Diablo IV’s second major expansion, Lord of Hatred, arrives ready to pick up the pieces left by Vessel of Hatred’s cliffhanger and delivers a dramatic conclusion to the deeply twisted Age of Hatred saga. The Prime Evil is free from the Soulstone. He has possessed the body of the prophet Akarat, and players must hunt him down. The expansion takes the action to the sunny, Mediterranean-inspired Isles of Skavos. It brings two completely new classes, and it reworks the base leveling system. It also introduces a massive endgame overhaul. The narrative stands out as one of the better stories told in the Diablo universe, delivering a deeply satisfying conclusion. And the raw mechanical changes make this a great reason to return, introducing a wealth of changes and refinements to the aRPG’s formula ranging from loot management to build customization.
There’s no point in burying the lede: Lord of Hatred marks the best time to return to Diablo IV, and the strongest it has been since launch.
Mephisto Managed
The story drops players into a crumbling world, one that has been teased in Diablo lore for ages but has long gone unseen. Most of the roughly 8-hour campaign is spent exploring the Isles of Skavos, a region with numerous references throughout the series and a disappointingly canned appearance in Diablo III. This massive new landmass is heavily inspired by Greek architecture, disturbingly complimented by once-blossoming glades and marinas overrun by living thorns. The duality of untouched ancient civilization and encroaching darkness makes for an increasingly tense setting. Mephisto’s influence corrupts the islands; demons ravage beautiful spaces; thorns feed on human flesh; and ancient temples are flooded with blood. These components come together in Lord of Hatred to provide a striking visual shift from the snowy peaks and sandy ruins of Sanctuary’s introductory regions.
The campaign narrative pairs our protagonist with an unlikely partner. Lilith, Mephisto’s daughter and main antagonist of the base game, returns to aid in the fight against her father in a tenuous alliance with the Wanderer. The dark theme of patricide hangs over every interaction, backed by incredible voice acting and the top-tier Blizzard cinematics bursting with production value and spectacle. Throughout the journey, it’s hard not to question Lilith’s motives. Will she betray us or save us? The tension sits in the background the entire time, keeping players engaged in the high stakes narrative.
The local Askari people find themselves caught right in the middle of this demonic family feud. Queen Adreona leads the Amazons, and she acts as the driving force for the local resistance. She is desperately trying to save her dying land from the demon’s insidious grip. It all ultimately builds toward a heavy, earth-shattering climax that brings the multi-year Mephisto saga to a dramatic conclusion that feels worth the wait.
Divine and Demonic
Lord of Hatred also comes packing not one but two new classes: the Paladin and Warlock. The former is yanked from Diablo II, while the latter is all-new to the series. The Paladin is a heavy, armored tank built for brawling in the thick of it while harnessing holy magic. Massive shields and glowing maces crush enemies beneath their glistening armor. The Paladin relies on managing Faith as its resource. Zeal strikes with blinding speed, whereas Falling Star turns the holy knight into an angelic meteor. The class perfectly captures the fantasy of being an inextinguishable light pushing the shadows back into the corners. It’s a power trip that sits on the opposite side of the same coin housing the other new class.
Whereas the Paladin is a warrior of light, the Warlock derives its powers from the very demonic hordes it battles by essentially enslaving them. Warlocks utilize a dual-resource system, forcing players to manage both Wrath and Dominance simultaneously. Wrath is a large, quickly regenerating pool spent on destructive magic like Hellfire and Abyss spells. Dominance regenerates slowly and is used for summoning demons. Because spells and summons run from separate pools, combat becomes a tactical balancing act. A player can seamlessly switch between casting heavy damage spells and commanding demons. There are those that may tire of the passive, summoning playstyles already found in other classes, like Necromancer and Spiritborn. Fortunately, Warlock comes packing alternatives that carve new paths in its hellish abilities. By fusing a Soul Shard into their body, Warlocks can take on specializations that lean in stealthy shadow forms or a full demonic transformation.
To those who find either class unappealing, Lord of Hatred fundamentally changes leveling and gameplay for all classes. The boring passive nodes filling skill trees have been reworked to provide augments to existing skills, giving them all new mechanics and flavoring. So even if a heavenly soldier or infernal spellcaster aren’t to your liking, every class has been revamped, demanding respec and experimentation. With the level cap raised to 70 and each skill allowing for the investment of fifteen points instead of five, the class customization is at an all-time high going into this chapter of Diablo IV.
This newfound customization and build variety is heightened through other gear-modifying additions. The return of the Horadric Cube suddenly makes the accumulation of ever-dropping gear more meaningful, as commons can ascend to uniques and stat boosts can be added to existing favorites. Additionally, Talismans allow the slotting of Charms, which boast set bonuses. Unlike other aRPGs, players don’t have to rigidly adhere to specific gear pieces to benefit from a set bonus. Instead, the Charms sit separate from what’s adorning player characters, providing an extra layer on top of existing systems. And as you might imagine, that means all-new ways to become wildly overpowered.
Like the new classes, the added endgame activities come in two flavors. War Plans sees players assemble a custom playlist of up to five curated activities, with a wealth of enticing rewards lying in wait. Echoing Hatred is the other option. Here, players pit their builds against hordes of increasingly difficult enemies until they succumb to the overwhelming forces. However, the difference in the two lies in the fact that War Plans can be continually run, while Echoing Hatred required a rare resource to initiate, limiting the frequency of that particular venture. Both result in a shower of gear, making the loot filter an invaluable inclusion.
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred Review Verdict
Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred: Smashing through Skovos as a heavily armored Paladin and summoning demonic forces as a Warlock feel incredibly rewarding as Lord of Hatred marches toward the satisfying conclusion of its multi-year buildup. It marks a strong closeout of the Mephisto saga and puts Diablo IV in one of the best spots it has been since launch. – InfiniteStartStaff
[Editor’s Note: Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred was reviewed on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.]
