Diablo 4 is currently in its best state, largely thanks to the recent Lord of Hatred expansion. This expansion significantly deepened the game by adding robust customization options, including impactful new skill trees for each class, a promising item crafting system, and tools to curate the endgame experience. This overhaul has made character building exciting and accessible, even without external guides, finally giving Diablo 4 a clear and stable vision.
However, the current season, Season of Death Awakening, seems to largely disregard the advancements introduced by the expansion. While the core improvements from Lord of Hatred remain, the seasonal content feels like a step backward, offering little that builds upon the game's newfound depth.
A Season of Missed Opportunities
The new "Ruptures" mechanic, where players defend a point against waves of monsters, provides a fun, albeit simple, open-world event that aids in leveling. Yet, these Ruptures lose their relevance once players reach max level and seek specific character upgrades. In previous seasons, this was understandable as the game's focus was primarily on escalating difficulty and loot acquisition. In the post-Lord of Hatred era, however, these events feel like a missed opportunity to integrate with the game's more sophisticated systems.
Ruptures are not incorporated into the endgame loop driven by the War Plans table, nor do they offer any progression beyond increasing the difficulty level. This exclusion makes them feel like a relic from an earlier version of Diablo 4, one criticized for its lack of meaningful depth.
Instead of expanding on a new mechanic, Season of Death Awakening follows the pattern of older seasons by rendering its new elements obsolete at endgame. Unless players are farming for crafting materials, the unique rewards from Ruptures are not compelling enough to pursue.
The newly introduced world boss encounter and the subsequent "Deathtoll Chamber" offer loot comparable to standard endgame dungeons. While these encounters could be improved with higher quality item drops, they still lack the robust systems present elsewhere in the game. The primary draw is the chance to obtain materials for crafting the powerful new Mythic Uniques, but even this highlights a desire for more significant shake-ups to the crafting system for the duration of the season.
A Disconnect Between Systems
Developing new seasons is a time-consuming process, meaning Season of Death Awakening was likely in production long before Lord of Hatred's release. This temporal disconnect likely explains why the seasonal content does not fully capitalize on the expansion's impact. While Blizzard cannot always predict player reception, a short delay could have allowed for a season that better complements the game's latest advancements.
Diablo 4 has seen numerous bug fixes and balance adjustments in recent months, making it arguably better than its previous state. Season of Death Awakening, however, may signal a need for Blizzard to re-evaluate its seasonal approach to prevent such a glaring disconnect between the current game state and new content. This could involve untethering seasonal features from expansion requirements.
While comparisons to Path of Exile are often debated, Grinding Gear Games has demonstrated a mastery of continuously expanding its seasonal action RPG. Blizzard's success in integrating systems inspired by Path of Exile, like item crafting, without sacrificing Diablo 4's accessibility is commendable. Nevertheless, it is disappointing to see a new season that fails to build upon these foundational improvements.
Lord of Hatred proved that Diablo 4 could benefit from more depth, exceeding expectations in its revitalization of an already enjoyable game. New seasons should serve as an opportunity for both player engagement and developer experimentation. While Blizzard's capability to achieve this remains, Season of Death Awakening falls short of its potential.