Skip to main content

Diablo 3 for Switch: Portable play keeps the game fresh

Going to hell, again. The Switch makes 'Diablo 3' feel brand-new

Image used with permission by copyright holder

I bought Diablo 3 on launch day in 2012. Like many others, I experienced annoying connection issues in those first few days that hindered my experience. But once those subsided, I became engrossed in the dungeon crawling loot-based loop. I put more than 100 hours into Diablo 3 in the first month. I purchased the subsequent Xbox 360 port, and though I bounced back to the PC version, I was surprised how well the game translated to the couch. I even bought it again for PS4 the following year. Don’t ask me why. I just wanted it, ok?

Now, more than six years after its launch, Diablo 3 and all of its add-on content has arrived on Nintendo Switch as Diablo 3: Eternal Collection. I’ve played through Diablo 3 at least a dozen times, but on Switch, I once again feel compelled to stick around for one last journey to hell.

When I first booted Diablo 3 on Switch, I was disappointed to learn that it doesn’t support Battle.net. I didn’t think my previous characters would port over, but I hoped to see some integration of achievement or other rewards. That isn’t the case. I had to start from scratch. Yet after sinking 15 hours in the campaign over the course of three days, I began to appreciate this baffling omission — or, at least, I came to tolerate it. Building a new character, a Necromancer, from level one to level 40 (so far) has proven good fun.

This isn’t the first game I’ve enjoyed on Switch after already playing it on a different platform, but it’s by far the one I previously had the most experience with, which, at face value, should make it the least exciting of Switch to start all over. Yet I found myself craving each level, each upgrade, each new skill. The isometric camera angle has a distinctly portable look to it, and the combat, which only requires you to hold a button to keep attacking, is simple enough to pick up and play at a moment’s notice. Diablo 3 is a game of many short quests — five minutes for a bounty here, 15 minutes for a rift there — and that’s perfect for mobile play.

While I’ve given my full attention to Diablo 3 for most of the 40 levels I’ve played, I multi-tasked for a few of those hours by watching TV while playing. In that sense, it’s the rare game that can be enjoyed as both an active and passive experience. When focused on the massive final form of Belial, I’m staring intently at the screen, dodging his attacks and hurling piercing projectiles at his monstrous face. When wading through the large Chamber of Suffering, I’m able to find a group of enemies, start attacking, and then look up to see what’s happening on TV.

If for you have no interest in returning to the campaign for the umpteenth time (I wouldn’t blame you — the story doesn’t hold up), you can jump straight into Adventure mode. Normally endgame content, it’s scaled down appropriately so you can track down bounties and explore Nephalem Rifts with low level characters. Adventure mode offers access to random bounties and rifts, the game’s random end-game dungeons. It’s a great way to level up and, since there’s no story to follow, you can play it for just minutes at a time without losing track of what’s happening.

The only part of Diablo 3 on Switch that requires an online connection is Seasons, the revolving door of challenges that tasks you to create a temporary hero for a chance at unique rewards. Besides Seasons, you can play locally with up to four players, and Diablo 3 is simple enough mechanically to introduce to those who don’t typically play “hardcore” RPGs.

It’s a bit too early to say if I’ll sink hundreds of hours into the Switch version, but this is the closest I’ve felt to the magic of the PC release, and it helps bide the time until the inevitable Diablo 4 announcement. Let’s just hope Blizzard doesn’t make us wait too long.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (January 31 – February 2)
A sniper on a bridge overloopking a burning town.

Xbox isn't giving Game Pass players a moment to breathe in 2025 with all the upcoming Xbox Series X games on the horizon. Even before we get to new titles like Avowed or Civilization 7 next month, we have more than enough new games to play on Game Pass to keep us busy, including big day-one releases. This weekend in particular is full of amazing options no matter what mood you're in or genre you like. No doubt you've been trying to plan out how you will divide up your time once the big February games come along, but we can take care of recommending you the best 3 new Game Pass games to keep you entertained this weekend.
Eternal Strands
Eternal Strands - 101 Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

You wouldn't guess it from looking at the footage, but Eternal Strands is the first project from a new indie studio that just arrived on Game Pass as a day-one release. You play as a Weaver named Brynn who has the power to manipulate both the environment and temperature to face off against larger-than-life creatures. This game is all about dynamic interactions and emergent gameplay as every element and object behaves as it would in the natural world. Fire will spread, ice will slow enemies, and rocks will shatter as you launch them with your telekinetic powers. Your creativity will be rewarded both in combat and exploration. There's a heavy Shadow of the Colossus vibe with the giant enemies here that you can scale to get a better angle of attack. If you love experimenting with systems in a third-person action RPG with a cool art style, this is the perfect sandbox to play in.

Read more
3 PlayStation Plus games to play this weekend (January 31-February 2)
sayonara-wild-hearts

As January comes to a close, we have one last weekend of relative downtime before all the upcoming PS5 games in February swoop in. That said, we still need some great games to play without cutting into our budgets. That's where PlayStation Plus comes in. We are in that awkward period between the last batch of Extra and Premium games arriving and the new Essential games for February going live, but there are hundreds of games in the service you might have missed that may have passed you by that are more than worth a weekend of your time. Whether you need something to whet your appetite for Monster Hunter Wilds or a cozy indie game you can complete in a sitting or two, these are the games on PlayStation Plus you should add to your download queue for this weekend.
Sayonara Wild Hearts
SAYONARA WILD HEARTS | Launch Trailer

Imagine playing through an interactive music video and you will start to get an idea of what Sayonara Wild Hearts is. You will guide your character through vibrant and high-contrast environments with a dream-like aesthetic across an entire tracklist of songs. The gameplay is a blend of rhythm game mechanics where you will need to time button presses, but it is mainly about guiding your character through stages trying to collect hearts to rack up as many points as possible. While you could go for the high scores and secret objectives, you could just as easily vibe out with the game and flow through it like an interactive album in just a sitting or two.

Read more
What new games we’re playing this weekend (January 31-February 2)
Ryu attacks bugs in Ninja Gaiden 2 Black.

It’s been a long month, but we’ve finally reached January’s end. That marks the end of a slow start to the video game year ahead of the busiest February in recent memory. In just a few weeks, you’ll be able to play Civilization 7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Rift of the Necrodancer, and more. But before you get to all those, there are still a few neat January releases worth checking out. From the latest entry in the Sniper Elite series to a new Game Pass addition that’s getting buzz, this is what I’ll personally be dipping into this weekend.
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black
Ninja Gaiden 2 Black - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games

Last week, Xbox gave us our first big surprise of 2025 -- and it was a good one. Ninja Gaiden 2 Black revives a 2008 Xbox classic by giving it an Unreal Engine facelift. It’s a bit of an appetizer for Ninja Gaiden 4, which is set to release later this year, so that’s as good an excuse as any to revisit a truly unique action game from a different era. Ninja Gaiden 2 doesn’t play like a modern action game. It’s an unrelentingly difficult game that will kick your butt if you don’t learn how to properly block and counter attacks. While you may find it a bit dated thanks to its unruly camera, it’s a great little blast for the past that’ll remind you of just how distinct action games used to be before studios doubled down on consistent, repeatable formulas.

Read more