(AfroGamers.com) My brother and I began playing Diablo IV with season two which was the “Season of Blood” based around Sanctuary being terrorized by vampires. It was pretty much the game’s first proper season following completion of the main game and there being nothing of note to do afterwards. Well, except for making another character and running dungeons.
Meanwhile, Blizzard’s mobile offering Diablo Immortal and the previous console/PC offering Diablo III were several seasons in—themed seasons with stories. From following players who had been in since season one, I don’t want to say there was a drought of content—it’s not Outriders or anything—but Diablo IV wasn’t pushing like a games as a service title such as Destiny 2.
I mean, folks were stoked about Diablo IV on launch and they pretty much ate through the campaign quickly. Hell, me and Tardell—my younger brother and AfroGamers writer—went through the campaign quickly just to get to the “Season of Blood” content. A lot of the lore stuff, some of the cut scenes, and the random, wordy journal entries were skipped over.
Listen, I wanted to slam and would read all of that afterwards on dedicated wikis or as a story time from Diablo loremasters on YouTube—shout out to TheBritishRunner for their four-hour documentary on the timeline. I love hearing the lore timeline of a game but the writers for D4 were really in their creative bag with how much dialogue and how long some of this lore was in game. A little too in their bag at times.
It’s Diablo: I want to get loot, boost it, and slam, slam, slam, folks.
Diablo IV Season 4: Loot Reborn
So, season two had stuff I liked in the vampiric powers and just fighting vampires in general. It was a blast and so far, they hold the honors as my favorite seasonal threat. As mentioned before, season 3 “Season of the Construct” introduced a little mechanical buddy that fought alongside you or healed as necessary. It was a cool addition and more importantly, it introduced something that should’ve stayed in season 4.
Nay, it should’ve replaced a Diablo staple or been presented more than said staple: the vaults. The ever-popular vaults were fantastic while presenting this great blend of challenging but not time-consuming and grindy like dungeons. I wouldn’t totally scrap the dungeons because I’m certain many players enjoyed them but there’s no denying that the vaults were it.
My rogue and my brother’s sorcerer would just chain vaults back-to-back and throw in a little Helltide or camp out in the field to just summon frenzied constructs to slam. With vaults, we chained them back-to-back but there was a tedium to doing them after four or five. It was time to throw in back-to-back Helltide runs just to dull what was beginning to feel like work and drudgery.
Unfortunately, the vaults were scrapped for season 4—where did they go? No one knows nor does it matter since each season pretty much takes place after Lilith is clapped. These aren’t continuing adventures your character is having, each seasonal character just came back from beating Lilith. Or perhaps they’re a new hero in town. Interesting.
The point is that the hero of Sanctuary didn’t clap Lilith to sleep, clap the vampires to sleep, then put Malphus in the dirt. It’s a thing. Having heard player suggestions and complaints, Blizzard made some massive improvements. So massive that they proclaimed it was an entirely different game and could’ve “been called Diablo V.” That’s pretty bold but guess what? It’s a very different game.
This Season Is What It Says It Is
Season 4 dropped on May 14, 2024 and presented with it upgrades to loot and how it drops, how stats and skills are presented, and most importantly, a reworking of the crafting. The crafting element introduced tempering and masterworking—the latter being available after completing a level 46 dungeon—which can really open your gear and your build up. These work in tandem with being able to select an Aspect from your library of gained Aspects.
It’s a season that truly lives up to its name and even has an advanced dungeon run where you can gain special resources for masterworking gear. Blizzard really did the dew with this season although I didn’t need the extra month of waiting nor the removal of vaults. Of course, they made up for the wait with all this grease they gave players at just World Tier 2.
Of course, we always start at World Tier 2 and after the fall of Lilith. No one’s playing through that lengthy story again unless they’re new.
You can actually make some of the builds you see online and on YouTube easily if you have the resources. Not only that, Blizzard also moved some crafters around to be closer to each other in towns, added a jeweler to the Tree of Whispers, seasonal potions, new consumables, Helltides for every World Tier, and—you can speed through town on your horse.
If you’re a Diablo IV player, share your impressions on “Loot Reborn”! Is it too easy? Did Blizzard give us too much grease? Or are you enjoying the game more than you did before? Let us know in the comments!
Staff Writer; M. Swift
This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.