12 Diablo-style games if you’re looking for an alternative to Diablo IV
If you think that UAH 2,500 for the standard version of Diablo IV is too much, that it is not the right time for Diablo IV now, or maybe Blizzard is no longer a cake at all, we have collected for you 12 Diablo-like games that can replace the new action/RPG from Blizzard. Some of them are quite new, some are in good condition, and most are much cheaper than Diablo IV, and most likely already in your collection. So let’s go!
Darksiders Genesis
Year of release 2019
Developer Airship Syndicate
Platforms Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price of the PC version UAH 389
Darksiders Genesis, a spin-off of the Darksiders series, is an example of how to change the genre correctly, without depriving the game of the familiar attributes of the series and without sacrificing lootability. Moreover, we feel that Darksiders Genesis is more Darksiders than the last “big” part of the series – Darksiders III. At least in terms of gameplay and the fun you get from the game, we rate the spin-off higher.
Darksiders Genesis actually lacks some elements of Diablolike action/RPG, and some of it is generally from platformers and dual-stick shooters, but in terms of mood, graphics, dynamics, it is a very “diablolike” game. Joe Madureira’s signature graphic style and Gareth Coker’s music complete the picture. Well, in general, this is just a very cool action/RPG, which is worth trying.
The PC version of Darksiders Genesis currently costs UAH 389, but it often happens on sales, for example, at the end of April, the game could be purchased on Steam for only UAH 97.
Diablo II: Resurrected
Year of release 2021
Developers Blizzard Entertainment, Vicarious Visions
Platforms Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
Price of the PC version UAH 1,239
Who better to compete with Diablo than Diablo itself? Especially Diablo, which many consider the best part of the series. Yes, we are talking about the remaster of Diablo II (2000) and Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (2001), which was released for the 20th anniversary of the game.
Well, classic remasters are mainstream now. They collect a good box office and good reviews from the media and players. Especially if these are cool remasters, and Diablo II: Resurrected is exactly that. Improved graphics, 3D models, updated cutscenes, support for 4K and 7.1 Dolby Surround, and new network functionality. And most importantly, the same old basic gameplay. What’s more, there’s even an export of save files from the original Diablo II, if someone has saved them for 20 years. This time Blizzard succeeded.
But… it’s Blizzard, so it’s not cheap. The base version of Diablo II: Resurrected has a price tag of UAH 1,239. The most complete Diablo Prime Evil Collection, which also includes the full version of Diablo III and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, costs UAH 1,999. And by Blizzard’s standards, that’s a pretty good offer.
Diablo III
Year of release 2012
Developers Blizzard Team 3
Platforms Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3/4, Xbox 360/One
Price of the PC version UAH 619
Yes, we know that some people consider Diablo III to be a too simplistic, too colorful, and too pop version of Diablo II, but in fact, no other Diablo-like game has such a polished, smooth, and enjoyable combat part. In addition, after the release of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, which brought a new character and a new location to the game, Diablo III became a little darker and more interesting.
Also, despite the fact that 11 years have passed since the release of the base game, Diablo III is still alive, updated, and supported by developers. Moreover, new seasons are released with new cosmetic items and new tasks. The last, the 28th season started on February 24, 2023.
As we wrote a little above, the full version of Diablo III and Diablo III: Reaper of Souls can be obtained together with Diablo II: Resurrected. If you want to buy them separately, it will cost UAH 619 for “bare” Diablo III, 619 UAH for Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, and another 449 UAH for Diablo III: Rise of the Necromancer. So it is better together with Diablo II: Resurrected, or in the most complete version of Diablo III: Eternal Collection for UAH 1,239. Most likely, after the release of Diablo IV, the previous part will become a little cheaper, but this is Blizzard, discounts are extremely rare and they are usually very moderate.
Grim Dawn
Year of release 2016
Developers Crate Entertainment
Platforms Windows, Xbox One
Price of the PC version UAH 329
Grim Dawn is a clear example of how to properly create indie games. The Crate Entertainment studio was created by Iron Lore Entertainment, who acquired the rights to the source code engine of their own action/RPG Titan Quest (which, of course, is also on this list). Launched with just two full-time employees in May 2012, the studio ran a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising $537,515 for the development of a new game, and a year later released an alpha version of Grim Dawn. In November 2013, Grim Dawn appeared in Steam Early Access, and after 26 months of balancing and tweaking, the action/RPG finally came out and won the hearts of players.
Grim Dawn is more Diablo than Diablo itself. It has a very gloomy post-apocalyptic setting with steampunk elements, an interesting complex role system, several character classes, etc.
Since its release, Grim Dawn has had several major expansions: Crucible Mode (2016) with arenas of trials, and two story DLCs Ashes of Malmout (2017) and Forgotten Gods (2019). The DLC added new classes, constellations, story chapters, new enemies, weapons, and more to the game.
