, and although it’s not ideal that the game’s state is not optimal from the get-go, there’s a good chance that the most common problems it faces will be addressed soon rather than later. However, there are some things that are unlikely to change even a few years down the line, andDiablo 4’s character customization might be one of them.
Customization inDiablo 4is often not an easy topic to navigate because while Blizzard learned the hard way thatDiablo Immortal’s microtransactions were too much and leaned a lot in pay-to-win territory,Diablo 4’s are not exactly in a better place. The main problem is that they are extremely expensive even compared to most other live-service games with character skins, with the likes ofFortniteorDestiny 2making them much more accessible. Not only that, but Blizzard has pigeonholed itself into making these cosmetics (and also those coming from future battle passes) one size fits all - and that is a big missed opportunity.
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Diablo 4’s Character Models Needed Body Types as Customization Options
In typical ARPG fashion,Diablo 4features five classesto choose from, each with a set of skills and talents to pick from to make a build, often pairing some of the game’s best items with them. Unlike some ARPGs,Diablo 4even allows players to choose their character’s gender and then apply a handful of customization options that range from selecting the hair and facial hair to jewelry and body tattoos and marks, all making a given character more unique.
This was already a step forward, but with how customization-heavyDiablo 4’s first battle passis, as well as how hard Blizzard is pushing cosmetic microtransactions and armor sets, the game could and should have gone the extra mile to provide players with a more immersive experience. For example, RPGs like the recently releasedBaldur’s Gate 3, often provide players with a more expansive selection of customization options, including the choice of body types. This is not the case inDiablo 4, and instead, each character class model is solely shaped according to the selected gender, which is quite limiting and doesn’t even bode well for the game’s focus on armor sets and cosmetics.
Players are more likely to engage with customization options if they have agency over what their character looks, withBaldur’s Gate 3’s character creationprocess being a masterclass in these regards, considering some players spent hours perfecting the looks of their avatars. The scope and gameplay loop ofBaldur’s Gate 3andDiablo 4differ immensely, however, and it’s most likely that even the highly-praisedPath of Exile 2will have set character models with no character creation options at launch.
As such,Diablo 4could have been the exception more than it is the rule when it comes to character customization in action RPGs, but its character models are still one-dimensional. This is hardly ever changing for the game, too, considering that Blizzard would have to rework all the existing in-game armor sets and cosmetics to fit a more varied range of body types, which would likely be too demanding in terms of resources. However,Diablo 4’s successor will seemingly not take a decade to make, according to Blizzard, so there’s a chance that this next step is not out of the question just yet for the franchise as a whole.
Diablo 4is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
