Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Reviews
While not the content powerhouse some may have expected in terms of landmass, Diablo 4 is such a massive game that finally giving player creativity free reign via loot refinement systems makes it well worth playing.
Lord of Hatred gives Diablo 4 an extremely satisfying conclusion, excellent changes to build crafting, and an endgame that could potentially go the distance.
Lord of Hatred brings a campaign packed with thrills and a systems refresh that revolutionizes the loot chase.
Bright skies, calm waters, and a version of Sanctuary that hasn’t collapsed yet. So when it inevitably does, when Mephisto tightens his grip, and everything starts to crumble, it lands with more weight than it otherwise would.
Lord of Hatred is a good, meaty expansion. But I find it striking that I enjoyed playing the Paladin through the otherwise unremarkable season 11 more than playing the Warlock through Lord of Hatred's campaign.
Lord of Hatred accomplishes the near-impossible task of delivering a game-changing expansion that fundamentally improves on the core of Diablo 4, and a weighty narrative conclusion that so brilliantly balances spectacle with emotional heft. Essential for any fan of ARPGs.
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Review in Spanish | Read full review
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred provides a thrilling conclusion to the Age of Hatred arc and bolsters its endgame content with some very welcome additions.
Diablo IV’s dopamine-infused gameplay struggles to carry the weight of new systems stacked on top of old content, and it’s disappointing to see basic improvements being passed off as major expansion features. Lord of Hatred’s features are welcome from a quality-of-life perspective, but as an expansion it leaves much to be desired.
As with all expansions, playing the base game’s campaign first is recommended, but it’s also possible to jump almost directly into Lord of Hatred and enjoy the new classes. For anyone invested in the continuing saga of Lilith and Mephisto, Lord of Hatred is a rewarding new chapter.
Considering how frustrating and depressing it can be to engage with something under the Microsoft/Activision/Blizzard banner these days, it’s nice to have something that speaks to struggling against powerful, hateful forces and the motivations behind that fight, rather than just being a fun distraction. I appreciate the opportunity of being encouraged to think.
We recommend it without hesitation only to the most ardent fans of the series—those who have been with the game since launch and who will find in these new mechanics the fuel for hundreds more hours in the bowels of Sanctuary.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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Review in German | Read full review
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Review in French | Read full review
Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred feels, in many ways, like the end. With evil seemingly vanquished for now, a reworked endgame that really does have everything you need, and eight unique, exciting classes, I'm not sure where Blizzard goes from here. It does, however, serve as a climatic end to a saga of strife and woe, and while its narrative didn't quite hit the spot for me, I can't wait to explore more of what Skovos has to offer.
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred brings Mephisto back, along with a staggering amount of new content, a must play for RPG and Diablo fans alike.
On its own, Lord of Hatred isn’t worth your time. If you think of it as unlocking another year of Diablo 4 content though, and resolve to put the shambolic events of the expansion behind you, then it’s fine. It continues to build and improve upon the game’s core systems and, at the end of the day, it’s still a ton of fun to blow up hordes of demons.
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred was a lot of fun; new systems are deeper and more interesting than those in Vessel of Hatred, the Warlock is a fantastic class, and the narrative issues in the campaign are of little consequence in this genre. It’s just a shame that the expansion doesn’t so much expand the game into new, uncharted territory as simply patch up its shaky foundations.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Boasting a profound reinvention that overhauls the game's core player power routes and lacklustre endgame options, Lord of Hatred is a masterful recalibration that replaces "more of the same" with genuine mechanical depth, making it an essential evolution for veterans and the perfect demonic olive branch for the sceptics.
If you’re upgrading from the base game and didn’t buy Vessel of Hatred, you’ll be thrilled to find out that it comes included if you buy Lord of Hatred, which makes the $40 asking price a bit easier to swallow.