The PS4 version of Diablo 3 isn't just a rehash of the same game you've been playing the last two years. Blizzard revealed at PAX East that they've improved the game with new social features.
Players can help each other gear up. Every time you get a legendary item, your friend has a chance of receiving their own. They can choose which character on their account will get this randomized gift. Presumably the stats rolled for this item will conform to the class of the specific character - a standard occurrence since Diablo 3's Patch 2.0. Players can also mail unwanted items to each other.
You and your friends can also fight the same enemies even if you're not in a co-op match. With the PS4 version's Nemesis System, a monster that slays you can hop in a portal and pop up later in a friend's game. If they kill it, they get a reward. If the monsters kills them, they'll jump into another one of your friends' games. The monster gets stronger each time it wipes out a hero.
Blizzard also wants to make it easier for players to team up with their friends. A new Apprentice Mode makes it possible for a low-level character to join a higher-level companion on his adventure. The low level hero's stats will be boosted so they can survive the higher level enemies. Both players will get appropriate levels of experience and items, with the low-level character getting a little more to help him catch up.
The PS4 version, dubbed the "Ultimate Evil Edition," will include the improvements seen in the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions. The user interface has been redesigned for easier navigation with a controller. In the case of the PS4, the menus can be navigated with a touchscreen as well. The player can also avoid danger with a new dodge ability. Unlike the PC and Mac version of D3, the console editions don't require a persistent Internet connection.
The game has all of the content from expansion pack Reaper of Souls as well. Reaper, released on PC and Mac last month, adds a Crusader class and a new Act for the campaign. A new adventure mode with randomly generated quests and dungeons give players something to do when they finish the campaign. The patches that laid the groundwork for Reaper with new difficulty settings and Paragon progression are also part of the Ultimate Evil Edition.
Though Blizzard shared a lot of details on the PS4 version of Diablo 3 this weekend, they haven't revealed one crucial piece of information: the release date. It's safe to assume it'll be in stores sometime this year, though. It's been playable since last fall, after all.
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