All the gnashing of teeth over the online requirement is really getting tiresome.
Look, early on this development team made the unilateral decision that Diablo was, at it's core, a multiplayer game. From that moment on, all design decisions centered around that basic pillar. And it's inarguable that the online-only requirement provides huge, huge, HUGE benefits to the people who enjoy playing Diablo in a multiplayer setting. Playing with my friends has never been easier or more fun.
I know many here would disagree with the emphasis on multiplayer enjoyment, and the subsequent priority shift in game features that happened because of it. But the reality is that the title of this game may as well be, "Diablo 3: Single Players Need Not Apply." Sure, you can do it, but even the huge Diablo fan in me has one simple question: Why?
What amuses me is the uproar this causes in the hardcore RPG community, who generally aren't interested in multiplayer, and ironically are usually some of the biggest critics of Diablo to begin with! I can remember vividly many of the flame wars that surrounded Diablo 1 & 2 in their prime, about whether they were really RPG's, about how Diablo ruined the RPG genre, and about how nothing could be more boring than simply clicking on things in a pretty world to advance through a game. And to be honest, I agree with a lot of this. At least as it pertains to the single-player experience. It really is kind of a pointless endeavor.
Well, it seems to me that Blizzard finally initiated a break-up with those folks. Like a pretty girl with not much going on upstairs, she finally came to her senses that you would really be happier with something deeper and finally said, "Sorry, it's just not working out," and proceeded to focus her attention on those who are happy with nothing but a pretty face (and happy to shower money on her for her…ahem…auction house. Sorry, this analogy got way out of hand, LOL).
So in the end, I really don't see the need for all the fuss about what Blizzard has done here. Many here have clearly seen where Blizzard has placed their emphasis, and have chosen to sit this one out. And that's totally cool, more power to you. It's not like we have a shortage of RPG games to play.
I'm having fun with D3 for what it is: A multiplayer RPG-lite game that I can play and have a good time with my wife, my daughter, and my gaming friends. On that criteria, the game is a 10/10 for me. But if you're not interested in an MP experience, there's really no reason to buy this game IMO. If that describes you, then don't walk away mad, just walk away.