14 DAY TRIAL // The development team at Blizzard is getting ready for the launch of the Reaper of Souls expansion for Diablo 3 by delivering a major update for the title, which is focused on the design and the lore that are part of the newly revealed Blood Marsh area.
The company is offering a major new blog on the game, in which it states, “Enveloping a large portion of the western reaches of Khanduras, the Blood Marsh is a massive, swampy stretch of land, split by rivers and tributaries often utilized for passage and trade. Despite its current inhospitable nature, it was not always a dread-inducing locale and in fact was once the home of one of Sanctuary's greatest civilizations.”
One of the enemies that gamers will find here are the bogans, tribal creatures that have become more dangerous as the corruption is spreading, and the developers hint at even more powerful enemies hidden in the marsh.
The theme that Blizzard has chosen for the new area is that of blood and that means gamers will need to deal with a color palette built around red and with a deeper focus on the history of their characters and their classes.
This means that as the Blood Marsh is being explored, gamers will be able to meet certain elements from their past that will determine the way the story will play out.
Michael Chu, the senior game designer working on Reaper of Souls, explains that, “There are also the blood golems, enemies created through blood magic rituals. If you really take a step back to think about the various storylines in the area, you can definitely also see the influence of the idea of blood, in the concept of lineages, relations, and in the more traditional sense.”
Blizzard also suggests that some elements of the environment of the new area might help players as long as they understand how to approach them.
Reaper of Souls is designed to add a variety of new areas for gamers to explore, with more powerful enemies to battle and a wider range of loot to pick up and use for all player characters.
Gamers will also be able to use the new Crusader class, which has skills and powers that are designed to battle the undead.
Reaper of Souls for Diablo 3 will be launched on March 25 and all those who pre-order will get access to a special item and a Heroes of the Storm character.
An experience boost is also active until launch.