After playing the Spiritborn in Diablo 4, I’ll gladly wait for Paladin

As a long-time Diablo fan who has always felt drawn to the Monk class but struggled with its heavy support builds, I was absolutely thrilled by my brief encounter with the Spiritborn during my recent visit to Blizzard Entertainment. This new class feels like it was made specifically for me, offering a fast and agile playstyle that lets me control the battlefield and move through it unencumbered.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve heard whispers of a Paladin class in Diablo 4 since even before its launch. Among the five original classes, the “holy warrior” archetype is the one that’s always seemed conspicuously absent in this renowned ARPG.

As an avid fan of Crusaders in Diablo 3 and someone who appreciates Paladin-type characters, I had high expectations for a Paladin-esque figure with Diablo 4’s first expansion. However, Blizzard surprised us all by introducing the new Spiritborn class as Diablo 4’s inaugural addition, set to debut in the Vessel of Hatred expansion on October 8th.

Initially, I felt disappointed upon learning that I’d have to wait at least another year before experiencing an upgraded Crusader in Diablo 4’s Sanctuary open world. But then, on July 11, I was fortunate enough to visit Blizzard and get a sneak peek of the Spiritborn class. I spoke with game designer Bjorn Mikkelson and associate class designer Stephen Stewart about its features, gameplay mechanics, and what sets it apart from a Paladin. And now, I’m genuinely excited that the Spiritborn will be Diablo 4’s first new class instead of another holy warrior.

The Spiritborn are versatile fighters who engage in close combat against adversaries. In the heat of battle, they can summon the power of four distinct Spirit Guardians for added destruction – a fierce Gorilla, swift Jaguar, powerful Eagle, or menacing Centipede.

For each Spirit Guardian, there is a distinct collection of skills in their ability chart. Generally, they possess one capability for every primary, fundamental skill, ultimate, and so forth. The abilities of the Jaguar are centered around agility and flame, whereas those of the Gorilla emphasize self-protection and dealing physical harm to others. Eagle abilities exhibit a greater reach than other Spirit Guardians, specializing in accuracy and electric damage. Among them, Centipede is the most visually disturbing and flamboyant, with its focus on poison and earth elements.

With the Spiritborn’s primary class feature, you can commit to two Spirit Guardians concurrently, or even the same one twice. Then, you are able to combine any of the classes’ abilities to generate fresh interactions. Your leading Spirit Guardian will bestow upon you a distinctive passive and transform all of your abilities into those associated with that Guardian (for instance, if you select the Jaguar, all skills under your talent tree will be Jaguar-themed). The secondary Spirit Guardian you choose will impart their additional passive, which brings about another unique enhancement to your gameplay.

Based on what I’ve learned about the class from the description, it initially seemed similar to the Druid with their connection to animal spirits and ability to deal damage. However, during the interview, Mikkelson and Stewart raised an eyebrow when I tried to draw comparisons. It became clear in my gameplay session that the Spiritborn is unlike the Druid; instead, it reminded me of the Monk from Diablo 3.

If you’re someone who has long been intrigued by Monk but found their heavy support builds too daunting, the Spiritborn character is sure to please you. Its gameplay style resonated strongly with my desired Monk experience. With every one of my primary abilities, I was propelled towards my target swiftly and each came equipped with a three-hit combo. Moreover, I gained skills that granted me control over the battlefield. For instance, there was one that allowed me to suck in all nearby enemies. Additionally, there were intriguing ways to inflict damage, such as a Gorilla skill that made me slam the ground, creating two fist imprints on either side. Each circle caused decent damage, but trapping an enemy within the circles’ Venn diagram-like overlap resulted in even greater damage. Within a short time, I managed to command and traverse the battlefield with ease.

Blizzard provided me with four unique Spiritborn characters, all level 30 and focusing on a particular Spirit Guardian. During my short gameplay experience, I was struck by how diverse each one felt – almost like having four distinct classes merged into one. These were just the refined versions, designed to highlight Jaguar’s agility or Gorilla’s tankiness. The Spiritborn seems tailor-made for players who prefer a quick, uncomplicated playstyle. However, it could also be an intriguing choice for more strategic thinkers, providing endless possibilities for experimentation and optimization.

Despite the developer’s enthusiasm for Spiritborn, I couldn’t help feeling the looming presence of the Paladin during my visit. This was brought up directly by my fellow journalists during our group interview, and Mikkelson and Stewart casually mentioned it during my separate conversations with them. However, these discussions weren’t meant to defend the absence of a holy class or offer an explanation. Instead, they emphasized that this departure from tradition would ultimately prove more beneficial in the future.

“According to Mikkelson, creating Paladin is a unique task with a rich background in our game. On the other hand, if I label it as Spiritborn, your expectations may vary since you might not be familiar with this term. Thus, brainstorming sessions for this concept involve imagining what players could desire from it and trying to bring that vision to life. The possibilities are endless.”

Stewart remarked, “The world being wide open comes with a catch: the freedom to act as you please, but also the challenge of determining what will truly captivate an audience. Without limitations, creativity can feel aimless. However, constraints provide structure and guidance, allowing us to build upon existing ideas in unique ways.”

Paladins and Crusaders are heavily laden with past traditions. With more than a decade of existence, players hold specific expectations for these characters, much like how a Barbarian is incomplete without its Whirlwind build or a Paladin lacking Blessed Hammer spam, Captain America shield throws, and so on. However, the Spiritborn’s uniqueness and creativity in Diablo 4 presents an opportunity for developers to explore new grounds. This prospect fills me with optimism that they will approach the eventual Holy class with a fresh perspective.

Instead of “And so, until Blizzard announces a Paladin-type character, I’ll make do with Spiritborn. Plus, based on what I’ve observed, I have numerous intriguing build options to experiment with in the meantime.”

As a seasoned journalist with years of experience under my belt, I have attended countless preview events at various game studios. However, my recent visit to Blizzard Entertainment studios in Irvine, California, was an experience that truly stood out. The opportunity to get a firsthand look at their upcoming projects was an exhilarating one.

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2024-07-18 22:19