Summary
- Diablo 4 started strong but faltered due to lackluster updates and aggressive monetization.
- Season 4 overhaul improved itemization, but the game still struggles to regain popularity.
- Vessel of Hatred expansion promises new content and a Halloween release, with minimal competition.
When Diablo 4 launched in June 2023, it was met with widely positive reviews across the board. In the months following its successful release, however, opinions on Diablo 4 started to sour among the gaming community due to its lackluster seasonal content updates and its use of aggressive monetization. Lately, though, Diablo 4 has begun to turn its reputation around thanks to the launch of Season 4 in May 2024, which completely overhauled the often-criticized itemization and loot progression in the game. Despite this, the action RPG still has not regained the popularity it had at launch, but Blizzard's upcoming expansion for Diablo 4, titled Vessel of Hatred, could really bring tons of players back to the game.
As the first major story DLC for Blizzard's hit action-RPG, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred adds a wealth of new content to the game. This includes an entirely new jungle area known as Nahantu, a treacherous realm filled to the brim with dangerous, grotesque insects, corrupt forces, and other hostile enemies. As exciting as the expansion seems based on what's been shared about it so far, it is still hard to say for sure if it will live up to expectations. That being said, Blizzard has already nailed one aspect of Vessel of Hatred so far, and that's its October 8, 2024 release date. Given its horror-tinged setting and characters, Diablo 4's upcoming expansion seems like it'll be the perfect kind of game to play during Halloween.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred's Level Cap Change Rumors Explained
More changes could be coming to Diablo 4 when Vessel of Hatred launches than have been confirmed, including a potential level cap update.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is the Perfect Expansion For the Halloween Season
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred Has a Dark Plot
Vessel of Hatred continues the narrative of the base game and primarily centers around the female scholar Neyrelle and the all-powerful demon Mephisto, Lord of Hatred. After being tasked with locating her, players have to deal with the corrupting influence of Hatred that's spreading throughout the region of Nahantu and the rest of Sanctuary. This eerie backdrop perfectly suits not only the Diablo franchise, but also the spooky season as well.
Vessel of Hatred Doesn't Have Many Direct Competitors During the Month of October
So far , there are surprisingly very few horror-themed games slated for release near Halloween. Currently, the only AAA horror game that's set to launch in October is Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake, which is planned to release as a PS5/PC exclusive on October 8. Beyond that, the co-op action horror game No More Room in Hell 2 is releasing on Steam Early Access on the same day as Halloween, October 31. There are some other heavy-hitters that are launching in the month, like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Sonic X Shadow Generations, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, and Life is Strange: Double Exposure, but none of them really fall under the horror game genre, so they don't exactly fill the same niche as these two aforementioned titles.
Though it may not be frightening in the traditional sense, Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is the only other horror-adjacent title slated for release in October. However, one of its competitors, the Silent Hill 2 remake, could steal some of the spotlight from Vessel of Hatred, since they're both dropping on the very same day. Besides that, though, Blizzard's upcoming expansion won't face too much competition and will serve as a flagship release for the Microsoft-owned developer during the holiday season. Even though it's unfortunate that there aren't more horror games launching in October, as previously mentioned, the lack of major releases in the genre will benefit Vessel of Hatred greatly and give the highly-anticipated Diablo 4 expansion more room to stand out.
Diablo 4
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
