This review is a follow up to our earlier review of Diablo IV. That being said, this edition of Diablo IV that I was offered the chance to review has both DLC expansions (Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred), starts on Season 15 of the seasonal expansions, and has more upcoming seasons to help prepare for the inevitable Diablo V in Spring 2029.
As a result of all of this, I can say in all honesty that this is an entirely different release than the initial Diablo IV, and thus, is worthy of a separate view with a different perspective. Does this version live up to the expectations set from the original release? Or rather, does the game fall short in a few noteworthy areas? As a somewhat long-time fan of the series starting with Diablo III on PS3, let’s find out! This is my review of Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection.
There’s SO MUCH to Experience!
There’s a LOT to experience in Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection. There’s a really cool and complex character creation system. With it and about 15 minutes of prep time, I made this “Legally-Distinct” Kratos (it surprisingly worked! Take that, Sony!).
These pan shots are gorgeous, and so are the locations.
Each class has a lengthy skill tree, and every time you level up, you get a Skill Point that can be used to level up skills like the Sorcerer’s elemental spells, the Barbarian’s physical skills, etc. There’s a LOT of versatility and options to go with regarding battle styles in Diablo IV. That being said, when making characters, it’s easy to accidentally select the Lord of Hatred campaign for a character, thus spoiling the Vessel of Hatred and base game endings for you by accident! I speak from experience.
The Abandoned Mineworks in the Lord of Hatred expansion is FULL of various types of spiders: spider hosts, small spiders, giant spiders, etc. You will DESPISE spiders and develop a fear of them by the time you finish this side dungeon. As a knock against the whole game, the level up system works like in the Lunar: Silver Star Story series, where enemies and bosses level up with you. Unless you optimize your gear synergy, you will have a hard time with the side dungeons in Lord of Hatred.
In Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection, the player has access to 8 classes. They are Barbarian, Druid, Paladin, Necromancer, Sorcerer, Spiritborn, Warlock, and Rogue.
The (Base) Story so Far
Diablo IV‘s base story campaign involves taking on Lilith, the daughter of Mephisto (Lord of Hatred) and the sister of Lucion. She was known to all of Sanctuary as the Queen of the Succubi. Once the lover of the archangel Inarius, her union with him led to the creation of the first Nephalem. This is part of her own plan to rebel against her father. So, in simple terms, a rebellious Hell daughter attempts to go against her Prime Evil dad’s designs, and you (the player-created character) and a few allies must stop her from tearing Sanctuary apart.
In Vessel of Hatred, a character named Neyrelle must be tracked down since she carries the Soulstone housing Mephisto.
In Lord of Hatred, the hunt for Mephisto is on in the island continent of Skovos. New twists regarding base antagonist Lilith are revealed and so on.
The Final Verdict
In closing, Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection is a fantastic game to play on handheld mode via your Switch 2 wherever you have Wi-Fi! The game offers 8 fun classes with LOTS of options for combat customization, lots of equipment slots and equipment levels, and so on. It results in a game that is easy to pick up and play but rewardingly hard to master and put down.
If you haven’t played Diablo IV or its expansions on the Switch 2 or on any other console yet, do so ASAP. I guarantee you won’t regret it.
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
Release Date: 15th September 2026
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Diablo IV: Age of Hatred Collection was provided by the publisher.
