Diablo Immortal Alpha 2 Impressions — Crusade to the endgame!

The second alpha test of Diablo Immortal launched with the addition of the Crusader class and new endgame factions and systems. Having played and thoroughly enjoyed the first alpha, I decided to give the second alpha a go, taking up arms as a Crusader and marching on towards the new endgame content.

Note that this article will primarily focus on the Crusader and the new endgame features that are added in the second alpha of Diablo Immortal. If you are looking for a more general take of the Diablo Immortal alpha, you can read our previous article on that.

Before we look at the endgame content, let us look at the Crusader and how is it like playing the religious zealot in the second alpha of Diablo Immortal.

Deus Vult

Diablo III fans should recognise this armoured beauty of a human being.

The Crusader’s skill sets and playstyle remained largely the same from Diablo III. Personally, I feel that the base look of both male and female Crusaders in Diablo Immortal are better looking than the Diablo III Crusader, which goes to show that mobile gaming has gotten a long way.

Gameplay-wise the Crusader still retains the class’ AOE and crowd control capability. Draw and Quarter, Judgement, Condemn and the like are pleasant means to deal with mobs. The Crusader also has great support abilities like Conjuration of Light and Holy Banner which are invaluable for your teammates.

However, compared to other classes, the Crusader’s single target damage is noticeably lacking. This can lead to more trouble in one-on-one combat, especially against bosses. Against some of the harder bosses, I found myself spending most of the fight running around kiting the boss.

As a result, I would not really recommend the Crusader to beginners as it is not the easiest class to play. It is a bit more challenging to kite and dodge when compared to bursting a boss down. Furthermore, the Crusader’s strength which is crowd control abilities are negated by many of the bosses’ immunity towards them. Still, the Crusader is still an incredibly helpful support class with AOE capabilities that will definitely be high in demand for team-based combat.

Exploring new lands

To facilitate the new level cap, more maps and dungeons were added to the game. Players who reached level 41 or above are recommended to take on Mount Zavain, the home of Sanctuary’s Monks. Here, you will encounter the Khazra aka very angry bipedal goat people who will try to kill you.

Further on at level 51, players can visit the Frozen Tundra. The barbarian hometown is as cold and unforgiving as you would expect. In particular, there is a boss here that is particularly difficult. This is where my Crusader died three times. While I admit I am probably just an average player at best, do be careful of a difficulty spike.

Beyond that, there is also the Cavern of Echoes, which is the new endgame dungeon in the second closed alpha. Overall, it is not too difficult.

Immortal vs Shadow

The Immortal and Shadow faction-based content is where the game really takes off, in my opinion. The sheer amount of new endgame modes and content that come with the faction mechanics in the second alpha test of Diablo Immortal bring back fond memories of MMORPGs.

Essentially, both Immortals and Shadows have their own unique PvE and PvP game modes. The Shadows want to overthrow the Immortals while the Immortals try to make it as hard as possible for the Shadows.

After completing the necessary tasks that pop up between level 41 to 45, the option to join one of the factions appeared. However, by the time I have already achieved the necessary requirements, the game already reached the maximum number of Immortals which is 500, preventing any new Immortals from joining which leaves the Shadows as my only other option (Shadows do not have a member limit).

While the heart of the faction-based content is PvP, there is also a decent spread of PvE modes to play as either one of the factions. Shadows can take on Path of Blood, Akeba’s Challenge and Raid the Vault (which may lead to PvP against Immortals) while Immortals can participate in 48 player raids known as King’s Ordeal.

Ultimately, the fun stuff boils down into the Rite of Exile, where the top 10 Dark Houses (groups of Shadows) fight against the Immortals in the Rite of Exile. If the Shadows win, then the top Dark House takes over the Immortals, marking the start of the new cycle. If the Immortals win, basically nothing happens and they can keep on being the boss.

If you are interested in PvP content that has nothing to do with factions, then you can take on the Battleground. Battleground is a 8v8 PvP mode with an attacking side and a defending side. Needless to say, the rule of thumb is to kill the other side before they kill you.

Regardless, there are tons of rewards to earn from all of the aforementioned content. However, the ultimate goal of any PvP-based mode in online games always boils down to bragging rights. Hopefully, when the game officially launches, the experience will be further expanded and streamlined to adjust to a larger player pool.

Essence Transfer and Helliquary

Essence Transfer is rather similar to Kanai’s Cube from Diablo III: Reaper of Souls. This mechanic lets players extract the Essence of Legendary equipment which registers said equipment to their collection. You can also transfer the Essence to another Legendary item which will change its name, model flavour text and other features while retaining its attributes, gems, sockets and the like. Thankfully, it is reversible. Personally, I find this system to be a great way to learn which Legendary equipment’s special effects are viable. It is something to look forward to if you are a completionist or someone who wants to collect everything.

Helliquary is another interesting addition to the game. Basically, the Helliquary mainly revolved around the Bounty Board. There are a total of 12 bounty missions, with players being able to accept 4 of them simultaneously. They do not take too long to complete and fill the role of a daily task-type of system.

However, the rewards that come from the Helliquary are incredible. Completing 4, 8 and 12 of the bounties reward players with Scoria, which can be refined into Hellfire Scoria, a material used to upgrade the Helliquary. Needless to say, a higher-ranked Helliquary gives players access to stronger demonic enemies and bosses. Some of the rewards earned from beating them are huge, such as increased attack speed or higher attributes.

Closing Thoughts

It took me about a week to reach the new level cap of 55. At the end of the day, it is always the loot that makes the biggest difference—and with so many more opportunities to get amazing stuff from all the new endgame content, we cannot wait to see what additional systems or mechanics will make their way to the official launch of the game!

Currently, the game is expected to launch globally later this year. In the meantime, stay tuned to the game’s official website for any new updates.

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