Diablo 4is bleak, and not just your average grim-dark type of bleak either. There is a feeling of despair, pain, and suffering that is somehow presented within this sprawling and detailed world full of both wonderful sights and famine within the same walking mile.
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Each region of the world has its unique effects on the land. Some are hostile with violent geysers and creatures in equal measure, as well as the lands that are visually succumbing to decay with little life outside of creatures. It’s all beautifully done and with great detail, and each region deserves to be explored.
5Hawezar
Sanctuary has long been infected with the illness of death and decayfrom the remnants of a longstanding war, but none of the areas remind you of this as much as Hawezar does. From the thick-looking swamp waters hiding a giant scaled snake that may or may not be spying on your every move, to dungeons with names as Rotspill and Blightmarsh, you can’t escape that eerie feeling that you’re slowly being made sick, too. The sickly green color of the entire area doesn’t help matters either.
Home to the witches, assassins, and cannibals, the moment you enter Hawezar, you have a target on your back, not only from the native witches and other inhabitants but the droves of Lillith’s forces that have gathered at the temple within the swamp. Luckily, you can find some temporary solace with the Hawezar Outpost on the edge of the cursed swamp. Getting there is going to be an uphill climb, so be prepared.
4Kehjistan
Death’s burning reach resides here for the careless. Located in the southwest, Kehjistan is a sprawling desert that is home to all the deadly things: Giant deadly scorpions, Fallen angels, and demonic hounds, just to name a few. The terrain is almost as hostile as those who live within both the character and the player if you aren’t the ‘check under every stone’ type of player.
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Luckily, the region comes with plenty of ruins and strongholds for you to explore, such as the abandoned city of Alcarnus. And if that isn’t to your liking and prefer more grim surroundings to grind out your gear, then you’ll enjoy the dark and dank battlefield of Omath’s Redoubt.
3Scosglen
The lands of Scosglen are lying to you.The beautiful, lush forests hide insidious enemies, such as werewolves and the drowned waiting in the midst to catch you slipping up in your defenses. This region is home to the druids, the ones who commune with the land and will do or shape anything to defend it. Though beautiful, the ‘sickness’ that is taking over Sanctuary is just as pervasive here as it is in all the other regions. Its beauty is being snuffed out by death and decay.
Dotted throughout the area are Druid Colleges, places where druids gather and live to protect themselves from the harsh seasonal elements, as well as places for the druid class to learn a couple of cool, new transformations, such as the previously mentioned werewolves and werebears, but also teach you to master the spirit, giving any druid decent healing abilities. There’s a lot to be discovered within the woods; just try and be sure you aren’t one of the voices lost to them.
2The Dry Steppes
The desert’s grip on Diablo 4’s Sanctuary remains ever-strong as it continues from the southwest to further up the western coast. Home to several factions and monsters who know how to navigate the heat and dangerous pitfalls and geysers dotted through the treacherous wasteland.
Though the game is a nightmare, this area holds a particular air of sadness, doubly so if you know the backstory of the salted ruins. The people there couldn’t defend themselves against the onslaught of cannibals, so they decided to pay a dark price for the strength to fend off them all, cursing the entire village and turning it all to salt.
It’s atragedy that’s both parts tragic and ordinaryin the world of Sanctuary. Yet the people try and carry on. Vendors and shops are thriving throughout the lands, just as long as you are willing to do a few ethically questionable sidequests to gain their favor.
1Fractured Peaks
On the last stop of this tour of desolation, the Fractured Peaks offers you biting cold, piles of snow, and demons ready to celebrate Lillith’s return.Yet despite the immediate threat of demonsand run-of-the-mill monsters, something more insidious lies in the wake, waiting for some poor soul to slip up and end up outside after dusk. The whole town shuts down like a tomb at dusk, praying that their walls will still protect them.
Another group that calls the Peaks home is The Order of Kyovashad, who reside within the capital of the same name. They believe in peace but will stand up for themselves or others if the situation arises. Their stronghold is walled up and they are surrounded by an imposing moat. They appear, at least on the surface, less dubious than the Cathedral of Light, whose goals don’t always align with their goals of protecting Sanctuary.
