Diablo-III-Ultimate-Evil-Edition-Nemesis-System

The PlayStation 4 iteration of Diablo III, the Ultimate Evil Edition, feels like it's been in the works for an eternity – as if Satan himself is forging the high-definition, next-gen aesthetics from his workshop in the smouldering bowels of Hell. While it's only been just over a year in reality, the latest information regarding the re-release's exclusive features should shed a little light on the torturous wait.

Speaking at PAX East, Blizzard Entertainment representatives outlined new goodies such as the Mail System, Player Gifts, an Apprentice Mode, and the Nemesis System. "If you've been playing for hours and I haven't because I've been slacking off, and my character is Level 10 while yours is Level 60, we do something called the Apprentice Mode," said senior level designer Mathew Berger in an interview with BlizzPro. "Basically, if I play with you, my low level character will get boosted up for the duration of our play session: I will have increased toughness, I'll do more damage, I will get a little bit of bound experience.

"The experience is tagged to the character, so the monsters I kill will give the appropriate level of experience, but on top of that I will get a little bit of a bonus. The monsters you kill will also be tagged to the appropriate level of experience for your higher level character. We're playing the game together the way it's meant to be played, even though we're not on the same level."

This distinct level of increased accessibility will be good news for casual Diablo fans. What it could mean, though, is lower level characters facing up to more powerful foes – something that the game's ever-intriguing Nemesis System hopes to highlight. "Something else that is new to the PS4 version which is super cool is something that we're calling the Nemesis System," said senior producer Julia Humphreys. "Say I'm adventuring through the world of sanctuary and a monster happens to kill me – there's a chance that that monster could level up, become a unique monster, and jump out of my game, and appear in [a friend's] game on my friends list.

"We've talked about mirroring the experience of Jaws – where you know something is coming for you – and eventually that Nemesis will appear on screen; its nameplate will be tagged with my name so everyone will know that this is Julia's killer. They'll also know where it came from and who they're avenging. Once he kills that monster, he'll get loot and a player gift that he can send back to me, and I'll know that he has avenged me."

Are you looking forward to these new features? Bare your soul in the comments below.

[source youtube.com]