Review: Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred

Developer – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Publisher – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Platforms –  Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4/5, PC (Reviewed)

Review copy given by Developer

Brace yourself for a new hellish journey in Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, where the jungles of Nahantu call forth those who dare to face untold dangers and dark forces beyond comprehension. As the latest chapter unfurls, the ancient and forbidden Nahantu region emerges—a land where primal chaos reigns and unseen spirits hunger for reckoning. Here, the boundaries between the living and the spectral are thin, echoing with voices from ages past, warning of both splendor and savagery within its depths. And lurking within this lush yet sinister landscape is the Spiritborn, a new warrior class born from the untamed energy that pulses through the jungle, summoning those who will wield its wild, devastating power. This malevolent expansion launches on October 7th at 4 PM PST, and after exploring Nahantu’s dark trails early, I’m here to unravel the twisted path that awaits.

Nahantu itself is a character—a sprawling, ancient wilderness teeming with overgrown ruins, deadly wildlife, and tribal communities bound to dark ancestral rituals. Ancient cities lie buried beneath choking vines, with temples that reek of old magic and mystery. Everywhere, shadows play, where demons and rival factions patrol, ever watchful of the secrets that lie hidden. It’s a place as mesmerizing as it is hostile, drawing bold adventurers into labyrinthine dungeons and guarded strongholds, where the jungle’s fierce inhabitants test every step. In spirit, Nahantu feels like a primal echo of Kurast’s dense jungles, with the sun never quite penetrating its darkened heart. Here, the Spiritborn call home, a class woven from ancient magic and ancestral bonds, drawing their power from Nahantu’s relentless wilderness.

The Spiritborn stand as Nahantu’s defenders, honing their brutal craft within the jungle’s depths. Their combat style is visceral, primal, and infused with ancestral might. At the heart of their power is the Spirit Hall, an ability that enables them to harness the raw essence of Nahantu’s revered Spirit Guardians—beasts of immense strength and purpose. The Spiritborn channel these spirits, each bringing unique strengths to match the Spiritborn’s savage adaptability on the battlefield. Spiritborn are molded by their Guardian’s primal essence through Incarnate, a transformative power that lets them embody their chosen Guardian, adapting their fighting style to counter any threat with untamed ferocity.

The Guardians themselves are Nahantu’s primal forces personified:

• Gorilla Spirit: With unbreakable resilience, the Gorilla grants its Spiritborn unmatched strength and fortitude. Emphasizing raw defense and damage mitigation, this Guardian endows the Spiritborn with the signature Incarnate skill Resolve, letting them absorb and deflect onslaughts with brutal effectiveness. Those who harness Gorilla find themselves transformed into living bulwarks, shrugging off attacks with the force of a primal titan.
• Jaguar Spirit: Fast and merciless, the Jaguar’s power lies in speed and lethal precision. With a predatory focus on agile combat and evasion, Jaguar-enhanced Spiritborn carve through foes like lightning, appearing and vanishing with deadly intent. With amplified movement and electric potency, Jaguar grants its host the ability to become the predator on the battlefield, outmaneuvering enemies before they can even react.
• Eagle Spirit: Visionary and wise, the Eagle enhances the Spiritborn with keen sight and deadly control. This Guardian’s abilities focus on crowd control, tracking foes, and poison-based debuffs, letting Eagle-guided Spiritborn weaken enemies from afar. The eagle’s clarity brings a calculated cruelty, allowing Spiritborn to manipulate the battlefield to their advantage, watching their enemies falter and fade.
• Centipede Spirit: A symbol of decay and resilience, Centipede Spirit gifts the Spiritborn with poisonous resilience and strategic disintegration. Through venomous arts and crippling status effects, Centipede advocates a war of attrition, draining the life from foes while binding them with poison and despair. The Centipede’s power disrupts and exhausts, ensuring that those who face it are reduced to shadows before they even strike.

Together, these Guardians unlock Nahantu’s power within the Spiritborn, creating a warrior who is both one with the jungle and capable of unyielding wrath.

The Dark Citadel then stands as Nahantu’s ominous crown, a challenge built for those who dare confront darkness head-on. This end-game dungeon is a cooperative crucible for teams of two to four players, inviting them into its cold, echoing halls filled with infernal threats. Within the Citadel, teamwork is paramount; at certain points, players must split paths, confronting their own trials in shadowed chambers. These coordinated encounters are brutally designed, demanding precise timing and strategy as players battle hordes, navigate traps, and prepare for fearsome bosses that reside within these dark walls. Communication is key, and the new Marker System lets players mark enemies and objectives, guiding each other wordlessly through this twisted maze.

Surviving the Dark Citadel rewards players with unique loot caches and hauntingly beautiful Citadel-themed cosmetics, trophies of their endurance within the haunted stronghold. This dungeon is a trial of darkness and perseverance, where only the most skillful emerge with the spoils of victory.

But the underbelly of this expansion lies in the Kurast Undercity—a multi-layered dungeon designed for speed and skill. Here, in the abandoned ruins below the storied city of Kurast, players take on a time-attack challenge, a relentless pursuit through winding corridors filled with monstrous threats. Each level grows more deadly, testing both the players’ resolve and their hunger for rare items. The Spirit Tribute system allows adventurers to channel their energies and craft the rewards they seek, creating a dungeon that balances risk and reward. And at the dungeon’s finale, a new line-up of bosses awaits, each more terrifying than the last, adding a pulse-pounding climax to the time-trial experience.

Beyond Nahantu’s deadly allure, the new Runeword System adds a layer of intricate power customization. This expanded Rune system empowers players to create synergies between two Rune types, Ritual and Invocation. By combining these, players can harness powerful bonuses ranging from skill crossovers to stat boosts, allowing for true gameplay versatility. With 17 Ritual Runes and 28 Invocation Runes, each encounter becomes a playground for power, where players can combine effects that bolster their defenses or amplify their attacks.

Activated through Offering, this new currency fuels the symbiosis between Ritual and Invocation Runes. When players meet certain conditions—like dealing damage or eliminating foes—Offerings are earned, activating the Invocation’s effect. Overflow, an added feature, grants bonus power when excess Offering is generated, amplifying effects to new heights. And with Runes available across chest, leg, two-handed weapon, and helm slots, the Runeword system opens boundless customization for every player.

Finally, new Base Game Features reforge the player experience, resetting the level cap to 60 and resetting characters above level 51 back to level 50, leveling the playing field for Nahantu’s dark journey. The game’s revamped difficulty system adjusts challenges to create a more rewarding balance between risk and reward, allowing players to engage in tactical, high-stakes battles. Additionally, item quality has been refined, enhancing loot visibility and ensuring players can swiftly identify the gear that best elevates their builds. This complements the new Party Finder, a streamlined feature for co-op play, allowing players to team up for hellish ventures without delay.

With Vessel of Hatred, Diablo IV enriches its lore and gameplay with Nahantu’s terror-laden jungles and the Spiritborn’s untamable rage. The new Spiritborn Class is beyond a fun addition to the game.

So Prepare to dive into darkness, where every step through Nahantu brings you closer to a diabolic world where survival is a blood-soaked triumph and every victory a whispered warning—Hell awaits, and it is hungry.