Diablo III is my go-to game, my oasis in a desert of so-so or overhyped games that don’t deliver the goods. Whatever the case may be, it’s always good to know that when I’m done with other games or they let me down, I can always come back to it like a good home with family inside. Like most game players out there, I was shocked and curious how Blizzard was going to handle putting this beloved game on the Nintendo Switch.
Thankfully, they did an amazing job working with what they have in the Diablo III: Eternal Collection. It’s not as clean or polished as the PC and other console releases, but you won’t care as you and your friends tear through mobs of demons with smiles on your faces as fighting the minions of hell never felt so good.
I’m sure just about everyone knows about Diablo III’s story and expansions, and if you don’t, feel free to go back and check out my review of Rise of the Necromancer which also includes a review link to the previous Reaper of Souls expansion and so on. In this collection, Blizzard included the base game with both expansions tied in to make a nice package with some sweet bonus added in as well.
Besides being able to play as both the Crusader and Necromancer right off the bat, for the first time ever, you can now jump into Adventure mode without having to beat the game first. This was a major plus for me, as I use this mode to play around with my characters and different builds while also being able to level up quickly and make some much needed gold before jumping into the story mode. You’ll need that gold too, because while they’ve included some sweet transmogrification items to look like Ganon from the Zelda games, you need gold to apply them to your gear. At least they threw in a Zelda chicken pet, a Triforce portrait cover, some evil looking purple wings to go with the Ganon transmog, and a banner to keep you happy as you play.
Everything you know and love about Diablo III is included here, from all of the modes and challenges you can do (seasons, hardcore mode, etc.), to online multiplayer via the Nintendo Online service. Me and fellow editor James McKeever had a chance to put the multiplayer through its paces and it plays just as good as the previous releases, with some minor lag spikes here and there. You can also play locally with three other people on one Switch, or connect four Switches via a wireless LAN connection.
With all the positives going for this one, there’s a few nitpicks I had, mainly with the visuals. Ok I’ll be honest, Diablo III has never had video card crushing visuals, but you can tell they had to tone down some of the visual effects to make it run at a sweet 60 frames a second. Docked mode looks great despite this minor issue, but this gripe is made more apparent when playing the game in portable mode which reduces the resolution down to 720p and gives it a dark/muddled look. But I’ll be honest and say you’ll be too busy slaying demons and having a blast zipping through dungeons to really care for that matter.
If you love Diablo III like I do and have a Nintendo Switch, then picking up Diablo III: Eternal Collection is a no-brainer. Even if you’re not a fan or have never played it and have a Switch, you owe it to yourself to play and be amazed how Blizzard packed such a fun game into a small package. So pick up some JoyCons and get ready for your social life to go to hell, as you’ll be addicted soon enough and will be glad you can play this one anywhere.
