Vessel of Hatred’s opening cutscene, first shown during the June Xbox Games Showcase, is one of the best cinematics Blizzard has ever produced. Not only is it breathtaking in its verisimilitude - the most human a CG character has ever looked - but it’s also harrowing and horrific in a way that feels quintessentially Diablo.
The scene picks up where Diablo 4’s story left off, with Neyrelle’s cursed pilgrimage to the Sanctuary equivalent of Mount Doom going about as well as you’d expect. Through his Soulstone, Mephisto has been slowly corrupting her mind, plaguing her with visions of her dead mother and making her think she’s trapped in hell with him as he slowly dismembers her. She regains control of her thoughts just long enough to witness an actual horror: the corruption inside her spilled out, gruesomely killing her ferryman. One more casualty of the fateful choice she made in hell.
Vessel of Hatred is a story about consequences, and in saying so I’m practically quoting one of the characters (Diablo has never been known for its subtlety, after all). This is a middle chapter in Diablo 4’s story that explores the fallout of Neyrelle’s choice to rescue Mephisto from Lilith, of our choice to let Neyrelle make that choice. Those consequences are far-reaching, and much of the expansion’s story is centered around exploring how the world has changed in the wake of Lilith and Inarius’ death, and the spreading of Mephisto’s corruption across Nahantu, the new/old region where much of Vessel of Hatred’s story takes place.
Lorath, Diablo 4’s best character, is conspicuously missing from the story.Director Brent Gibson told GameSpotthere wasn’t room for him in this story and that his whereabouts will be unpacked over time, but it really feels like he should have been part of this chapter of the story, or that his absence should have been better addressed.
It’s interesting to return to the jungles of Nahantu, previously known as Kehjistan, the setting from Diablo 2’s third act. A lot of recognizable landmarks and locations that serve as nice easter eggs for old fans like me, but also help to ground Vessel of Hatred’s world and lore in the history of Diablo. That’s important because of the way the expansion deepens Diablo lore with some inventions that might at first feel out of place in Diablo.
While the overarching plot is about catching up to Neyrelle, freeing her from Mephisto’s clutches, and trying to deal with the demon once and for all, it’s also an exploration of an aspect of Diablo mythology that’s been largely in the background throughout the series: the Spirit Realm. Its place in this universe and the way it’s represented can be, stylistically speaking, a bit challenging. Diablo is known for its grimdark gothic setting; a battle between heaven and hell with the poor wretched humans caught in the middle. The Spirit Realm is this other, secret third thing, where humans draw from the power of magical spirit animals and can even become gods themselves.
VoH is very clever about how it eases the audience into all of this Spirit Realm stuff, and I found that once I was immersed in the story and the characters, none of it felt nearly as out of place as it sounds. There’s a lot to wrap your mind around, though. One of the main characters, a messiah figure who is foundational to Diablo’s lore, appears as a three-eyed lion god made of pure light. We’ve come a long way from a cleaver-wielding devil in an old busted church.
The new Spiritborn class really helps smooth out any rough edges here. I wrote all about how the class plays inmy previewwithout the broader context of the story, and now I think Blizzard was very wise to build the narrative and setting of the campaign around the new class being introduced - even if playing through the expansion’s storyasa Spiritborn character doesn’t really make a lot of sense. The rule of cool very much applies here, and getting to invoke the powers of all the different spirit animals while you slice and dice your way through hell’s army with a fancy new glaive really makes all this new mythology easier to digest.
I really enjoyed the leveling process with Spiritborn, more so than other classes in Diablo 4, because each of the four spirit types (Jaguar, Eagle, Gorilla, Centipede) have such strong identities. No matter how you mix and match your skills it feels like you’re creating a specific class identity for your character in a way other classes don’t.
While I enjoyed the new class and the twists and turns of the remarkably well-paced story, I don’t think the new zone affords as much of a sense of exploration as it should. I felt similarly about the map in the base game, but having us return to a familiar location exacerbated those feelings.
I remember exploring every inch of the jungle over and over in Diablo 2 until I’d memorized the tile patterns and could clear Act 3 with my eyes closed, but there’s just no reason to do that in Diablo 4. I don’t have a good sense of the landscape or the texture of Nahantu because all I did was ride my horse as fast as I could from one quest marker to the next. Digging into the end game more and spending time doing Helltides and Grim Favors will help, but as a long-time fan, the setting invites some unfavorable comparisons to Diablo’s glorious past.
That said, as a returning player it’s easy to see that Diablo 4 is probably in the best spot it’s ever been. I get to enjoy some of the big systemic upgrades that I missed in recent seasons, like gear tempering and the new codex and aspects systems, while also diving into all the new end game activities VoH has to offer. Our own Charles Burgar hasa fantastic breakdown of the end gamefrom a hardcore grinders point of view, and he’s bullish on practically every upgrade here, especially the new Kurast Undercity activity - another treat for long-time fans.
Neither of us have gotten to try the new multiplayer ‘raid’ activity, The Dark Citadel, but the early chatter is positive and I’m excited to try it with friends.
Vessel of Hatred makes Diablo 4’s endgame grind more streamlined and intuitive than it’s ever been before, which will go a long way towards holding the attention of fickle players like myself who bounced off the game in the early seasons when progress became too tedious to manage. I’m looking forward to taking a second stab at it in Season 6. Diablo 4 isn’t a fundamentally different game than it was a year ago and this expansion is more about refinement than reinvention, but that goes to show how much of the game was already working well leading into Vessel of Hatred.
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.
Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover the next chapter of Diablo® IV in Vessel of Hatred™. Continue your fight to thwart the diabolical plot of the Prime Evil, Mephisto. Battle as the all-new Spiritborn class, empowered by mystical Spirits. Expand your map to the new region of Nahantu and traverse through its lush jungles. Recruit new Mercenaries, take on new enemies, dungeons, a new PvE co-op challenge, and more. Plus, explore base game updates that will introduce new power and continue to enhance the world of Diablo® IV.New class: SpiritbornThe Spiritborn, apex predator of the jungle, is poised to strike. Battle with styles and mystical synergies that could only be awakened deep beneath the jungle’s canopy with an entirely new class to the iconic Diablo® series.New region: NahantuExpand Sanctuary to discover new Towns and bygone civilizations shrouded in the vast region of Nahantu. Battle courageously through new dungeons and Strongholds and take on new enemies from ferocious demons to warring Tribes.More campaign, more evilPrepare for the next chapter of Diablo® IV. Your search for Neyrelle takes you deep into an ancient jungle in an attempt to uncover Mephisto’s malicious agenda and put his corruption to an end once and for all. But be warned - within the jungle await gruesome new foes plotting your demise.Team up for the Dark CitadelParty up to take on a new multi-faceted dungeon with powerful challenges and promising rewards. First of its kind to Diablo®, this dungeon will require eager warriors to team up and take down the challenge together.Recruit your MercenariesDiscover and recruit new Mercenaries to join you on your quest. These powerful allies fight alongside you, grow in power as they progress and aid you in combat with unique abilities.Tons of base game updatesAll Diablo® IV players can venture forward with new Pets to aid in gold and material pickup today! Plus, experience more updates coming to all players when Vessel of Hatred™ releases. Empower your favorite classes with new skills, added Paragon Boards, and Legendary Glyphs. Explore new dungeon types, added activities and rewards from the Tree of Whispers, and replayable Strongholds, with even more updates on the way.
