Diablo 3 PS3, Xbox 360 Review Roundup: What Critics Think of Console Port of PC Gem

Diablo 3, a huge hit for the PC, is now available on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. While Diablo 3's particular brand of dungeon crawling is not usually found on consoles, it appears as though critics have taken well to the port and found it equal to the original version of the game.

While some fans felt the game play wouldn't translate well to a controller, Kotaku notes in its preview that the game almost feels better without having to use a mouse for most commands:

"Diablo III feels much, much better on a controller than it does on a mouse and keyboard. Put the pitchforks down, folks. I was skeptical too. I spent many, many hours in the demon-infested hells of Diablo II (and a few more with Diablo III), and for a while, I figured a console version would never work. When I think Diablo, I think 'click, click, click' ... But after just a few minutes with Diablo III on PS3-which trades in the clicking for nudging, jiggling, and mashing-I almost wish this series had been built for controllers all along."

In fact, the console version of Diablo 3 adds several features to the game in comparison to the PC build of Diablo 3, which Eurogamer notes adds some major appeal to the game:

"... You cannot fail to be impressed by how complete and insanely customisable the console version of this visceral action role-player is. Every update to the PC version in the last 15 months has made it across intact. Every feature is there too, save one, the unloved auction house for trading items with other players. And there are additions to make your eyes light up: offline play, system link support on Xbox 360 - yes, you can LAN it up like the good old days - and the coup de grâce, local multiplayer on a single console for up to four players."

However, the game does have some new flaws due to the new features. In particular, GameInformer notes that four player co-op is fun, but brings up several issues when implemented:

"The new 4-player couch co-op is less appealing; hacking and slashing enemies with everyone on the same screen is certainly fun, but the game's complexity works against you. Players must share loot drops, and bringing up the inventory pauses the game for everyone. A quick equip option keeps players out of menus as much as possible, but it doesn't convey the magic attributes of items, and you need to take turns pausing the action to assign new skills. I can see the setup working for dedicated two-person teams, but larger parties are probably better off playing together online."

Diablo 3 on consoles is a fun experience, and offers players the chance to get in on the action while not detracting from the advantages the PC iteration affords players. By trimming some features and adding others, Diablo 3 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 proves to be a worthy pickup for gamers. Hopefully, when the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of the game appear the flaws seen in the game get revamped to make the title even better.