Diablo Immortal: Is it as P2W as everyone says?

Overall Rating (7.3/10)

Controls and UI: 7/10

The controls in Diablo Immortal are still among the best I’ve encountered in a mobile RPG. Navigating through dungeons and triggering abilities feels fluid and responsive. Blizzard managed to make combat feel tight, especially with its joystick and action buttons. That being said, on a smaller mobile screen, things can get a little too tight. I often found myself accidentally hitting the wrong button when things got chaotic, which can be especially annoying during boss fights.

However, there’s a bigger issue when it comes to visual clutter. During larger battles, especially when playing with other players, the screen becomes a chaotic mess of particle effects, explosions, and flashing abilities. It got to the point where I couldn’t even see my character half the time. On a phone, this is even worse, making the game borderline unplayable in these moments. It’s hard to enjoy the combat when you’re lost in a sea of effects.

Game Mechanics: 8.5/10

At its core, Diablo Immortal retains the same addictive combat loop that made the franchise famous. The mechanics are smooth, and experimenting with different skill combos can be a blast. But here’s where things get tricky: as you approach the end-game, the experience starts to change. The challenge slowly evaporates, and what was once thrilling becomes a monotonous grind. You’d expect the difficulty to ramp up, especially in boss fights, but you can brute force most of the encounters by spamming your abilities with little strategy or skill required once you reach the required gear level. It’s disheartening, especially if you’ve invested significant time into your build, hoping for tougher content.

The comparatively limited customization (compared to games like Path of Exile) on character stats and skill builds can be either a good or bad thing, depending on what type of player you are. If you’re interested in theorycrafting and build-testing, you may find this lack of customization stifling. However, if you just want to hack and slash and watch enemies explode in a spray of blood without needing to dive into spreadsheets, then this level of customization is just perfect.

The Immortal and Shadow system, however, is a bright spot. It fosters a sense of community and teamwork, creating opportunities for guilds to bond and collaborate on objectives. I found the social aspect of this system to be one of the game’s strongest features, as it really pulls you into the larger world of Diablo Immortal. The problem is, this also creates an issue with power imbalances. Human nature tends to drive players toward the top guilds, and soon enough, you’ll notice that the top 3 guilds on each server hold overwhelming power over everyone else, which can make the system feel lopsided.

Art and Music: 8/10

From a visual standpoint, Diablo Immortal is nothing short of impressive for a mobile game. The environments are richly detailed, and the character designs are sleek and dynamic. Whether you're exploring a dark, twisted dungeon or battling demons under a crimson sky, the graphics stand out. However, as I mentioned earlier, the game’s visual effects during combat can be overwhelming. When several players are firing off abilities at once, it feels like a visual overload, especially on smaller screens. The fancy combat animations that wow you at the start soon become a cluttered mess, making it hard to see where you’re going or even where your enemies are.

The music does a solid job of maintaining the series' eerie atmosphere. The soundtrack blends into the background well, setting the mood without overpowering the gameplay. However, much like the graphics, it can become repetitive over time.

Monetization: 5/10

This is where Diablo Immortal really divides players. If you’re in it purely for the PvE content, you’re in luck—Diablo Immortal is totally free-to-play friendly. You can enjoy everything the game has to offer without ever spending a dime, and I cleared all the PvE content without feeling pressured to open my wallet.

However, if you’re even slightly interested in PvP, things take a sharp turn. The game isn’t just pay-to-win; it’s more like pay a lot to win. If you want to be competitive in PvP, you’ll need to invest tens of thousands of dollars just to keep up. It’s incredibly off-putting, and as someone who enjoys competitive play, this killed my motivation to even bother with PvP. It’s one of the most imbalanced aspects of the game, and it turns what could’ve been an exciting feature into a pay-to-win nightmare.

Player Base and Community: 7/10

The Diablo Immortal community is vibrant, and the Immortal and Shadow system brings players together in ways that feel fresh and exciting. There’s a real sense of camaraderie as guilds band together to achieve objectives, and I genuinely enjoyed this aspect of the game. But as I mentioned earlier, the power imbalances between the top guilds and everyone else are stark. Over time, it feels like the entire server revolves around a few powerful players, and if you’re not in one of the top guilds, the game can feel a bit isolating.

Additionally, top guilds are constantly forming alliances, backstabbing, betraying, and manipulating the game mechanics to stay in power for as long as possible. Some people find this exciting and immerse themselves in this type of political struggle, while others hate it. The good news is, you can ignore all of this and enjoy the game’s PvE content without any limitations.

On the PvP side, the imbalance carries over into the player interactions. It’s common to see tension in chat when less competitive players feel outmatched by high-spenders. If PvP isn’t your focus, you’ll likely avoid this frustration, but if you dabble in both PvE and PvP, it’s hard to ignore the gap.

Longevity and On-Going Support: 7.5/10

Blizzard’s history of ongoing support for its games gives me hope that Diablo Immortal will continue to evolve. Regular updates and new content are essential to keeping the game fresh, especially with the lackluster end-game challenge. If Blizzard addresses the balance issues and keeps adding to the Immortal and Shadow systems, the game could maintain a healthy lifespan. But the pay-to-win PvP system may turn away competitive players over time, especially if things remain as they are.

It is worth noting that this game is being developed and managed by NetEase, a Blizzard partner based in China. Customer service is non-existent, so any account-based problems will likely take weeks to resolve, if it’s resolved at all.

For now, I see a lot of potential for this game’s longevity, largely due to the high spenders pumping cash into the game to remain competitive.

Overall Conclusion and Weighted Rating: 7.3/10

Diablo Immortal is a stunningly designed game with rich multiplayer systems and addictive combat, but it falls short where it matters most—end-game challenge and balance. If you’re here for the PvE experience, it’s a great game that you can enjoy without spending money. But if you’re the competitive type, the aggressive monetization system and imbalanced PvP will likely leave you frustrated.

The Immortal and Shadow system provides a unique and engaging social experience, but the power disparity it creates on each server adds to the frustration. Overall, if you’re a casual player or someone who enjoys cooperative PvE, there’s a lot to love about Diablo Immortal. But if you’re looking for a more competitive or challenging experience, be prepared for a steep paywall and lackluster end-game content.

As someone that has played Diablo Immortal since release, but has quit recently, I would say this. If you don’t care about PvE, DI is one the best ARPG you can get on mobile. If you’re interested in fair competitive play, then it might not be worth it.

I also run a small YoutTube channel with some useful content for understanding DI combat mechanics. Feel free to take a look here.