Diablo III: Eternal Collection review for Nintendo Switch

While Diablo III has been ported to a variety of platforms at this point, the release of Diablo III: Eternal Collection marks the first time we?ve seen a Diablo game on any Nintendo platform. It?s also a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch?s growing library of ported games, with a portable mode that works really well, with no noticeable difference between docked and undocked gameplay. Blizzard has done a really solid job bringing the Diablo III experience over to the Switch, and having one of my favorite games available on the go is certainly a dream come true for this Diablo fan.

There have been a fair number of Diablo III versions since the game was originally released on PC back in 2012, so you might be wondering what this ?Eternal Collection? actually brings to the table. This version of the game essentially lines up with the current PC version, bringing over the base game, the expansion Reaper of Souls, the Rise of the Necromancer pack, along with all the various adjustments, tweaks, gear changes, and Seasons that can be found in the other versions of the game. The Switch version has a few exclusives, like a Triforce themed character portrait, a Cuccoo pet, and the Ganondorf armor skin available for all character classes. There?s also some limited amiibo support that allows you to summon an elite enemy pack with any amiibo.

Obviously, the biggest draw for most is going to be the ability to play Diablo III on the go, which again works really well. Framerate remains solid, even when going into the higher Torment levels with dense packs of enemies. Seriously, I can?t recall ever seeing the game hitch up or slow down, whether docked or undocked, which is a huge plus. Online play also works really well, and I encountered zero connection issues throughout. You can also play offline like the other console versions of the game, but remaining connected to the Diablo servers gives access to online leaderboards when playing Seasons, and I never had the game drop me unexpectedly from the server even when returning from putting the console to sleep. The game also looks really great in general on the Switch. While maybe not the beefiest platform for the game, I think long-time players will be suitably impressed by this port.

There?s not a lot else to say about Diablo III at this point that I haven?t already touched upon previously for this site. If you?d like to read through my thoughts on the base game, Reaper of Souls, and the Necromancer pack, feel free to read through my reviews here, here, and here. Much of my thoughts haven?t changed with time, and Diablo III remains one of my most played games in the past 6 years. This is just another great version of that game, with the added benefit of portability. If you?ve either been curious about Diablo III for a while, or a long-time fan that wouldn?t mind having the game available for a morning commute or two, then I see no reason why you wouldn?t want to pick this up come November 2nd.

Note: Activision Blizzard provided us with a Diablo III: Eternal Collection Switch codes for review purposes.