The most complete set of the game Grim Dawn Definitive Edition with all DLC can be purchased on Steam for 804 UAH. The base game costs only UAH 329, and at some sales, its price was even reduced to UAH 65.
Last Epoch
Year of release 2023
Developers Eleventh Hour Games
Platforms Windows, Linux
Price of the PC version UAH 700
In fact, Last Epoch, which is being developed by a team of action/RPG fans from Eleventh Hour Games, was supposed to be released back in 2020, but so far has only made it to Steam Early Access. But in fact, you can already play Last Epoch and enjoy the process. The current version of the game is Beta 0.9l and by the end of 2023, Last Epoch should reach the release.
The thing about Last Epoch is that the story of the game takes place in different eras, so you can see the same locations in prehistoric times, in modern times, and in the future at the end of time.
5 basic and 15 improved classes, a tree with more than 120 skills, crafting, an interesting role system, various locations, network multiplayer, and end-game content. Everything as you like. Recently, a store appeared in the game, but it is only cosmetic.
As we already noted, Last Epoch should be released by the end of 2023, but you can support the development and try the game now. This is a PC-only game and is currently only sold on Steam. The current cost of the game is UAH 700, and in the summer of 2022, it could be purchased for only UAH 343.
Path of Exile
Year of release 2013
Developers Grinding Gear Games
Platforms Windows, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
PC version price Free-to-Play
Path of Exile is considered by many to be the best of the Diablo clones, head and shoulders above any of the Diablo parts, especially the somewhat simplified Diablo III. There is an almost endless skill tree that allows millions of combinations and thousands of different builds (the only question is how many of them are viable). And all this is free for everyone!
Others, on the contrary, believe that Path of Exile is overloaded with skills, different types of currency, and materials, and Free-to-Play only spoils the game, turning it into an endless grind. On the other hand, all action/RPGs are about the grind.
Another problem: if you decide to enter Path of Exile, you may feel like you started watching the popular series from season 10, you missed a lot and you don’t understand a lot.
But in any case, Path of Exile is really a very deep and almost endless action/RPG that you can easily spend a lot of time in. And all this, again, without paying a penny.
Over the years of development, Path of Exile has received a lot of updates. The latest, 3.21 Crucible, was released on April 7, 2023. And at ExileCon 2023, which will be held in the summer of 2023, the developers are supposed to present a beta version of Path of Exile 2 with a new 7-act story campaign, while the original Path of Exile campaign as well will remain in the game. We are waiting for the announcements.
Titan Quest
Year of release 2006
Developers Iron Lore Entertainment, THQ Nordic
Platforms Windows, Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price of the PC version UAH 279
And here is the little mentioned earlier Titan Quest. The original game came out way back in 2006, five years after Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and looked pretty fresh. The world of Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese mythology turned out to be a very good background for an action/RPG.
In 2016, for the game’s 10th anniversary, the ubiquitous THQ Nordic aka Embracer Group re-released an updated Titan Quest Anniversary Edition. First on Android and iOS, then on Steam, and later on consoles. Some of the mechanics at that time looked a little outdated, but under the nostalgia sauce, the game went down very well with action/RPG fans. But this is THQ Nordic, and it’s not just a reissue.
In 2017, the first DLC was released – Titan Quest: Ragnarök, in which the player will go to the lands of the Celts, Germans, and Vikings. In 2019, the second Titan Quest: Atlantis was released with a trip to Gadir (modern Spain) and Atlantis. And in 2021, the third and last as of now – Titan Quest: Eternal Embers where our hero goes to the East. All the DLC is about the same level, but Titan Quest: Ragnarök seems more complete.
The basic Titan Quest Anniversary Edition can be purchased on Steam for UAH 279, but, most likely, you already have it; at one time the game was given away for free. Titan Quest Bundle with all DLC costs UAH 959, but you can wait for the sale.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
Year of release 2013
Developers NeocoreGames
Platforms Windows, macOS, Xbox One, PlayStation 4
Price of the PC version UAH 325
Hungarian studio NeocoreGames split its steampunk action/RPG The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing into three separate parts that were released annually from 2013 to 2015. Each part differed slightly in role-playing and interface, so in 2017 the studio brought them together in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut. If you had all the games in the series individually, you got the Final Cut automatically. The most complete game has six game classes and more than 50 hours of gameplay.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing features an interesting mix of steampunk and vampire stories, ghost assistant Lady Katarina, a monster hunter’s lair, and special Tower Defense missions. Not a bad game, but a bit monotonous.
If you want to start with a separate game, which, by the way, has the highest rating in the series, then The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing currently costs UAH 325, but at some sales, the game could be purchased for only UAH 22. The most complete The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing: Final Cut will cost you 835 UAH (the minimum fixed price of this version is 52 UAH in 2019).
The package The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Anthology, which in addition to the three basic games includes all DLC with additional characters and missions plus the Tower Defense spinoff game Deathtrap, costs 1,375 hryvnias.
