As a seasoned adventurer who has traversed the treacherous lands of Sanctuary more times than I can count, let me tell you that Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is an absolute masterpiece. The developers have seamlessly blended the nostalgia of the original campaign with innovative quality-of-life improvements and a fantastic new class – the Spiritborn.
It’s fair to describe Diablo 4 as a game that’s gone through some ups and downs since its release last year. While the main storyline was strong, the ongoing need for an internet connection has been problematic and seems unnecessary for the game’s success. The endgame also felt repetitive with little variety at first. However, Blizzard managed to turn things around. Starting from Season 4, the game significantly improved, offering better loot, a more enjoyable experience, and increased diversity in gameplay and character builds. Approaching Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, I must admit I was eagerly anticipating the new class and setting. I wasn’t let down at all.
Title DLC: Vessel of Hatred offers an impressive expansion featuring a substantial campaign and a remarkable new class, Spiritborn. The narrative unfolds post the main campaign, where your resilient protagonist embarks on a quest to locate Neyrelle, a young girl entrusted with Mephisto’s Soulstone, the malevolent being known as the Lord of Hatred and father of Lilith. Initially, playing in a pre-release server alongside a new character might feel jarring, but it’s not a significant drawback overall.
Regardless of who you play as, the campaign introduces us to a slightly evolved Sanctuary. The defeat of Lilith and corralling of Mephisto has done nothing to brighten the grimdark world, although the Church has become even more zealous in the wake of its pyric victory in Hell. The defeat of Lilith is to be celebrated, while the death of Inarius has destabilised the Church, giving rise to fanatical madmen like Urivar, a brutal crusader who serves as one of the main antagonists in Vessel of Hatred.
In their pursuit of Neyrelle and the lost Lorath, the Church’s investigation eventually crosses paths with you, the Nomad, leading to your near-death experience and being found in the dense jungles of Nahantu. An elderly seer named Eru then becomes part of your journey. The devotees of Akarat, an old adversary of Mephisto, are resolute on eradicating the Lord of Hatred completely within this realm. Despite being a shorter narrative than the main storyline, the expansion doesn’t slow down as it propels you from one quest to another, urging you to find Neyrelle and alleviate her heavy burden. The story offers fewer cinematic cutscenes and more in-game dialogue scenes, making your character more involved in conversations and giving a greater sense of animation. Though your custom character may appear rougher compared to others in the scene, this imperfection makes you feel more integrated within the world rather than simply an observer.
My main issue lies with the fact that Sanctuary’s variety was so vast, encompassing dense jungles, swamps filled with shadows, arid deserts, and ice-ravaged cliffs. Consequently, the introduction of Nahantu doesn’t seem particularly fresh or distinct. While some parts are visually appealing, especially the deeper jungles, Blizzard may have initially created such a rich world that it’s challenging to appreciate the novelty of a new region at this point.
Without a doubt, the main attraction in this scenario seems to be the fresh class. The Spiritborn resembles a fusion of Diablo 3’s Monk and Witchdoctor, exhibiting swift quarterstaff combat and control over elements. At first glance, it might seem like a Sorcerer, but the Spiritborn sets itself apart by being less about manipulating the elements directly and more about harnessing their inherent energies through four powerful spirits.
The abilities of a Jaguar are fiery and forceful; an Eagle’s are swift and electric-charged; a Gorilla centers on protective earth spells; while a Centipede specializes in poison and decay. I must admit, the Spiritborn was more entertaining to play around with than other classes due to the diverse skills and styles each tenet possesses. You can either concentrate on one or master all, and still end up with potent builds. In my case, I mostly relied on Centipede skills for poison attacks, added a few Eagle abilities for damage, and included one from the Gorilla school for survivability. I didn’t neglect the Jaguar intentionally, as there are numerous ways to make its skills effective too.
It’s not surprising that Spiritborn seamlessly blends into Nahantu, but what is striking is how well the class adapts to other areas within Sanctuary too. The raised skill-point level ceiling (now 60) along with additional Paragon boards and mechanics significantly enhances character development, much like how Season 4 revamped the loot systems. In essence, it transforms the 1 to 60 journey into a more immersive and thrilling adventure without compromising the essential grinding aspect.
In this game, I’ve discovered exciting extras, such as the ability to ride colossal felines (who would have thought?), which reminds me a lot of Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction and its adopted Runeword system. This system allows you to hunt for Runes and then merge them in gem slots to create powerful words that activate bonuses and advantages when certain skills are utilized. For instance, I found an early combination that restores some of my primary resource whenever I dodge. There are probably countless combinations out there, but my tinkering barely touched the tip of the iceberg.
In this new development, there’s the introduction of a mercenary system. Initially, you’ll encounter Raheir, who will guide you to The Den, a fresh location where you can gather the Pale Hand, his former mercenary group. Characters such as the demonic Aldkin, the bounty-hunter Subo, and the cannibalistic warrior Varyana will join your team after finishing a brief quest for each of them. After recruitment, you’ll have the option to select one companion to stay with you constantly, while another will appear to execute a specific task when you perform certain actions, like a ground pound whenever you heal, for instance.
In comparison to Diablo 3’s followers, they aren’t as chatty and lack the customization options previously available. However, their presence during battles for crowd control is still useful. I often wished there was more depth to the interaction system beyond occasional rewards for leveling up your relationship with them. I’m fairly confident that Blizzard will expand the system in future updates or seasons.
The main PvE activity introduced is called the Undercity, a thrilling, time-trial-style dungeon adventure where you slaughter elites and bosses to extend your countdown timer while racing against time to defeat the final boss before it expires. If any aspect of Diablo 4 calls for strategic build loadouts, it’s this activity. Dealing immense damage while maintaining survivability is more vital here than in the campaign or even Nightmare dungeons due to the escalating challenge and rewards as you navigate through dynamically generated dungeons en route to the boss.
Fundamentally, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred stands out as an exceptional sequel to the initial storyline, featuring numerous enhancements for convenience and an impressive new class. A revamped difficulty system streamlines the process, offering various levels up to 60, followed by a fresh activity to unlock Torment – your entry point to Unique and Mythic loot drops.
Exploring Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred feels like discovering something fresh even in familiar locations like Helltides and Nightmare Dungeons. Revisiting the old classes is still thrilling, much like encountering the Spiritborn. Although Nahantu could have been more distinctive, and the mercenary system requires some adjustments to feel more indispensable, overall, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred offers an exciting journey worth revisiting Sanctuary – especially if you chose to leave it previously.
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2024-10-04 19:16