Play.tm has posted a new preview of Blizzard Entertainment's upcoming first expansion for its action RPG, Diablo III. Reaper of Souls will challenge players to defeat Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, who seeks to seize control of the Black Soulstone. The new expansion will also offer a new hero: The Crusader, a new level 70 experience cap, new spells and abilities for existing classes, greater emphasis on randomized environments, a reworked Paragon progression, as well as two new game modes: Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials.

Loot 2.0 completely overhauls the way the loot system works so it rewards players for actually playing the game. From the top down, this means that for one Legendary items will actually be the most powerful items in the game and also feature unique effects that cannot be found elsewhere in the game.

At a more fundamental level it means that less loot will be dropped but the items are much more likely to be useful. The system will look at the class and stats of the player to increase the chance of the dropped items being useful. It will also periodically throw up items with more interesting buffs and enhancements encouraging players to try something a little different.

The new loot system works in tandem with the new Adventure gameplay mode. Adventure Mode unlocks all of the world of Sanctuary for players to explore. Budding adventurers can strike out to any waypoint in the game, even in new Chapter Five to seek out new monsters to kill and better loot to collect.

Play.tm: Reaper of Souls Preview

Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo III: Reaper Of Souls

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