Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred Review: Slaying with the Spiritborn

Diablo 4 has had a rocky first year and a half, while the base game reviewed positively, player response to the game’s first five seasons has been mixed. However, after finding solid footing after Season 4, longtime players are ready for something new to hack-and-slash. Enter, the Vessel of Hatred expansion.

Launching alongside Season 6 on October 8, 2024, this first expansion continues the story from the end of the base Diablo 4, introduces a dynamic new character class, and includes exciting new gameplay mechanics – some being classic features from previous Diablo games.

Diablo 4 Vessel of Hated screenshots & details

• Price: $39.99 US, £39.99 UK
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release date: October 8, 2024
• Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows
• Reviewed on: PS5

After spending some time with the expansion, it’s safe to say that fans of Diablo 4 are in for a treat. With the bombastic playstyle of the new Spiritborn class, new activities to break the monotony of early leveling, and build-defining additions like Runewords and Mercenaries, Vessel of Hatred refreshes the grind in an incredibly satisfying fashion.

The expansion also brings the 2.0 update with it. This reworked progression system sets the level cap to 60 and provides extra Skill Points for players to hone their builds. The caveat is that it will only be available to players who remain with the base game.

A new journey

Vessel of Hatred takes players deep into the region of Nahantu, the region that’s home to the iconic city of Kurast, in pursuit of a character who was pivotal to the base game’s cliffhanger ending. Neyrelle has shouldered the burden of transporting the Soul Stone imprisoning Mephisto to a location where he can be permanently contained.

However, Diablo veterans will know that such endeavors seldom end well. The immense power of the Lord of Hatred seeks to corrupt her in body, mind, and soul. To make matters worse, you are not the only force hunting Neyrelle. A more militant wing of the Cathedral of Light also seeks to hinder your progress and deliver ‘justice’ to Neyrelle.

You’ll be introduced to new allies as you race to save her. Local to the region of Nahantu, your new Spiritborn companions provide an excellent insight into these shamanistic people as they work to protect their home from Mephisto’s corruption – his Diablo 2 rampage, still haunting the denizens of the region.

As you progress through Vessel of Hatred you’ll gradually unlock the new endgame content such as the Kurast Undercity, the Realmwalker content, and the Dark Citadel. Some of this is also connected to Season 6, but we feel like these new modes are sent from the High Heavens after spending so much time endlessly doing Helltides.

A class of its own

Finally getting my hands on the Spiritborn in Vessel of Hatred, I can easily see it becoming the new fan-favorite. Its agile, martial arts-focused style of play, flashy skills, and focus on combos all make it feel vastly different from any of Diablo 4’s existing offerings.

I tested builds focusing on each of the Spiritborn’s four Spirit Guardians and found that all of them could appeal to different niches of the player base. While the defensively oriented Gorilla Skills and the Eagle’s blinding Movement Speed buffs offered some interesting build potential, the Jaguar and the Centipede were clear standouts.

The Jaguar focuses on stacking Ferocity which increases your Attack Speed while allowing you to dart around the battlefield and eliminate cooldowns on your more powerful Skills. Bolstering your effectiveness with Incarnate Skills that increase your damage output makes you a whirlwind of death when leveling through the game’s early difficulties.

Within the Spiritborn’s Skill Tree are several Passives that will augment the effects of your active Skills based on what Spirit Guardian they are connected to. The Spiritborn’s Class Mechanic allows you to make all your Skills an additional type based on what Guardian you decide to dedicate yourself to.

For instance, despite having all Centipede Skills equipped, dedicating myself to the Eagle Spirit made them all Eagle Skills as well. This allowed me to apply Vulnerable to enemies, which created more synergies that spread my poison further and healed me more. It also opened up my pool of potential gear Affixes to include those that triggered with the use of Eagle Skills.

For a casual player, dedicating yourself to a single Spirit Guardian and pushing that as far as you can is a perfectly viable strategy. For the min-maxers out there, figuring out the best combinations of Skills, buffs, and Class Mechanic synergies will keep you busy for hours.

With a little help from my friends

While the Spiritborn is certainly the star of the Vessel of Hated expansion, it stands alongside a stellar supporting cast. This DLC brings Mercenaries to Diablo 4 and based on my own time with each, I cannot understate the impact that these new NPC companions have. Known as the Pale Hand, this band of warriors is a welcome addition to the Vessel of Hatred campaign.

These AI companions will follow your character and battle alongside you, and each one has a branching Skill Tree that you can progress through by hiring and fighting with them. However, the true value in these Mercenaries is how they can be used to maximize certain elements of your build or cover some of its shortcomings.

For example, if you play a more fragile class, having Raehir draw some heat mitigates some of the anxiety. If your build has several benefits to attacking Vulnerable enemies, Aldkin will ensure that they are put to use.

Our Verdict: 4/5

What’s clear is that Vessel of Hatred is exactly what Diablo 4 needed. It lends weight to the argument that fresh story content and quests are a far more meaningful addition to the game than simply tinkering with existing mechanics every season.

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 to the game, adding elements from older games that fans have missed.

While we suspect the future of Diablo 4 lies in Destruction and Terror, right now, it’s all about the Hatred.

For more information on how we score video games, check out our scoring guidelines here.