RoS to opt a more "gothic" feel

10/15/2013 11:53 PMPosted by Gour

Now interviews with developers reveal that they're trying to give RoS a more "gothic" feel. Do they imply that they'll be returning to their eerie roots?

I wouldn't say our approach has really changed fundamentally with Reaper of Souls, but it’s certainly been adapted. We're still very proud of the environments and level design of Diablo III and feel that the overall look and feel of the original game was very appropriate for that particular narrative. In Reaper of Souls, though, the narrative has changed—it's darker, more moody, and deals with the concept of death very directly—so the environments and storyline have also evolved to reflect that new direction.

To wax philosophical for a second (both in terms of Diablo III and our art style as a whole): when it comes to level design, we always want to try to provide players with a variety of settings whenever possible, so that you aren't constantly having to play through the same landscapes (or type of landscapes) over and over. We also love that Diablo III—and even each Act within the game—has a very clear, very distinct visual identity. While this meant that some areas may have been more colorful or vibrant than in the past, it provided players something new (a nice contrast) and made sense within the context of the story.

Even so, we've definitely paid attention to the feedback shared by the community since launch and have made some decisions in terms of the visual design for the expansion which we hope everyone will enjoy. I personally think it's more eerie, but whether or not it can compete with a player's sense of nostalgia? Well, that remains to be seen. Nostalgia is a harsh mistress. :)

TL;DR: Yes, one of the goals with Reaper of Souls is to harken back to Diablo's roots. To give you an idea of what that looks like visually, here's a few screenshots from the first zone in Act V:

- Cathedral entrance in Westmarch

- Alley way leading to a central courtyard, also in Westmarch (which we lovingly refer to as "the corpse blanket")

- More screenshots are available here, and you can check out more of Westmarch in this gameplay teaser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGp5dkJdi0w

10/17/2013 03:40 PMPosted by DoomBringer

Hey Lylirra, I wonder if adding an enemy affix that does "Horror" would make the game feel a bit more "Gothic". In short, it drastically reduces your vision (much like Light Radius in Diablo 2 when you were in a dark cave). You wouldn't know what's coming at you. It would be a nice touch.

Interesting thought! Happy to pass it on. :)

10/17/2013 03:56 PMPosted by STRIKER

Nothing revolutionary. It's Tristram Cathedral with shades of Blue, Gray, Black. With more ghostly aspects and skeletons.

It's still the world of Sanctuary (and the same game engine, too), which means things aren't going to change dramatically. We may not be able to achieve "revolutionary" given those contextual and technical limitations, but one of the goals of Reaper of Souls is definitely to harken back to Diablo's darker, more gothic roots. Not copy it exactly, mind you, since this is a different game with its own identity, but we've certainly made an effort to draw upon notable themes from those earlier chapters.

Hey Lylirra!

So have you guys made some changes in the previous acts art style/story tellin wise?

Hm. We've completely integrated the Crusader's storyline into Acts I-IV, but no other significant changes have been made to those zones as of current design (at least in terms of lore or visual design).

Edit: typo :(