Diablo IV gives first look at Sanctuary, monsters inspired by second game, and petting dogs

The wait is over for Diablo fans. 11 years after the third game, Diablo IV is set to make a return to hell on June 6, 2023, with a first look trailer teasing five new zones in Sanctuary, delightfully nostalgic monsters, and a graphically-rich open world where you can pet the dog.

Traverse the vast world of Sanctuary with various environments divided into five zones to explore. Kehjistan, with its sweeping sand dunes, Scosglen, inspired by Scotland's natural environment, The Fractured Peaks with its Caparthian Peak-inspired mountains, The Dry Steppes, a rugged desert mountainous area, and Hawezar, a swampy region to the South, have plenty of unique surprises laying in wait.

As players chase after the recently-summoned Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto, Lord of Hatred, through Sanctuary, new monsters, as well as familiar terrors, will appear, which promise to be "scarier and a little darker" to match the gritty nature of the game.

The Fallen demons have gone through major redesigns to look more terrifying much like in Diablo II, while Nangari enemies — twisted amalgamations of snake heads and human body parts — will make their debut here.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcQ-JcYMyZ0[/embed]

Apart from all the dark theming and horrifying monsters, if there's one thing players are really excited about for Diablo IV, it's petting the dog.

That's right, you can interact with the dog in the game and pet it if you choose to. It's a rare touch of wholesome in a game filled with terror and bloodshed, which has its moments of tranquil beauty.

Such as getting to see the waterfalls caused by snowmelt if you walk from the Fractured Peaks to Hawezar, and watching wildlife cross the plains in the open world — one of the features of the game is that there are no loading screens between zones, creating an immersive gaming experience. 

"One of the things we really wanted to do was make the game feel like a painting," says Harrison Pink, one of the game's designers. "Everything was built by a wonderful group of people who love Diablo as much as you do."

With a gruesome and bloody conflict unfolding in Sanctuary punctuated by some lighter moments, Diablo IV is ready to welcome fans back into Lilith's grasp.

Those who have already pre-ordered the game will get a taste of the world first during the early access period of March 17 to 19, before the Open Beta crowd joins in from March 24 to 26.

This article was first published in Geek Culture.

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