Ahem. Anyway, the game that had eroded many a man's free time in the early 2000's is making a return tour to erode both time and journalistic professionalism in the face of fanboyism. Not only will it apparently feature 3D characters and environments, but also new character classes and more detailed interaction with the world of Diablo.
Perhaps the biggest jump from Diablo II to Diablo III is the sheer amount of difference shown in the world in the 19 minute gameplay clip up above. Walls crumble in a scripted way, and some even fall down when hit. Doors are not simply kicked open, but beaten down and shattered. The Barbarian leaps across chasms with a certain machismo and confidence that makes him feel all the more convincing. Even character interactions are a small bit deeper, with the player character talking to characters that are scattered throughout the levels. Instead of only talking to people in towns, they're spread throughout the world in the gameplay clip in a way that's somewhat more realistic.
Diablo III's other major move forward that's seen in the videos already available are in character classes. Although the Paladin is missing in action, the Barbarian and Witch Doctor are different enough than their spiritual predecessors in the Barbarian and Necromancer of Diablo II. Although not all that much is known, the Barbarian seems to be a bit faster, stronger, and active. On the other side of the character select screen, the Witch Doctor seems to be a sort of combination of the Necromancer and Druid classes. He commands (in the video) mostly animalistic creations and employs defensive tactics with such spells as the excellent Wall of Zombies.
As for the gameplay trailer, one thing is also evident--if this is a real part of a level from Diablo III, the action is even more full-tilt than the first game's. It's almost non-stop killing from start to finish with a major fight just about every ten minutes. If the game seriously has that sort of pace, Diablo III will be just that much closer to eating entire lazy afternoons without breaking a sweat.
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