Blizzard Entertainment says Diablo 4, its anticipated upcoming action-RPG, is the “darkest story we’ve ever told.” The Diablo franchise is known for being thematically dark, especially surrounding the nature of the Prime Evils and the Burning Hells. While there’s always a heroic undertone that eventually triumphs in the end of most Diablo stories, Blizzard says fans are in for a much darker time with its latest entry, taking the series back to its grim roots.
A new Diablo 4 video provides a breakdown on the story of the game and what fans can more or less expect from the narrative in the main campaign. Previously released cinematic trailers have given fans a good idea about Diablo 4‘s overall tone, shifting the series back to its darker roots from the first two games (Diablo 3 slightly deviated from that in favour of a more traditional fantasy experience).
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The latest video provided by Blizzard gives players some context as to why they’re hacking and slashing their way through dungeons and demons. The story of Diablo 4 picks up 50 years after Diablo 3 and is once again set in Sanctuary, a realm created by the demon Lilith and the angel Inarius. The duo fell in love and created Sanctuary as a means of escaping the neverending Eternal Conflict brewing between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells.
On Sanctuary, Lilith and Inarius create the Nephalem, powerful beings born under a union between angel and demon. Fearing that the Nephalem may prove to be stronger than both angel and demon, this creates conflict between Lilith and Inarius who each have their own ideologies about whether to eradicate their children or not. After Lilith chooses to spare the Nephalem in a violent revolt, Inarius banishes her to the void.
Centuries later, Lilith is resurrected by a mysterious figure. Meanwhile, Inarius faces judgement from the High Heavens for his crimes. He is handed over to Mephisto (Lilith’s father) by the Angiris Council, the ruling body of the High Heavens, for eternal torment and imprisonment in the Burning Hells and also as a peace offering.
It’s unclear how Inarius escapes his imprisonment from the Burning Hells but his conflict with Lilith forms the backbone of the narrative in Diablo 4. Blizzard added that the player character is essentially a blank slate and it’s up to you to decide their backstory. There’s a lot more going on beneath Diablo 4‘s surface in terms of characters and plot lines but Lilith and Inarius’ uneasy relationship is the crux of the plot, which game director Joe Shely called “the darkest story we’ve ever told.”
Diablo 4 launches on 6 June 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. Check out the latest video below:
Source: Blizzard
