DIABLO 4 was one of the standout games of last year, and it was one of the best-ever years in gaming.
While people weren’t keen on the launch DLC, which charged exorbitant amounts for cosmetic items.
Vessel of Hatred introduces a new area inspired by the Aztecs[/caption]
However, that has never stopped people from enjoying Diablo 4 including the new seasonal content.
Diablo 4 will be further upgraded by the Vessel of Hatred expansion that is launching on October 8.
We had the chance to dive in before the expansion launches to the public.
Vessel of Hatred brings the most ambitious set of additions to the game, with a new story, region and class.
It picks up from where the story from the base game leaves off, focusing on Neyrelle’s journey.
Without spoiling the story, expect the same level of polish and quality that there was in the original game.
Vessel of Hatred will let you skip the majority of the base game’s story as there is a brief cinematic to give you a quick rundown.
We don’t recommend this, but it is something to consider for time-tight players.
The new region is Nahantu and it has a very different look to the rest of the map, thanks to its lush jungles and elements of Aztec and Mayan architecture.
It also brings a number of new monster families with new attack patterns, which helps improve variety.
The Spiritborn is the new class added into the DLC and it brings in elements from the Monk and Witch Doctor from Diablo 3.
They are easily one of the most versatile classes, as a swift melee class that can call on the powers of the four Spirit Guardians.
Each of these Spirit Guardians comes with its own elemental attack, and they each have a different speed and strength.
The new class doesn’t overshadow the old classes, as each of them gets new skills, passives and items.
Vessel of Hatred also brings back a new version of the Runewords from Diablo 2.
These are runes that can be combined into pairs, determining a condition and an effect that can be socketed into your gear.
It also adds Mercenaries and Party Finder, which allow solo players to have more fun with the game.
Mercenaries can fight alongside you, and you can unlock them after you complete their quest.
They won’t have gear, but they have their own skill tree to help streamline progression.
You can unlock four Mercenaries for hire, and build them to complement your playstyle, giving more reinforcements to solo play.
The other new feature, Party Finder, helps players find others to complete specific activities together.
With advanced filters you can search based on the endgame activity you want to do, helping you find the perfect match.
All the changes to progression, the raised level cap and skills, new class items, and difficulty levels are available to all players.
It’s great to see that the developers are not leaving behind those who won’t purchase the expansion, while still giving players compelling reasons to upgrade.
Vessel of Hatred improves on an already very good base game that has been refined over the last five seasons since launch.
If you want to read more about upcoming releases, check out our Silent Hill 2 review.
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