Diablo 4 will have over a hundred dungeons for players to explore, loot, and survive; all uniquely designed around the “return to darkness” pillar.
In a new quarterly update from earlier today, associate environments director Brian Fletcher confirmed that all five regions of Diablo 4 will support more than 150 dungeons at release. They will feature the same randomized content as the dungeons of previous Diablo games but with new environmental and lighting tile-sets that can be reused and paired by the developer “to create dungeons that are varied, handcrafted and yet procedurally created”.
The idea is that every dungeon in Diablo 4 will feature a unique, natural, cultural, and expansive thematic feel based on its regional location. Using different tile-sets to customize the “layouts, vistas, and foreground elements” will furthermore add depth to each dungeon.
“Our dungeon design counterparts give us some great layouts to play with, which allow us to push the depth of each scene,” said Fletcher. “We want you to have the impression that the dungeon goes on forever, and you’re only seeing a small part of a large underground labyrinth.”
Taking the example of a dungeon called Forgotten Places, associate lighting director Ben Hutchings noted how many of the Diablo 4 dungeons will have a sense of scale and depth that has never been experienced in any of the previous dungeons in the franchise.
“Our aim is to subtly lead you through the dungeon whilst revealing fantastically grotesque forms,” explained Hutchings. “In dungeons like this [Forgotten Places] we focus a lot on silhouetting the player space and giving the scene a sense of scale and depth; this helps navigation and visibility but also shows the vastness of the environment.”
Recently, global community lead Adam Fletcher stated that development has reached a point where playing the game would be easier to understand than words. Diablo 4 still remains to receive a release date but it seems like a closed testing could be happening in the near future.
