Developed By: Blizzard Entertainment
Published By: Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: November 2nd, 2018
When it was first announced, I had some reservations about the Diablo 3: Eternal Collection. Despite Diablo 3’s age, I expected it to be like most Switch ports, making the necessary sacrifices here and there to get it to run properly. However, having spent plenty of hours getting to know the game on my Switch and blasting through Season 15, I can honestly say that this is easily the best Switch port done so far.
There isn’t any new additions to the story but the Adventure Mode is unlocked from the get go with the Switch version. This means players won’t have to play through the entirety of the story mode to unlock it making it easier to take part in the Seasonal modes and unlock new content by allowing them to complete bounties, level up and earn new gear. The portability of the Switch is of course another great benefit if you’re weighing the pros and cons. It runs at a consistent 60 fps whether it’s docked at not. When in handheld mode, the resolution does take a hit though and plays at 720p whereas docked plays at 960p. Either way, all the fun little details are still there from the amount of enemies on screen to the various ways you can obliterate them and the surrounding environment.
My biggest issue with Diablo 3 on the Switch is the audio. Don’t get me wrong, the game sounds just as great as it always has but when the Switch is in handheld mode, hearing any of the dialogue in a cutscene or a conversation that isn’t directly related to a quest you’re currently on is impossible if you’re not in a quiet room. Another issue I had was targeting enemies with the joycon controllers. While aiming with a joystick has never felt like the best way to target enemies in Diablo, more often then not do I find myself aiming within the wrong area while playing the Switch version of the game. It’s not a huge issue mind you but it can be quite irksome when you’re chasing down a treasure goblin.
Overall, Diablo 3: Eternal Collection is the best port the console’s received by far. Even with the lower resolution in handheld mode, it never feels like the game has to make any sacrifices. The Switch version also comes with some special goodies like the ability to transmog your gear into Ganondorf’s armor and amiibo support. Whether you’ve already played it, you may want to consider going back to Tristram.