Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion was originally intended to address some issues left over from the main story of the base game. While the expansion does address some of these issues, it still feels loose and doesn’t have the depth and completeness that players expected.

Especially after playing through the entire expansion’s campaign, players find themselves almost back to square one, which makes the previous efforts seem a bit futile.

Despite this, the setting of Vessel of Hatred is still attractive in itself. First, it adds more backstory and details to the game world, allowing players to get a deeper understanding of Diablo 4. Second, by introducing new characters, locations, and quest types, Vessel of Hatred attempts to give players a fresh experience different from the main story.

For players who like to explore unknown areas or want to accumulate Diablo 4 Gold, this expansion provides additional challenges. However, it is precisely because Vessel of Hatred emphasizes independence and innovation that it has a negative impact on the main story.

Pros Of Vessel Of Hatred’s New Setting

For a long time, the story of Diablo 4 has always revolved around Eternal Conflict between High Heavens and Burning Hells for Worldstone. This grand narrative framework runs through the core plot of each Diablo work.

In Diablo 4, with the introduction of Sanctuary, humans become one of the key players in this ancient war and begin to actively use their wisdom and courage to influence the development of the war. This conflict is closely related to the world of Diablo. However, when entering Vessel of Hatred, the situation seems different.

In Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred, Neyrelle bravely steps into the unknown and dangerous jungle of Nahantu with Mephisto’s Soulstone. Her goal is to confront Mephisto, the source of evil, and stop his forces from continuing to erode the purity and tranquility of Sanctuary.

This action forms the core driving force of the story, and players will follow Neyrelle’s steps through numerous difficulties and strive to find and rescue her before she is completely overwhelmed by the dark forces within the Soulstone. If this difficulty is not within your reach, you can also buy Diablo 4 Gold to speed up the process.

The storyline of this expansion is more compact and personal than Eternal Conflict in the main storyline of Diablo 4. It temporarily focuses players’ attention on a more delicate and personal narrative - a journey of courage, sacrifice and redemption.

Nahantu in Vessel of Hatred, with its bright and saturated colors, brings players a breath of fresh air, which is in stark contrast to the usual darkness and despair of Sanctuary. Not only is the scenery here pleasant, but it also explores the theme of tribal culture and introduces a new Spiritborn class. This class uses the power of animal souls to give players unprecedented supernatural abilities.

The story of Vessel of Hatred is set away from the endless war in the High Heavens and Burning Hells, and focuses on the efforts of Nahantu people to protect their homeland. This not only enriches the game world’s diversity, but also provides players with a more relatable and emotionally resonant storyline.

Eru played a vital role in the defense of Nahantu, and his greatest wish was to protect the land from Mephisto. However, he ultimately reached an agreement with Mephisto that cost him dearly.

Cons Of Vessel Of Hatred’s New Setting

Although Vessel of Hatred provides players with a temporary escape from the ongoing Eternal Conflict in Diablo 4, its disconnect from the main story is still a significant drawback. A key unresolved plot point in the original Diablo 4 campaign was that Neyrelle trapped Mephisto’s essence in a Soulstone and then mysteriously disappeared. Many players are looking forward to solving this mystery through Vessel of Hatred, hoping to see a happy ending.

In a way, Vessel of Hatred does attempt to answer questions about Neyrelle’s fate. At the end of this expansion, although Neyrelle successfully breaks free from the connection with Mephisto’s Soulstone, according to some in-game dialogue, she does not seem to be completely out of danger.

This information implies that at some point in the future, Neyrelle may need to face this powerful demon again. Although this open ending leaves unlimited possibilities for the future, it may be a bit disappointing or confusing for players who are eager for a simple answer.

Vessel of Hatred, as the first expansion, does not meet players’ expectations. Although it provides some additional content and challenges, it does not really advance the development of the main story or answer questions. It just prolongs its original ending, and all the main stories are never fully resolved.

Since players can directly enter the expansion without playing Diablo 4’s main campaign, this shows that the story of Vessel of Hatred is of little significance to Diablo 4’s overall narrative. Future expansions can consider better integration with the main story and provide players with more meaningful plot development and answers.

Overall, Diablo 4’s Vessel of Hatred expansion has both attractive features and obvious shortcomings in its setting. I hope that future expansion packs will be better integrated with the main story, providing players with a more complete and meaningful gaming experience, answering those unanswered questions, and making players’ efforts no longer in vain.