Throughout its history, the Diablo series has always been known for its strange menagerie of creepies, ghoulies, and creepy ghoulies. If the open beta was any indication, Diablo III seeks to introduce creatures even stranger than the bile-spitting dogs and barely dressed succubi from games past.
To help you get accustomed to the monsters you’ll no doubt encounter in Act I, we’ve compiled a creature list to help you hit the ground running as soon as the game finally drops on May 15th.
Undead Creatures
Because the game takes place in a village plagued by the walking corpses of dead villagers, many of the monsters you will face in the early stages of the game will fall under the “Undead” category. By definition, these monsters are formed from dead flesh or bone, re-animated through some form of dark, perverted magic.
In previous Diablo games, using blunt club weapons were more effective against undead creatures when compared to blade weapons, but it was not immediately apparent whether this dynamic was incorporated into Diablo III.
Risen Dead: These hapless fellows are your basic, run-of-the-mill zombies. These ridiculously slow and weak creatures exist only to help your weakling character level up in the game’s early stages. They possess few hit points and require only one or two direct hits from a standard attack to make them to fall apart. The only thing that makes them difficult to kill is the fact that you’re probably bashing in the head of some poor villager’s mother, father, sibling, or lover, you heartless creep.
Walking Corpse: These zombies are a little stronger, bulkier, and tougher than the Risen Dead, but are still fairly easy to kill. However, once they are killed, there is a good chance that their disembodied “Crawling Torsos” will resume the attack that their poor, mutilated legs could not sustain.
Wretched Mother: Wretched Mothers consume corpses in graveyards, only to vomit them up as full-fledged zombies on demand. Every time these cursed beings spew their disgusting liquids all over the floor, a newly-formed Risen Dead is born, but an angel also gets his wings (only to have them sadistically torn off). Even if you’re in the early stages of the game, it’s best to aim for these creatures first to avoid having to deal with newly-spawned zombies later.
Grotesque: These bulbous, bloated creatures possess a far larger capacity for damage than all other previous enemies, so it will require numerous attacks to take one down if your character is at an insufficient level. Their ability to attack with spiked protrusions from their bodies makes them dangerous in close-quarters, so it’s best to keep your distance from them at all times, especially when they die.
Grotesques will explode in a rain of goo once their hit points are depleted, and this attack damages not only your character, but also all surrounding monsters. Therefore, strategic destruction of Grotesques surrounded by crowds of enemies can really advance your combo score.
As a result of their dying explosions, Grotesques will always be survived by a handful of nimble “Corpse Worms.” They tend to be more annoying than quick, but still incredibly easy to eliminate.
Skeleton: Since the bulk of Act I revolves around your quest to slay Leoric, the Skeleton King, it’s highly likely that you’ll encounter a large number of walking Skeletons throughout your quest. Of course, these beasts are still as dumb as ever, hiding in coffins and barrels to surprise unsuspecting adventurers, only to be disposed of quickly thereafter.
Of course, it can get pretty lonely, waiting in a barrel for an adventurer to just walk by, so you may be surprised to see that Skeletons also take up knitting and needlepoint while they lie indefinitely in wait.
Unburied: There’s an interesting background story behind these creatures, in that they are formed by the numerous dead bodies found in mass graves. Somehow, the collective spirit of torment from these tortured souls re-animates their flesh into a hulking giant bent on inflicting vengeance on some unfortunate passer-by. These behemoths are slow, but have a ton of hit points, so sticking to a strategy of mobility, perseverance, and patience is your best bet.
Tomb Guardian: These creatures are usually found in crypts, usually in open spaces in front of some ceremonial burial tomb. Their purpose of existence, as their name implies, is to protect the graves of the noble dead. Some of them have the power to summon skeletons to achieve that purpose, but in most cases, they will already be surrounded by a horde of undead creatures to aid them.
We’re not done yet, so check back tomorrow for part two of our Diablo III Enemies Spotlight when we tackle beast and demon monsters in-depth!
