Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls trailer crawls from the depths

Ahead of Blizzcon 2013 (which kicks off this evening and runs over the weekend), the trailer for Diablo 3 expansion Reaper of Souls has apparently “leaked”.

The trailer details the new features of the expansion, along with some glimpses of the gameplay and baddies.

No release date has been given, other than “Coming 2014”, but we can expect more info the emerge during Blizzcon.

Reaper of Souls adds chapter V to the Diablo 3; players will battle through the sprawling streets of Westmarch to the ancient walls of the Pandemonium Fortress. Of course, new denizens of hell will stand in the path of victory.

The defeat of Diablo, Lord of Terror, should have given rise to an age of hope. Instead, it has drawn out a shadowy being of immense power, whose malevolent purpose is yet to be revealed

Malthael, the fallen Archangel of Wisdom, vanished after the events depicted at the end of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. In Reaper of Souls, he returns as the Angel of Death and seizes the Black Soulstone, which contains the essence of the Prime Evil. It now falls to the players to track down Malthael and stop him before he unleashes irreversible havoc on the world.

Fortunately, a new hero is ready to join the cause and bring Malthael to justice—the Crusader. Driven by a centuries-long quest to cleanse the corruption blighting their beloved Zakarum faith, Crusaders are warriors of righteousness who have been hardened through relentless, brutal combat with the foul evils plaguing eastern Sanctuary.

The expansion will see the addition of a new hero – the Crusader – who wears heavy armour and uses a mix of brutal melee skills to get in close to enemies, while casting battle magic to bolster allies and weaken foes. The Crusader is described as a walking tank.

Reaper of Souls increases the game’s level cap to 70, and players continuing with the classic characters will find new weapons, armour, abilities, and spells.

Diablo 3’s Paragon progression system is also being upgraded for the expansion. Two new game modes will be added – Loot Runs and Nephalem Trials.