Parents' Guide to

Diablo IV

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Gory and violent fantasy action/adventure game not for kids.

Game Xbox Series X/S , PlayStation 5 , Windows , Xbox One , PlayStation 4 2023
Diablo IV Box cover. Demon looking character stands in front of dim red background.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Karen M.
Karen M. Parent of 6, 10 and 15-year-old
June 6, 2023
age 15+

Mild Blood, nothing else

My son loves this game, he’s 16 and hasn’t played many M rated games before, but I think this is a good one to start with. The swearing is limited to an occasional sh**, nothing worse than what your kids hear in school. The top-down camera helps prevent too much gore from being shown, and the blood overall isn’t much worse than what you would see in Elden Ring or games of that type. The nudity is also nigh-absent, save for a moderately racy outfit on the main villain, but it’s nothing work that’s what you would see in PG-13 movies. The atmosphere is beautiful and scary, and I really think it could be rated T.
payton E.
payton E. Parent of 18+-year-old
September 9, 2023
age 10+

fun

it is a fun game
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Set decades after the previous game in this long-running fantasy adventure series, DIABLO IV has a group of thieves being tricked into releasing the evil demon Lilith. While it's ultimately up to you to take her down, you're not up to the task ... yet. Which is what leads you on several quests -- exploding numerous dungeons, fighting tons of supernatural creatures, and finding necessary information -- so that you can become strong enough, and have the right equipment, to finally fight Lilith ... and hopefully defeat her. Be prepared to go on many quests and fight an endless number of monsters and demonic creatures while you find better equipment and learn new skills.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Though not as big a leap forward as the third game was from the second, the fourth installment in this epic Tolkien-esque fantasy adventure series still provides a massive amount of addictive action. In Diablo IV, thieves are tricked into releasing an evil demon named Lilith. But before your player character can even attempt to stop her, they need to get stronger, and better equipped, which means going on a ton of quests, exploring tons of dungeons, and fighting tons of supernatural creatures. Playing as one of the five different kinds of customizable characters, and going it alone or with friends, would-be adventurers have to use magic, melee weapons, or ranged attacks to fight swarms of skeletons, ghouls, and other monsters while exploring the vast and varied land of Sanctuary.

Now, if all of this sounds familiar, it should: It's what you did in 1997's Diablo, 2000's Diablo II, 2012's Diablo III, and last year's mobile game Diablo Immortal (though this is decidedly more like the latter two than the first two). This is less a reinvention and more a refinement. Which isn't to say nothing's new. The system you use to learn new skills is more detailed, and you now wield multiple weapons at the same time, using the right one for different kinds of attacks. There's also a lot more to do: more dungeons, more side quests, more kinds of enemies, more scenarios in which to test your mettle ... it's a huge adventure. Good thing the controls are silky smooth, the challenge is well balanced, and there's enough variety that you won't find yourself wondering, "Have I been to this dungeon before?" All of which is why Diablo IV is an epic and action-packed adventure that will keep you engaged for longer than it takes to read The Lord of the Rings.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in video games. In Diablo IV, players kill a lot of monsters and other creatures, but many human enemies, too. Do you feel different when you kill a human in a game as opposed to someone who isn't human? Think about how you feel when you her about violence in the news: How does that compare to how you feel when you see violence in the video games you play?

  • In the cutscenes that explain what's going on, there are depictions of dismemberment and disembowelment. Do you think this is necessary, or could they have conveyed the depth of the threat in some other way? What do you think is the appeal of gore in video games and movies?

  • In this game, like so many, you can't just go after the big threat right away -- you have to become a better and more resilient fighter. Do you see how such preparation could be helpful in the real world?

Game Details

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