Diablo 4 is a lot more approachable than it looks... but it'll also happily watch you dig yourself into a hole without saying a word. So before you dive in for the first time, here's what you should know.
1) Which Character to Play?
Starting with the question everyone asks first: which character should I play? Thankfully, it doesn't matter. Whether we're talking about the freshly released Warlock or the Sorcerer that has been around for years, all of them are totally viable at all stages of the game and, more importantly, a ton of fun! So just go with whatever looks or sounds the coolest.
The same logic applies to your abilities. While some might be stronger than others - the balance isn't perfect - you can beat all of the endgame bosses with any of them. For example, I tried to challenge myself with a firewall build because it felt like a memey spell, but it ended up being one of my strongest characters ever. So really, anything goes.
Video version of this guide (~9 minutes)
2) What to Prioritize?
So once you've picked your class, what do you actually focus on while leveling? Early on, work on unlocking as many spells as possible to give yourself more options, and then pour the extra points into your main damage-dealer. Once that's filled out, work on boosting a solid burst damage spell - something to help you smash through bosses or hordes of elites.
By the time you hit the midgame you'll have a good feel for what you enjoy and what you don't. That's when you should start taking your build more seriously and looking for strong synergies between your abilities and items. It sounds complicated now, but don't worry. Once you're 10-15 hours deep, all of this will be second nature.
3) Which Items to Take?
While leveling, don't overthink your gear. Just take whatever weapon gives you the biggest damage, and whatever armor has the most green numbers. You'll be swapping through items so quickly it's just not worth wasting brainpower on them.
Once you hit Torment Difficulty - the beginning of the endgame - that's when you'll want to start actually thinking about what you're wearing. Ideally you want items that boost your damage, movement speed, skill levels, or survivability - all tailored to whatever your specific build needs. So at that point, even if you find an item that's a much higher level, don't swap it in unless it gives you better bonuses. They are that important in the endgame!
Bigger number? Slap it on!
4) Diablo 4 and Math
While gearing is mostly simple, there is one trap you need to be aware of. A 10% with an X next to it is not the same as 10% without it. The first is multiplicative and will massively increase your damage, while the second isn't, and won't.
So once you reach the endgame, the key to making a character so broken you can bend the game over your knee and spank it is to focus on those Xs. Get as many multiplicative bonuses as you can from as many sources as possible - be this gear, glyphs, talismans, etc. Do that and your damage will scale out of control. It's honestly ridiculous, but it's also a lot of fun!
5) Offense or Defense?
But where does Diablo 4 stand on the age-old battle between offense and defense? Firmly on the side of offense. Whether we're talking about endgame bosses or just packs of elites, the best way to ensure you don't get pancaked is to obliterate everyone before they can act.
So does this mean you should go full glass cannon? No. Get as much defense as you can from your abilities and perks - especially sources of invulnerability. But never sacrifice offense on gear in favor of defense. Being sturdy helps, but a good kill speed really is the key to staying safe in Diablo 4.
If you can't see the enemy anymore, you know you're doing good
6) Difficulty
Diablo 4 has sixteen different difficulty levels, four of which are available very early on. My advice is to not be afraid of them, even on your first playthrough. The higher you go the more experience and gold you'll earn, and so ironically enough, the smoother your power progression will feel.
So unless you want a chill and relaxing experience, push as far as your skills and gear can take you. It'll lead you to the most exciting gameplay, and also the best possible loot.
7) The Campaign
While Diablo 4 has a ton of different content for you to sink your teeth into, as a beginner I'd recommend sticking with the campaign first and foremost. The campaign will guide you through the world, help you unlock crucial waypoints, and give you a good chunk of experience and gear.
After completing it you'll also unlock a bunch of different endgame activities, many of which will ask you to do stuff you would've been doing anyway, so you'll be able to double-dip on loot. And since the rewards scale with your level and difficulty, skipping side content in favor of the campaign won't really hurt you. So stick to the story, and enjoy the ride!
The story is silly, but the campaign is still a lot of fun
8) Seasonal Objectives
Every season brings with it a set of seasonal objectives - simple tasks that you'll probably complete just by playing the game normally. But even if you have to go slightly out of your way, it's still worth doing. Why? Because these will reward you with skill points, loads of experience, and naturally, even more loot.
Just don't forget to actually claim those rewards. By default you can access the seasons menu by pressing 'U' on PC, or find it in the top left of the main menu. It's easy to overlook, but there's a lot of power hiding in there, so give it a peek every once in a while.
9) Paragon Points
Once you reach level 70, Diablo 4 will throw the scariest thing in the game at you - the Paragon board. Here you can spend your Paragon Points for a variety of bonuses. So how should you build your character?
It'll depend on your playstyle, but generally you'll want to unlock as many boards as possible and prioritize the glyphs and major nodes. Those will give you the biggest power boost - far bigger than anything you'd get from filling out one or two boards. So while you're still finding your footing, just go wide and grab as many big nodes as you can.
The Paragon tree looks scary, but thankfully you get used to it very quickly
10) Collectibles
If you check out some of the older guides you might hear them talk about renown, altars or other collectibles you need to get to really power up your character. Thankfully, due to a recent update, none of that is mandatory anymore.
It's now all about experience and gear, which you can get from literally anywhere. So just play whatever content you enjoy, and don't worry about missing out if you're not combing over every bush. It really doesn't matter.
11) Careful Crafting
You know how I mentioned you shouldn't get attached to earlygame items since you'll replace them quickly? For that same reason you shouldn't waste your crafting materials upgrading them.
The costs don't scale well, so upgrading or adding sockets to early gear is a massive waste, and something that might come back to haunt you once you hit the endgame and realize you're low on everything.
So be a hoarder until you hit Torment difficulty. At that point your upgrades will start to slow down, so improvements will actually stick around long enough to matter.
Upgrades are expensive yet items cycle out quickly, so save yourself for the endgame
12) Experiment
If there is one thing you should take away from this guide, let it be this - experiment. Diablo 4 has a ton of fun skills and perks, and I would highly recommend you try all of them.
Respeccing is literally free and you can save your builds, so there's nothing stopping you from just trying whatever wild idea crosses your mind. And who knows, you might just run into a memey build that ends up being far more entertaining than you ever expected.
Got Any Questions?
And there you have it. Twelve tips that will hopefully make your first trek through Sanctuary all nice and pleasant. Well, despite all the doom and gloom anyway.
If you have any questions about the guide or Diablo 4 in general, drop them in the video's comments and I'll do my best to help you out. Enjoy!