Despite having a rough launch in 2023 and still having several unresolved issues over two and a half years later, Diablo 4 is still one of the best ARPGs on the market by any standard. Path of Exile 2 is up there with great class customization and builds, although the Soulslike gameplay hasn't stuck with all fans. Between Last erathe underrated Grim Dawn, PoE 1 and 2the still-in-the-works Titan Quest 2and more games, the competition for Diablo 4 is quite rich.
It's not every day that a new game comes out to challenge the status quo of hack-and-slash titles or action-RPGs as a whole, but inadvertently, that's what happened when Shape of Dreams was released. Shape of Dreams was fully released just a couple of months ago, and while it's marketed as an action roguelite rather than a full-blown ARPG that Diablo 4it includes many of those cute RPG features that elevate its action loop. Although the game has a more than respectable score of 84 on MetaCritic and over 92% positive reviews on Steam, it has flown under the radar of many gamers, and you shouldn't be among them.
How Diablo 4 could copy Path of Exile 2's lessons, but make it look like its own
Diablo 4 may be able to shake up its build variety by following in the footsteps of Path of Exile 2, but with its own specific twist.
Why you shouldn't sleep on Shape of Dreams if you like Diablo 4
At a glance, Shape of Dreams and Diablo 4 seems quite different. But they are not so much, as evidenced by their respective characteristics:
- Shape of Dreams is an action Roguelite with a MOBA-like skill bar and ability system, and the typical isometric combat of ARPGs. In addition to the Roguelite elements, Diablo 4 share these features for the most part.
- Shape of Dreams has co-op for up to 4 players, and the same goes for multiplayer in Diablo 4.
-
Highly customizable skills and builds are the bread and butter of both Shape of Dreams and Diablo 4including the ability to trade items while playing.
- Shape of Dreams has 8 unique characters, while Diablo 4 has seven classes to choose from.
It's worth noting that many players praise Shape of Dreams' co-op because you can quit and rejoin from another platform, or get disconnected and reconnect without losing progress.
The differences between Shape of Dreams and Diablo 4 explained
I don't say Shape of Dreams is Diablo 4 or that it is directly better, because they still have some important differences. For example, Shape of Dreams is best for quick play sessions where you finish a run or two, and its progression is based more on moment-to-moment choices and modifiers that make each run different. Instead, Diablo 4s loot progression makes your build something that gets better the more time you sink into playing, rather than quick power-ups in short sessions.
Which character to choose in Shape of Dreams
About like Diablo 4s classes determine what your experience playing the game will be like, so travelers enter Shape of Dreams. This is because characters have their own starting skills, called memories, which have distinct effects and can be customized at will while giving you passive effects unique to your traveler. However, after completing the game's tutorial, only two travelers are available immediately, and they are Lacerta and Mist.
- Lacerta: A shooter who uses a rifle, fire and explosives to dispose of his enemies.
- Fog: Fast, nimble swordsmanship with a focus on dealing massive damage while protecting herself.
The remaining six Shape of Dreams characters can only be unlocked by meeting certain conditions, such as collecting enough Dream Dust as currency or defeating a given boss multiple times. These are:
- Aurena: A melee support character focused on healing herself and allies while dealing damage.
- Bismuth: Speed and ranged magic for fast runs and good damage at the expense of survivability.
- Nachia: A ranged support with a penchant for summoning spirits to heal and damage.
- Shell: A wooden samurai assassin who can move quickly while landing deadly melee blows.
- Vespers: Paladin-like character with a huge hammer to defeat enemies and the most armor in the game.
- Yubar: A spellcaster with teleportation and AoE damage abilities.
Diablo 4 may be the undisputed ARPG king, but Shape of Dreams' Combat is a must-try
The fight is there Shape of Dreams shines though as I think it feels sharper than that Diablo 4is by a large margin. This is still fundamentally different, however, as Shape of Dreams is based more on the equivalent of MOBA skill shots rather than throwing skills at yourself or nearby targets, so it takes a bit of getting used to before it feels good. But when you master it, the responsiveness of skills and how you place your character is very rewarding, and it feels like getting decent gear in Diablo 4 every time, which for me is a big plus.
Customization is the name of the game in Shape of Dreams
Another important thing is that your Shape of Dreams character determines your starting skills, but you can get new ones every run and get to the point where none of your skills come from your starting kit. Additionally, each skill can be customized with Essences, which, if you're familiar, work something like Path of Exile 2s Support Gems. You place them in a certain memory and boost its performance or effects, which can completely change the game. Both Essences and Memories can be purchased from vendors located throughout the map for a given run, but they can also be dropped at the end of each map section you complete.
Shape of Dreams' combat features dodge-rolling and avoiding telegraphed attacks to preserve your health.
This gives combat incredible flexibility, and with this kind of quick, fast progression, Shape of Dreams feels more like entering level Diablo 4 than its actual endgame, while gaining that kind of power level much faster. Being a Roguelite, Shape of Dreams gives you resources to customize your build and maximize your run, but it also means that when you die, it's over. Its fast runs make up for that though, so I never found it punishing. Rather, I can say that when I die, it's my fault for taking on modifiers like Intense Curses, mapping nodes that are too dangerous, or fighting bosses too early.
Why you should or shouldn't play Shape of Dreams
The scale is different, and I realize the allure of Shape of Dreams is not the same as Diablo 4especially as someone who has historically preferred games with long-term replayability, like MMOs. Still, I think the combat is what stands out here, and the game lives up to its promise that there's no meta build and each run is unique, making playing with travelers, memories, and essences a hidden gem in the genre.
- Released
-
June 5, 2023
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, User Interaction
