Diablo 3 cinematic released

Blizzard released a tantalising cinematic for the upcoming Diablo 3 at the Spike TV video game awards, teasing fans who have waited nearly 12 years for the sequel.

The cinematic starts off with an impressive enough hand-drawn animation but then progresses to an even more stunning computer graphics trailer although no actual gameplay footage appears.

"The game takes place on Sanctuary, a world of dark fantasy. Unbeknownst to most of its inhabitants, Sanctuary was saved some twenty years ago from the demonic forces of the underworld by a few brave and powerful heroes," Blizzard said of the upcoming game due some time in early 2012.

"Most of those warriors who directly faced Hell’s armies — and were fortunate enough to survive — went mad from their experiences. And most of the others have buried their haunted memories and pushed the horrors from their thoughts. In Diablo III, players will return to Sanctuary to confront evil in its many forms once again."

The game is currently in beta testing with a lucky few having the chance to gain early access. That said, Blizzard have hardly been in a hurry with the game. Games Radar published a hands on two years ago, Eurogamer a year ago and now several sites such as Kotaku and Tom’s Hardware have published hands on in the last few months.

See the Diablo III cinematic introduction below: