Diablo 4 players slam “painful” progression & level scaling
Blizzard Entertainment Diablo 4 players are finally hopping into the new version of Sanctuary for the first time, but many are unhappy with the way progression works, claiming it’s unsatisfying and is turning them off the game already.
After over a decade of waiting, Diablo 4 is finally here and eager players have wasted no time working their way through the campaign to take on Lilith and her forces. But as long-time fans will know, the real draw of the Diablo series is building a character from a level one weakling to an all-powerful level 100.
Diablo 4 features five different classes to choose from, and players have plenty of options when it comes to upgrading skills and creating their ideal playstyle.
However, after sinking plenty of hours into Diablo 4 during early access, some fans have criticized the way the game handles progression.
Reddit user ‘TheStarNomad’ shared a post highlighting a number of major issues they had with the game so far, explaining that “nothing” has hooked them in Diablo 4 the way that other action RPGs have.
They claimed that the gear awarded for completing quests offers effects that are “largely un-inventive and are so tiny [in] impact” that it’s hard to distinguish between two items. Additionally, they mentioned that they “felt no different” after investing skill points into their character, as they hardly noticed the increase to stats like damage.
Their main gripe, however, was the world level scaling, which sees enemies increase in power to match players as they level up. The OP argued that Diablo 4‘s scaling buffs foes to the point that leveling and improving your character isn’t satisfying, as the fight never gets any easier.
“Every percentage power gain I can amass, it seems all enemies also accrue a nearly identical amount,” said the OP. “Scaling is always hard to nail, but this game seems to stick to a nearly 1:1 ratio between your character and mobs.”
Many players replied in the comments, agreeing that the level scaling, in particular, has sucked much of the enjoyment out of leveling up a character in Diablo 4.
“Went from a euphoric high of act 6 and watching that cutscene with lilith and inarius to the boring slugfest post-campaign where you get weaker with each level and the map feeling empty and hollow,” said one disgruntled player.
Others shared similar sentiments, explaining that the current progression system in Diablo 4 means that your character “never feels like they are growing stronger,” which makes the endgame content “painful” to work through.
Blizzard are set to support Diablo 4 for years to come, as they progress the game’s story with future updates. Diablo 4 Season 1 is the next major update, so only time will tell if the devs make some tweaks to keep players engaged.