Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred

The outlook is good though, and the past 15 months have shown the commitment the Diablo developers have towards making this the best game they can. Here’s to another year of Diablo 4.

Vessel of Hatred brings back the Diablo experience we've come to expect from Blizzard, with new territory, new enemies and new mechanics.

Vessel of Hatred brims with an addictive new endgame loop, hundreds of gameplay changes, the brilliant Spiritborn class, the vast and beautiful new region of Nahantu and a dark, unrelenting story.

Although not as important as Reaper of Souls for Diablo 3, Vessel of Hatred and the Season 6 that released alongside it clearly brought a welcome breath of fresh air to Diablo 4, despite a price that could be a bit too high depending of what we expect from it. The fans of the genre on the other side definitely enjoy what it offers. The campaign in the Nahantu jungle in its beautiful and macabre glory is as great as the main story in the base game, terrible cliffhanger at the end that filled us with Hatred nonwithstanding. The Spiritborn class is a true joy to play, with a great diversity of builds that are genuinely exciting to explore, alongside the Mercenaries and the runic words from Diablo 2 that make a convincing comeback, especially for solo players. Finally, the two additions to the endgame are both interesting and relevant in this central pillar of a hack'n'slash game, but only if you go through the Dark Citadel with friends. Let's hope that Blizzard will keep on this promising path with a second expansion that is most certainly already in the works (with a satisfying end this time, pretty please).

A fantastic expansion with a very compelling set of features, including a new class, a far-better approach to bosses, and a few borrowed elements from their other MMO works. It’s a big step in the right direction, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Vessel of Hatred is the expansion that was needed to give a new touch to Diablo IV, let's say exotic and wild. I had doubts about the Spiritist and his ability to fit into the context of Diablo, Sanctuary is not an easy place, but I was pleasantly surprised by his flexibility on the battlefield. OK also the new region and the Campaign, as well as the numerous more or less flashy new features that, in different measures, contribute to enriching and modernizing the overall offer of Diablo IV, a macabre action MMORPG, abundant and versatile to the right point. Despite the Rising Hatred, the creeping corruption and the guts everywhere, mama Blizzard's boy is coming along well.

Narratively, Vessel of Hatred hits all the right notes. It’s a bit of a strange middle chapter in the story; it's incredibly consequential and does a lot to move things forward, but it doesn’t offer any big conclusions or satisfying payoffs. The original Diablo 4 campaign ended with a promise that the worst was yet to come, and Vessel of Hatred ends the same way. It gives us a better idea of what that eventuality will look like, and raises the stakes in some pretty compelling ways, but some are going to walk away wishing they’d just waited for the full story to come out before diving back in. I’m glad I didn’t wait though, because I think this might be the moment Diablo 4 finally hooks me.

Vessel of Hatred is a great entry point if you haven’t played Diablo IV before or you’ve been away for a while. Blizzard has made a lot of great changes over the last year, and this expansion brings even more. Between the new season starting on October 7th and all of the Vessel of Hatred content dropping on October 8th - Diablo IV is looking to be in an excellent place. Blizzard also seems to be laying the building blocks they can grow on in future expansions or new Diablo games. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

The Vessel of Hatred expansion is a must-have for Diablo 4 fans. It offers a wealth of new content, a compelling story that is going places that I didn’t see coming, a beautiful new region and a powerful new class, Vessel of Hatred is a more than worthy addition to the Diablo series, and I cannot wait to see where the team goes from here.

The Spiritborn is quite possibly the most fun class in the franchise’s history, and after some minor tweaking, I think the Dark Citadel and Kurast Undercity will help flesh out the late-game grind. Paired with all the revamps and improvements the base game has received through its first five seasons, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred has Diablo 4 in its best form yet.

With its story, new class, and the permanent changes it brings, Vessel of Hatred improves on an already very good base game that has been refined over the last five seasons since launch. Striking a delicate balance, it succeeds at tweaking the systems and gameplay to please both casual and hardcore players.

Vessel of Hatred gives Diablo 4 a beating heart: Compelling characters to root for, creative loot to chase, and fiercely expressive action.

Even though some adjustments may be necessary, this expansion will be essential for those who want to get the most out of future seasons. There are simply too many exclusive elements that will make a difference and, combined with update 2.0, Vessel of Hatred has the chance to transform the Diablo 4 we know into the game that many have wanted since its launch.

Blizzard has listened to the players and many of the criticisms that have been made have been addressed and improved. The game now feels far better balanced and the expansion adds a plethora of new content that makes it even more enjoyable than at launch last year.

