I’ve been playing Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred for around two weeks now, and this review is coming from the perspective of a casual gamer.
I don’t and can’t grind for hours every day or rush to max level. I’ve played multiple Diablo IV seasons before, but not consistently enough to be considered hardcore. If you’re wondering whether this expansion is still worth it for players who just want to play at their own pace, I’d say yes.
Lord of Hatred adds a lot of new things to the game, including two classes (Warlock and Paladin), a region called Skovos, story content involving Mephisto, endgame systems, War Plans, loot filters, and several quality-of-life updates. There’s also the return of the Horadric Cube.
I’m currently using the new Warlock class with a Dread Claws build, and it’s been fun to play. The class feels strong without being too complicated, and it works well even for solo players. Combat feels fast and satisfying once the build starts coming together.
I also made sure to finish the new campaign before writing this review. No spoilers, but the story was good. Lilith is my favorite Diablo character, and the expansion does a great job with the atmosphere. The cutscenes look amazing, and the soundtrack fits the game’s tone well.
One thing I noticed is that a lot of the important progression systems are locked until after you finish the campaign. Some of the bigger endgame mechanics and seasonal systems only fully open up afterward, so the early part can feel a little slow if you want access to everything immediately. Once those systems unlock, though, the game becomes much more enjoyable.
Farming in Diablo is still absolutely diabolical in the funniest way possible. You tell yourself, “just one more dungeon,” and suddenly you’re farming materials, re-rolling stats for the nth time, and still getting a complete dud instead of the one perfect drop you need.
Since I can’t play every day, I’m currently only at Torment 9. I’m sure hardcore players are already much further ahead, but the game still feels rewarding even when progress is slow.
Another good thing is that buying Lord of Hatred already includes the previous expansion, Vessel of Hatred. If you skipped that before, you’re getting plenty of content altogether.
Overall, Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred is worth the purchase, especially for casual players who enjoy Diablo but don’t have time to grind every day. The story is good, the new class is fun, and the gameplay loop is still addictive.
Even after two weeks, I still keep thinking about builds, loot drops, and what I want to farm next. This is probably the best compliment I can give a Diablo game.
For more information or to purchase the game: https://diablo4.blizzard.com/en-us/lord-of-hatred.
ALSO READ: Diablo IV Introduces Warlock Class in Lord of Hatred
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
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