No game in my memory has inspired such passions between announcement and release as “Diablo III.” The follow-up to one of the most popular PC games of all time was destined for a historic level of scrutiny to begin with, and one controversial decision by Blizzard after another poured jet fuel on the already blazing bonfires of fan anticipation and outrage. Five minutes with the final game is enough to settle the question of whether the art style is too kittens-and-rainbows for a gothic horror-themed game (it’s not). The auction house, radical skill system redesign and always-online requirements are much more serious threats to “Diablo III’s” appeal. The ultimate tally comes out well in Blizzard’s favor, but not without reservations.

The first five days after launch were rocky for would-be heroes as server problems, extended emergency maintenance, and bouts of crippling lag rendered “Diablo III” unplayable during peak hours — exactly what fans had feared would happen after less-than-stellar results from pre-release stress tests. The issues baffled many, since Blizzard managed the launches of the last two “World of Warcraft” expansions with very few issues. Players who prefer to confront hell’s minions alone were rightfully furious that Blizzard’s decision to remove traditional offline single-player from the game locked them out of the game they had dropped $60 on. As of this writing one week after launch, the servers have been rock-solid for two days and the rough start will hopefully be forgotten, but players with no interest in multiplayer have every right to be angry at any server outage.

Server problems aside, “Diablo III” is an excellent action/role-playing game that carries the genre’s torch well and sets a new standard. The story is finally respectable even if it’s not BioWare-caliber, and much better integrated into the gameplay. Combat is still the heart and soul of the game, and hits all the notes fans expect. Skills that would be laughably overpowered in any other game start unlocking before level 10, and they’re not just ultimate attacks — many are what pass for regular attacks in “Diablo III”.

“Cleave,” for example, is a basic barbarian skill that hits everything in an arc in front of you like a truck. Not only does it build fury to spend on even more powerful attacks, the secondary effects added onto it via the rune system make it even better. My favorite, “Rupture,” makes slain enemies explode for even more damage and leads to occasional hilarious chain reactions of demons popping off like fireworks across the whole screen.

The ability to re-specialize your character with no restriction or cost still divides the “Diablo” community, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Part of the genius of the system is tied to the enormous variety of skills within each of the five classes. Having to pay (or, heaven forbid, start a new character entirely), would severely limit one of the foremost joys of “Diablo III:” experimenting with new skills and runes and the tactics they allow.

Don’t expect to spam one skill over and over and win with any regularity. The most impressive aspect of “Diablo III” is how its enemy design forces players just far enough out of their comfort zone to make them think on their feet without completely screwing over any one build or archetype. Regular monsters employ dozens of variations on ranged attacks, nasty melee strikes, teleports, buffs, debuffs, and zones of death on the ground. Mini-bosses come with randomly generated special abilities, like vortex monsters who suck you into melee, mortar foes who passively launch devastating fireballs, and frozen enemies and their deadly frost mines.

I’ve never played a game that encouraged co-op so strongly and made joining up with friends or random Internet people so effortless. Without saying a word, I’ve teamed up with buddies using the quick-join or one-click invite functionality. We naturally start using our skills to build off of each other, tackling enemies that would be difficult or impossible alone even without the significant boosts monsters get in multiplayer games.

“Diablo III’s” combat is the best the genre has ever seen. The loot game, on the other hand, is brought down by the presence of the auction house and uninspired itemization and stat design. Sets and legendary items are almost entirely restricted to the level-cap game, which removes one of the better hooks from the first 40 hours you play any given character.

“Diablo III” is a great game, and every bit the landmark achievement in the genre that everyone expected out of Blizzard. The presentation and combat are second to none, and the co-op focus is well executed and a natural fit for the genre. Whether or not you stick with the game for the long term through “Inferno” difficulty, I can’t imagine the gamer that wouldn’t have a great time with “Diablo III” for a trip or two through the story.

‘DIABLO III’

9 (out of 10)

PC

Blizzard Entertainment

ESRB rating: M for Mature

TOP 10

ACROSS THE BOARD

The editors of Game Informer Magazine rank the top games for June:

1. “Max Payne 3” (PS3, X360)

2. “Diablo III” (PC)

3. “Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition” (X360)

4. “Awesomenauts” (X360)

5. “Dragon’s Dogma” (PS3, X360)

6. “Tribes: Ascend” (PC)

7. “The Walking Dead” (PS3, X360, PC)

8. “Botanicula” (PC)

9. “Prototype 2” (PS3, X360, PC)

10. “Gravity Rush” (Vita)

— McClatchy-Tribune News Service

GAMING GADGETS

Safeguard your devices from water damage

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Details: www.drycase.com

The G-Project G-Go wireless Bluetooth speakerM from Life Lab International is water-resistant and makes a great poolside addition.

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It has a carrying handle so you can take it where you want; you can hang it on a fence even or even take your tunes in the shower.

Details: www.enterg-project.com $69.99

— Gregg Ellman, McClatchy-Tribune News Service