Vessel of Hatred is a worthy extension of Diablo 4's already impressive gameplay mechanics and story. You might be left wanting if you're looking for a conclusion, but the extensive content offering is more than enough to keep fans happy while we wait for the next instalment.

We have a much more different and packed Diablo IV than we had a year ago. There is plenty of endgame activity now and it shows that Blizzard really is listening to it's community's desires, so we can say Diablo is back on the race. If you haven't played it for a while, now is the time to try again.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred takes everything that made Diablo 2 and 3 great, and modernizes for it the present day. Blending stunning visuals, musical majesty, and slick, gory combat, it surpasses the base game in every way, even if some may walk away from its story a little perplexed.

The structural and technical gameplay elements of Vessel of Hatred are improved across the board and work well as redeeming features for a disastrous, hot mess campaign plot.

With the arrival of Vessel of Hatred, Diablo IV seems to be a different and even better game than Diablo IV was after its release. While the story content feels underwhelming and short, the expansion shines in its gameplay improvements.The introduction of the new Spiritborn class, offering versatile and customizable play styles, along with the Mercenaries, Kurast Undercity and Dark Citadel enhance the game significantly.

The Vessel of Hatred expansion completes what consecutive updates and seasons had begun: Diablo 4 has become a much more complete and fun game. Whether in terms of content or gameplay, clear progress has been made, and it's a real pleasure to take on the new challenges of controlling the Sacresprit class. The addition of a group search tool is probably the most important new feature, even if the studio can be criticized for not having done so sooner. At the very least, everyone should benefit, even without paying for this DLC. In any case, we hope that future expansions will follow a similar model, as it gives excellent reasons to come back and play regularly.

Vessel of Hatred confirms the trend already established in the most recent seasons of Diablo 4, adding a lot of density to the fights, facilitating the leveling system and introducing a new and very fun class. Fans of the dark and oppressive atmosphere of the first chapters are destined to be disappointed, but players who want to dedicate themselves to the unconditional massacre of hordes of demons will find in this expansion a refined and organic progression system, new mechanics and new endgame content capable of entertaining them for several hours. The length of the campaign and the way in which it concludes the game events did not satisfy us, but there will be time with the next patches to correct the shot.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is fantastic albeit safe expansion to the already excellent Diablo IV. It's continuation of the story benefits from tighter pacing and a novel concept, all of which is bolstered by a unique new class and distinct region to explore. Coupled with some great new endgame content, and Vessel of Hatred is bound to please Diablo casual and hardcore players alike.

This a long-term process as we figure out how all this comes together in the larger context of the game, and I will keep my coverage going accordingly. But reviewing what’s in front of me during this period, here we are.

Vessel of Hatred is better than the basic Diablo IV. The game has been overhauled in many aspects, making gameplay more rhytmic and dynamic. However, there are still some elements that need polishing, and Blizzard – aware that most people play alone – introduces mandatory multiplayer.

Vessel of Hatred's campaign, new region, new class, and new cooperative dungeon all significantly extend the base game's appeal and depth. If you don't already enjoy the near-constant, frenetic, often exhilarating, sometimes exhausting combat, Vessel of Hatred isn't going to win you over no matter how impressive it often is. The expansion contains some of the best content the developer has released and should satisfy both casual and hardcore fans of Diablo IV.

A polished, bewitching upgrade that sinks its claws into you - featuring perhaps the best character class in Diablo's history.

Diablo IV: Vessels of Hatred is a showcase of the care Blizzard is putting into the Diablo franchise. It adds everything one would expect from an expansion, opening up a world of possibilities for players looking to get the most out of the title. One might expect a bit more attention to the narrative, but the gameplay remains absolutely incredible.

For over a year, Diablo 4 has been striving to understand the hearts of gamers, and this expansion pack is its first test. While there are positive changes in many areas, it still doesn't seem to have fully created a sense of connection with the players.

Good new content and a solid continuation of the story: Vessel of Hatred is not spectacular, but it is successful. Thanks to patch 2.0, the game continues to develop in a meaningful way.

All in all, a solid expansion that renews the experience with a new class and a new zone that are total successes. Discovering Nahuntu with the sacresprit is a delight.

