Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred Reviews

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is ranked in the 91st percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
6 / 10.0
Nov 12, 2024

The story isn’t good and while Nehantu is more interesting to look at than the endless deserts, Blizzard has got to stop treating Diablo like an MMO. They need to treat it more like a single player dungeon crawler that also happens to have some online elements to justify these price tags. Especially when they’re already asking players to pay for a battle pass, there’s even less reason to justify this expansion costing more than $20.

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Eurogamer
Top Critic
4 / 5
Oct 18, 2024

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

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PC Gamer
Top Critic
90 / 100
Oct 4, 2024

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

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Travis Northup
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a stellar expansion that hits all the right notes, but only feels like the first act to a larger adventure.

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Oct 4, 2024

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.

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Oct 4, 2024

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred demonstrates that Blizzard Entertainment is following the right path with its ever-evolving action-RPG. The addition of a new region and class breathe new life into Sanctuary, and smart changes to progression and core systems only improve the baseline experience further. The story could have been more impactful, but this expansion still offers a journey worth taking.

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8 / 10
Oct 4, 2024

The Vessel of Hatred expansion meaningfully expands on the content offered by Diablo 4 with the game's most exciting class and captivating spins on the dungeon-crawling formula.

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4.5 / 5.0
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred continues the story of Diablo IV into its next inevitable chapter. The story continues in a satisfying way as players explore the new region of Nahantu. The Spiritborn class is a blast to play, the mix of a martial artist with different Guardian Spirits providing support has potential for numerous viable builds.

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Unscored
Oct 14, 2024

The new Spiritborn class's centipede Animorph is a great addition, and mercenaries widen buildcraft significantly. But Diablo 4's core loop is still mostly unexciting, and the story here feels thin and laboured.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred is a worthy adventure and a great reason to head back to Sanctuary - if you ever left in the first place.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 11, 2024

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.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

6 / 10
Oct 25, 2024

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred is a bit of a disappointment. After the story finishes, it feels like little has changed, though the structural systems of the game have had some upheaval. You hit max level far quicker now and, once you do, the fun of looting will evaporate for all but the most hardcore and dedicated loot hunters. Meanwhile, there's spam to buy loot in the chat constantly, the party finder invariably puts me in parties where my lower level character is useless and dies to a sneeze from a passing asthmatic, and the big co-op endgame dungeon doesn't really seem to understand what Diablo is. Why doesn't it seem to understand? Because this is an MMO, not Diablo.

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78 / 100
Oct 4, 2024

The plot of this expansion doesn't feel all that substantial and pales in comparison to its predecessors in other games in the series. Vessel of Hatred doesn't have the packaging of other expansions and while I appreciate Blizzard taking their time, in the end, if you want to continue with this story, you're going to have to pay again.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

7.5 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

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.

Review in Italian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred has Diablo 4 in its best form yet.

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8 / 10
Oct 18, 2024

While unlikely to convert any new adherents, Vessel of Hatred provides plenty of reasons to return to the dark world of Sanctuary. The Spiritborn class is the biggest draw here, but exploring Nahantu and delving into a dark new storyline make Vessel of Hatred worth the entry price.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

Ultimately, however, Vessel of Hatred adds so much to the quality of the game. The story is deep and engaging, and offers many satisfying twists and emotional growth of characters; the Spiritborn class is my new favorite. I am eager to try out other combinations of skills with the Spiritborn and see what else Diablo 4 has to offer in the future.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 4, 2024

Vessel of Hatred is the expansion that was needed to give a touch of novelty to Diablo IV, let's say exotic. With several substantial contents, a morbid attention to the co-op component and some new features with a strong personality, Vessel of Hatred is a succession of dark adventures and an unmissable expansion for every Diablo IV fan.

Review in Italian | Read full review

Unscored
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo IV Vessel of Hatred is a solid expansion that is perhaps not heavy on content but more than makes up for it with many systemic changes that will elevate the whole game for years to come.

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Dexerto
Top Critic
Oct 4, 2024

Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion offers a compelling new narrative for fans looking to continue the base game’s story. The new Spiritborn class is a joy to behold, and new features like Mercenaries and Runewords are a welcome addition, adding elements from older games that fans have missed.

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