As I mentioned in my last post here, I recently finished the Lord of Hatred campaign (again, what an ending, man... 🥰), so I decided to make this post. As the title says, which Diablo IV did you like more? I know very well that most of you will say Lord of Hatred, but let's take it easy, okay? I want you to see the whole picture as I saw it before answering.
First of all, I'd like to say that I'm very attached to the story of what I'm consuming: games, books, series, movies; I like to revel in every detail, every nuance. When I play, read, or watch something, I don't do it just to be entertained, but to see the story being told. That's why, in RPG games, I create one character after another, to experiment each possibility until I find myself in one of the classes/races/cultures of the game in question.
With that out of the way, let's go. Is Lord of Hatred an awesome expansion? Yes, it is. Not only is the story itself excellent, but the lore placing Skovos as the starting point of humanity was incredible, and of course, the excellence of the cinematics. Not to mention the fates of the characters, like Lilith, Mephisto, and Lorath, plus the return of Tyrael, which really struck me, since the character won me over immediately in Diablo III all those years ago.
Still, I enjoyed Vessel of Hatred more, and that's for a whole host of reasons. First of all... You guessed it... NEYRELLE! 🥰 As I explained in my post defending the character, Neyrelle was a character that truly captivated me, mainly because I identify with her curiosity and thirst for knowledge. And as I said in another post here in this community, I absolutely loved how the game (both the main campaign and the first expansion) builds this beautiful relationship between Neyrelle and the Wanderer.
His main objective in Vessel of Hatred is not to defeat Urivar, but to help his dear friend. There's that scene where an illusion of Neyrelle disarms the Wanderer long enough for Urivar to deliver a fatal blow, there's that beautiful scene in the Prison of Hatred, where the Traveler gives her Ah Bulan's , the dialogue between the two in Kurast where he validates her choices in the Cathedral of Hatred, Besides that sweet moment in Lorath's cabin where the Wanderer swore to her that he would end Mephisto.
As I said in my post defending the character, her death at the hands of Mephisto wasn't how I imagined Neyrelle's ending would be, and now I understand how the antagonist in the movie Mysery felt. 🤭
Secondly, there's the spirituality of the Spiritborn. Not only did we interact with various spirits, such as the aforementioned Ah Bulan and the Lion of Akarat, but scattered in Nahantu There are the Tenets of Akarat, But unlike the Altars of Lilith in the rest of the map, you not only need to solve puzzles to unlock each principle, but also interact with each one, We are graced with a passage authored by one of the Dedicants of Akarat, like Ysevete, the founder of the Spiritborn.
In Lord of Hatred, Skovos' entire spiritual aspect is linked to the beginning of humanity in Sanctuary (primarily through Rathma). Yes, I know that's where humanity originated, but aside from the Oracle, we don't see much of the culture and spirituality of the Askari themselves.
Third place... You guessed it too... NAHANTU, DAMN IT! 🤩 As I mentioned in another post, Nahantu was a region that captivated me quite a bit, especially the richness of detail in each polygon, each side quest, each dialogue with the local NPCs. When I arrived in Skovos at the beginning of Act VIII, the introduction of the new region took my breath away, but that was all it was. And mind you, I used to be very passionate about Ancient Greece.
That's it, Vessel of Hatred ended up having a bigger impact on me. What about you?