Vessel of Hatred acts as a great reentry point for lapsed Diablo 4 players looking for another fix of the dungeon-crawling action that the original release so deftly introduced. The Spiritborn class is as satisfying to command in skirmishes as it is to experiment with, featuring a level of depth that extends beyond all classes before it. Both the Kurast Undercity and the Dark Citadel are captivating additions to the existing (and drastically improved) endgame conten. The expansion is only let down by a middling story that fails to captivate on the setup of the base game and ends with nothing more than a tease for the presumably real conflict to come. Irrespective of that, Diablo 4 didn't need an expansion to uplift it, but Vessel of Hatred certainly delivers on making the entire thing feel fresh again.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is an awesome expansion that adds an excellent new area to explore, a gloriously modular character class that I can’t stop playing, an impressive debut raid activity, and lots more. But while just about everything it adds is awesome, it definitely doesn’t do enough where the somewhat flaccid campaign and story is concerned, and numerous bugs can occasionally drag it down. Thankfully, the changes to the meta, a greatly improved progression system, the resurrection of rune words, and NPC companions are all major wins for Diablo 4, even when it seems we’ll be waiting a bit to see where this interlude expansion leads.

The Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred expansion has me torn. I love a lot of the new changes, and I really wanted to say that I loved the story, but I don't.

The biggest shake-up for Diablo IV since launch looks to be its best so far. Vessel of Hatred offers up a compelling story, a fun new class, and an exciting world to explore, all while sticking to the dark and gritty themes that worked so well for the main game.

The addon is overshadowed by major changes behind the scenes. The new class is great, but overpowered, and the story ends abruptly.

Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred fails to match the quality of previous expansions in the series due to its change of approach in terms of story and business model. However, it does offer enough to tempt even the biggest Sanctuary fans.

Vessel of Hatred does what it was supposed to do: it expands Diablo IV with new content that should keep fans entertained and happy for at least a few weeks, although much of this content is not really different from the free seasonal updates. The new endgame loop is immersive, the all new Spiritborne class is fantastic, but the story barely moved forward and the expansion doesn't feel revolutionary as much as Reaper of Souls was to Diablo III.

Without spoiling too much, I'll just say that I would've liked a different, more compelling epilogue to the expansion's storyline, but the new spiritborn class is still a nice addition to the formula and there are plenty of content to enjoy during your stay in Nahantu, if you enjoy some more Diablo IV.

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a good expansion for Diablo 4. It doesn't revolutionize the original game like Reaper of Souls did in its time with Diablo 3, but it does bring some solid additions. The main storyline is still driven by an exceptional atmosphere in which you feel immersed. The new class works wonders in terms of customization and is the best way to play dynamic and nervous gameplay. In addition, the underworld of Kurast is a new way to gain power interactively. In short, Vessel of Hatred takes advantage of the additions made in season 4 to offer even more satisfying gameplay than before. The expansion is the perfect excuse to come back to the game for those who abandoned it upon its release or simply those who put it aside at the time. However, it may be too light for veterans who may be expecting more in terms of new features and customization. More than just a place to call home, Sanctuary now has the feel of an unmissable amusement park with Vessel of Hatred.

A solid expansion that introduces a beautiful new region, a new hero, and some welcome changes and intriguing additions. However, the storyline feels hollow, and the amount of fresh content is somewhat lacking given the price. Technically, it’s not entirely flawless either.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred makes significant improvements to a game that had been forgotten. While the story has some holes, the extra hours of gameplay are useful. The new class and activities boost the experience by making room to play them with friends. Despite it could have been better, the visual work far exceeded expectations.

There has been a range of mixed feelings about what Blizzard has put on offer with Vessel of Hatred. Just as the story starts to ramp up, it ends quite abruptly, leaving you with the sour taste of knowing you'll need to pay another $40 next year if you want the conclusion. Some of the new features, like mercenaries, feel a tad underbaked. And the new dungeons are still littered with the same choring events from the base game, with many of the same enemies and even the same layouts in some cases. But, the 4-6 hour story has some incredible highs. The new Spiritborn class is incredibly fun to play, and the game's artwork and music direction continue to be a strong suit for Blizzard. But too much of Vessel of Hatred's base experience is undermined by the story's pacing, which runs you through its major events and new characters with a breakneck cadence. And right at the end, it sends you back to grind out more Helltides and familiar dungeons, begging the question of how much here is actually "new." For every new angle in the endgame loop, there are new bugs and balance issues that frustrate the experience. Blizzard is working fast to correct them, but it's only possible to review what's on offer today, and what's on offer today isn't very polished.

As improved as Diablo 4 has become since its launch, Vessel of Hatred feels like the best and worst of it. The new end-game activities may be worthwhile, but story fans might want to think twice before jumping in.