Torchlight II
Year of release 2012
Developers Runic Games
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price of the PC version UAH 279
Although both Torchlight III and Torchlight: Infinite has been released since the release of Torchlight II in 2012, we don’t recommend you even try those games, especially the latter. Torchlight II is another matter.
And while the overly cartoony and colorful style makes it look only a little like Diablo, it’s a very good action/RPG with some interesting features of its own, like pet companions, fishing, and changing animal states with food. The feature of the game is the generated dungeons, and Torchlight II also has a bit of steampunk, which is also good.
And although it has not yet received a remaster, the game has aged very well, thanks to the same cartoon style. And Torchlight II supports the Steam Workshop, so there are new levels, new monsters, and even a mod compilation that turns the classic game into a kind of remaster.
Torchlight II costs UAH 229 on Steam but is often on sale. The lowest recorded price is UAH 55.
Victor Vran
Year of release 2015
Developers Haemimont Games
Platforms Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Price of the PC version UAH 279
Victor Vran is an action/RPG with elements of a dual-stick shooter and a platformer from the Bulgarian studio Haemimont Games, which worked on economic strategies Tropico (parts 3, 4, and 5) and Surviving Mars. It looks like Victor Vran is their attempt to take a break from strategic gameplay.
Interestingly, Victor Vran came out almost simultaneously with The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing III and also tells about a monster hunter and a mysterious country with an Eastern European name. And even the Queen of Zagoravia in Victor Vran has the same name as Van Helsing’s assistant in The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing – Katarina.
Victor Vran has six conditional classes that your character can change whenever he wants, an interesting challenge/task system, and a secret quest that requires a bit of acrobatic skill. And the bonus system is based on Tarot cards.
The original Victor Vran was released in 2015. Music DLC Victor Vran: Mötorhead Through The Ages and add-ons with random dungeons Victor Vran: Fractured Worlds appeared in 2017. The first of them is really cool, the second not so much.
For the basic version of Victor Vran, they are now asking for UAH 279 (the minimum fixed price is UAH 69 in 2017). The most complete version of Victor Vran Overkill Edition will cost 609 UAH.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr
Year of release 2018
Developers NeocoreGames
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
Price of the PC version UAH 925
Another game from the studio NeocoreGames in our list. And it’s not because we love this Hungarian studio, it’s just that we had no moral right to pass Diablo-like action/RPG in the Warhammer 40K universe. First of all, this is Warhammer, whose universe fits the gloomy style of the original Diablo. Second, sci-fi action/RPGs are so rare that they shouldn’t be overlooked.
The events of Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr begin on an abandoned monastery ship that has been drifting somewhere in the Warp for 5,000 years. But this is only the beginning, then the hero of the game, of course, the Inquisitor, will roam the entire Galaxy, eradicating heresy and looking for what is wrong with his task.
A feature of Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr is the use of both ranged weapons and various energy hammers and chainswords, as well as a cover system, like in some modern shooters.
In their usual and very awkward fashion, NeocoreGames has broken the game into very strange parts. The main game released in 2018 is Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr. Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Prophecy of 2019, featuring a new class Tech-Adepts is a standalone expansion that does not require the main game, but if you have it, it will appear as an integral part of it. While Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr – Sororitas Class, 2022, which adds another class to the game, Sisters of Battle, or Adepta Sororitas, is already a regular DLC that requires the base game. Why is it so difficult?
The basic version of Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr costs currently 925 UAH, but during the sale, the price may drop to 115 UAH. For the most complete Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor – Martyr Complete Collection with all DLC, of which there are already more than twenty, they want UAH 1,475.
P.S. And why are sci-fi action/RPGs hardly made? We would love to play something like Shadowgrounds or Shadowgrounds Survivor.
Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem
Year of release 2020
Developers Wolcen Studio
Platforms Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price of the PC version UAH 479
The newest Diablolike in our list. The PC version of Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem was released in 2020, and the console version in general recently – on March 15, 2023. By the way, until May 29, the game can be purchased on Steam with a 75% discount, for only UAH 119.
It seems that the authors of Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem wanted to make a game in the Warhammer Fantasy universe (or should we say Warhammer Age of Sigmar?), but did not get the license. Everything in this game is large or very large. Colossal architecture, huge battlements, and pathos can be spread on bread.
For our taste, Wolcen has a bit too much fluff and an unhealthy amount of loot, but overall it’s an interesting action/RPG with a huge Path of Exile-esque skill tree that you can edit to your liking, leveling up the skills used, gems and all that, which is why we love Diablo.
Before the release of the console version of the game, Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem received an additional free fourth act with End-game content, which, if desired, can be completed as a new character of level 40 at once. Some changes have also taken place in the base game.
As we have already noted, right now Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem can be purchased for UAH 119, while the regular price of the game is UAH 479. With the DLC so far, there are only two versions of the soundtrack, of course, very pathetic.
Well, hopefully, you will find among the games listed above a good replacement for Diablo IV. But if we forgot something, add your options for a good action/RPG in the comments.