Blizzard has — perhaps unintentionally, or perhaps simply unavoidably — set something of a trap for itself and for Diablo 4first expansion, Vessel of Hatewhen it released the game’s fourth season, titled Loot Reborn, earlier this year. Loot Reborn was excellent, focusing on a much-needed overhaul Diablo 4object game. There was something recent in the game right away. But this posed a direct challenge to Vessel of Hate: Could it have the same impact and make the game feel recent again just a few months later?
This may be the definition of a good problem, but it’s still a problem. This is a problem that should be solved by sheer volume things included in Vessel of Hatredas well as what’s coming with launch: a recent character class, a recent map region, a recent storyline, many recent ways to customize your characters, several recent dungeon play styles, revamped character development, and a recent season (the so-called sixth game) with its own line tasks, functions and game mechanics.
But… honestly, it’s still kind of a problem. That immediate feeling of refreshment you get when starting Loot Reborn isn’t there Vessel of Hate. This expansion is more of a snail-paced burn that is initially disappointing before gradually revealing many recent pleasures to the player. The contrast with Loot Reborn is a fascinating lesson in the difference in impact between design and content – or, to put it another way, between changes to the beating heart of a game and the features that beautify and enrich it.
Vessel of Hate and the accompanying base game 2.0 update are subject to change Diablo 4however, and mostly for the better. Starting with features that will be available for free to all players, there will be a major overhaul of how leveling and difficulty works, Diablo 4 more compatible with Diablo 3. The four world levels have been replaced with eight recent difficulty levels – four normal levels and four final game difficulty levels – Torment. Leveling has been re-divided into your character’s main levels, which award skill points and are capped at level 60, and the end-game Paragon levels, which unlock additional bonuses on the Paragon boards. (Previously, Diablo 4 We merged these two equalization bands into one with a level cap of 100, but ultimately removing the distinction between them wasn’t very clear or helpful.)
This all looks more complicated, but in practice it breaks up character development in a way that is more detailed and useful, and easier to read. I also feel like the game has been adjusted to be more of a challenge for me overall – though this may be due to certain progression bonuses not transferring from my account to my account Vessel of Hatred build preview. (Game Diablo 4 with four potions it’s painful again, let me tell you.)
Vessel of HatredThe most vital feature is the recent character class, Spiritborn. They are agile melee warriors whose motif seems inspired by Aztec warriors who utilize glaives, staves or polearms and ally with animal spirit guardians with different skill sets: eagle (ranged attacks and movement), gorilla (defense and ponderous attacks in close quarters). , centipede (poison and crowd control effects) and jaguar (swift, aggressive melee attacks).
Photo: Blizzard Entertainment
The closest comparison to earlier Diablo games is probably Diablo 3Monk, a spectacularly swift magical martial arts fighter, a sort of Bruce Lee who can teleport. Spiritborn initially seems more mundane and less satisfying than the Monk, but spend some time experimenting with this class and you’ll discover it has a lot of depth to it. More than any other Diablo 4 class, with the possible exception of the Rogue, Spiritborn feels like many distinct classes in one, with a huge variety of hybrids to discover and tinker with – this is highlighted by the Spirit Hall mechanic, which allows you to synthesize bonuses from two spirit guardians or double one. We ended up with a gorilla-eagle hybrid, a rugged beast that could still gain extra range and utility from the eagle’s toolkit. It seems like you can easily roll a recent Spiritborn every season and have no shortage of captivating variants to discover.
There is a significant amount of variety in character customization Diablo 4slogan – somewhat to the detriment of the distinct character of the classes and the impact of falling objects, but with a powerful compensation in the form of how customized and customized your character can feel. Vessel of Hatred deepens this even further with Mercenaries and Runewords, two recent systems that develop a sort of if-then programming language that can be plugged into your builds.
Mercenaries are AI companions who fight alongside you, with their own progression trees and skills that can be developed to complement your playstyle. But the really captivating thing here is the second slot for a support character, which can be set to jump into battle with a specific effect when your character uses a specific skill, gets hurt, or suffers a debuff. Similarly, runewords are twin slotted items that combine a “Ritual” condition – such as using a potion, dodging, or casting an ultimate skill – with an “Invocation”, which can be a buff or effect of a skill, even a skill from a different class entirely .
Between them, Reinforcements and Runewords add a fascinating recent set of Diablo customization tools, almost like the macro commands you could utilize in ancient MMOs to trigger little chains of cause and effect with a single press of a button, or like party programming in the Gambit system in Ultimate Fantasy 12. It’s not as if Diablo 4 it lacks crafting and equipment systems to tinker with, but these add something really fresh to the mix.
Photo: Blizzard Entertainment
Elsewhere, variety comes in the form of recent dungeon designs that significantly expand the endgame or introduce endgame-style gameplay into leveling. I didn’t make it all the way to the Dark Citadel in the preview; is a recent, co-op-only final dungeon that aims to recreate some of the improved mechanics of Diablo’s multiplayer MMO dungeons and raids. But I’m a large fan of Kurast Undercity, a random, multi-level crypt located beneath the ziggurats of the capital of the recent Nahantu zone. This combines a ticking time limit with customizable modifiers to create a tense, fun and endlessly replayable endgame-style dungeon experience that you can access from level 15. This will be a great way to level up your character when you get tired of completing campaign tasks, or if the current season doesn’t interest you.
About this campaign. Diablo 4The campaign quests remain, unfortunately, the least satisfying and slowest way to play the game. I must admit that I have never been one to play Diablo for the story. However, despite the luxurious atmosphere of the jungle of Nahantu and the fascinating arrangement with Mephisto, the Lord of Hate, who begins to exert his influence from within the Soul Stone in which he is trapped, Vessel of HatredThe plot doesn’t really go anywhere. Experience and loot rewards are relatively modest, and mission design is inconsequential – certainly compared to the exhilarating variations of Diablo gameplay that the Blizzard team has come up with outside of the main quest, such as Festering Dark, a pitch-dark maze that must be explored and recovered via beacons or Kingdom Walkers, a Season 6 event in which giant, tank-like demons crawl across the map, leaving chaos in their wake. The boss design is excellent and imaginative everywhere you look in the game, including the campaign.
Firstly, Vessel of Hatred you may feel like it’s both too much and too little: too many recent systems in a game that’s already buckling under their weight and is less than 18 months ancient; it is not enough for it to be truly transformative. Give it some time, though, and you’ll find a luxurious and rewarding variety of ways to evolve and customize your ever-changing parade of destructive dolls. If only the release of Loot Reborn was the right time Diablo 4 it finally became great Vessel of Hatred he is doomed to be something more Diablo 4. But something greater can’t be that bad, right?
