Hell, it's about time.

Almost two years after its release, Diablo III finally became the game it really should have been. But it still hasn't become the game that "Diablo II's sequel" should have been -- and it probably never will.

The Loot 2.0 update addresses pretty much every itemization complaint that could have been lodged against the game: where previously, Diablo III's off-class and trashy drops felt designed to push you to the auction house, now the game rewards you for playing it. Fancy that, right? Diablo III now goes to great lengths to give you items you want, not just stuff that boosts the stats you need, but really good stuff, and even more Legendary-tier drops than before. It's the rolling gameplay incentive that Diablo III always needed, keeping you interested even when customizing your skill loadout is no longer fresh and new.

The itemization refresh breathes new life into the game, and I was astonished at how much fun I had coming back to it; especially when I compared my new drops to the "good" items I'd previously stashed, and saw just how much better items have become. But for all that this has done to enhance the moment-to-moment gameplay, there is still something wrong. Not that I expected this to change, but, the narrative - the storyline, the dialog and cutscenes, the scenarios and worlds - is still lacking.

Diablo II's world was staggering in comparison to Diablo's, replacing a handful of imaginatively-designed dungeon and cavern levels with vast and varied environs. Circa 2000, the green fields, dank catacombs, harsh deserts, dark tombs, ... fucking terrible jungles, molten hellscapes, and snowy mountain passes -- all of these were captivating, surprising environments. It still feels like such a tragedy that Diablo III ended up recycling almost all of this, making only the most minor of tweaks to Diablo II's fresh world design.

And the fact that the plot is totally fucking stupid is still impossible to ignore. Even when skipping cinematics and story scenes, the game's dumb characters are irritatingly aggressive at showing off how silly the story is.

There's no question that Diablo III is better than it was. And now, I could really see myself coming back to play this game again and again, continuing to wring fun out of fighting demons and collecting loot. But ... man. It's still not as epic as I really wanted.

Better than: It was.
Not as good as: I really want another Diablo to be.
As for Reaper of Souls: Maybe when it's less expensive.

Progress: Made a new Wizard, Level 38.