Missed the “Diablo IV” beta? You have a second chance to check it out

“Diablo IV” held the first of two betas last week, and Blizzard’s dungeon crawler was fantastic. It has the same addictive gameplay loop as players fought hordes of worgs, skeletons and other baddies earning loot and experience points on the way.

The latest entry doesn’t change a blockbuster formula, but rather, it refines and updates it. From the few hours I played as the Rogue, the world of Sanctuary seems richer, darker and more alive with elements found in massively multiplayer online games. After a brief prologue that shows players that they really can’t trust anybody, they’re thrown into an expansive world that’s filled with danger and other players.

They’ll find that it’s so large that players will need mounts later in the campaign, but for now, the demo limits players to a few quests around town of Kyovashad and the region called the Fractured Planes. It also caps the level at 25. That gives the curious an opportunity to test out different skills and tinker with builds that go with the gear.

In Kyovashad and other hamlets, players will run into other humans playing the game. It almost has the feel of its mobile counterpart “Diablo Immortal.” Players will be traipsing through the wilderness and run into a stranger fighting wild dogs. They can help them out or ignore the skirmish and be on their way. They’ll also run into minor World Events miniquests, where they’ll have to defend an innocent or defeat enemies summoned by an obilisk. With all the activity, “Diablo IV” feels more alive than past games.

I stumbled upon a few lengthy dungeons, and I had no problem clearing them using the ranged skills of the Rogue. After building up her level, I was able to access more of her abilities and switched back and forth between an energy-generating melee attack with dual daggers and a more powerful ranged attack with a bow.

I essentially cycled through the two weapons while sometimes pressing circle to dodge enemy strikes. It was a formula that worked as my frailer character was able to minimize damage while also dealing plenty of it against bosses and minions.

The one thing I wasn’t able to explore was the Legion Events, which are longer, more challenging experiences. They were recommended for players who hit the beta’s level cap, and I was still behind powering up my Rogue.