The following contains MAJOR spoilers forDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred DLC.
WhileDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred DLC contains plenty of new content, including the new Spiritborn class, it also introduces a continuation of the story ofDiablo 4that follows Neyrelle into Nahantu on her path to destroy Mephisto. Unfortunately, despite what seems like a compelling premise,Vessel of Hatred’s storyhasn’t been well received by a significant portion of theDiablo 4community.
Some of this controversy is arguably warranted, although Vessel of Hatred’s story is still worth witnessing. The main issue many have taken up with the story ofDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion is not that it isn’t good but that it isn’t finished.
Why Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred Story Is So Controversial
Vessel of Hatred Seemingly Never Accomplishes What It Set Out to Do
One of the primary reasonsDiablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansionhas been met with such controversy is that it never actually accomplishes what it originally set out to do. The story for Vessel of Hatred is set up with Neyrelle venturing into the depths of the Nahantu jungle in an effort to destroy the Prime Evil Mephisto, which would justifiably lead players to believe that they would eventually be battling Mephisto in his prime form at the end of the story and bringing him to an end once and for all.
However, by the time the final scene of Vessel of Hatred’s story concludes, it becomes clear that the journey has only just begun.
Specifically, for a story that is so bent on seeing Mephisto destroyed, it avoids that conclusion by having players face the Harbinger of Hatred rather than Mephisto’s true form. Inevitably, this leads to an ending that suggests the fight with Mephisto is far from over and will continue (hopefully) in the next expansion. Akarat’s mortal body is eventually shown being consumed by Mephisto’s corruption to become his new vessel. While this is a major plot point in the Mephisto storyline, it is a highly controversial one due to its placement, as it arguably might have been better off serving as the halfway point inVessel of Hatred’s campaignrather than the ending.
Not Much Has Changed When Vessel of Hatred’s Story Ends
Something else that has inspired controversy is Vessel of Hatred’s apparent penchant for playing it a bit too safe. For example, fortunately, Neyrelle’s bond with the soulstone is severed just over halfway through Vessel of Hatred’s story, freeing her and bringing her back to what appears to be full health. However, during one of the story’s final dialogue exchanges between Prava, Neyrelle, and the player character, Prava indicates that, although Neyrelle’s connection to the soulstone has been broken, herconnection to Mephistoremains, implying she will play a significant role in his eventual demise.
Ultimately, this suggests that one of the main vehicles of Vessel of Hatred’s story, which sees players relentlessly tracking Neyrelle down to save her, was largely for nothing. Yes, she is no longer bound to Mephisto’s soulstone, but she is apparently still bound to Mephisto himself. Herjourney into Nahantuwas to defeat Mephisto, and yet by the end of Vessel of Hatred’s campaign, he remains, and Neyrelle and the player character are right back where they started at the end ofDiablo 4’s narrative.
This, in addition to several other trivial storylines, like Prava’s continued antagonistic position against Neyrelle and the player character and the unchanged politics of Nahantu, even after the death of Eru and Maka, undermine the expansion’s credibility, somewhat suggesting it might have been better off as part ofDiablo 4’s base game campaign, a free update, or only half of a fuller expansion. Nevertheless, this is whereDiablo 4is at currently, but hopes are that whatever is next for the game will take it further and provide some much-needed closure.
Diablo 4
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Embark on the campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through beautifully dark settings and a gripping story, or explore an expansive end game and shared world where players can meet in towns to trade, team up to battle world bosses, or descend into PVP zones to test their skills against other players – no lobbies necessary – with cross-play, cross-progression, and couch co-op on Xbox.This is only the beginning for Diablo® IV, with new events, stories, seasons, rewards, and more looming on the horizon.
