Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred is a return to something from the series. Although it tries to imitate what is loved and appreciated visually Diablo 2and as the next Lord of Destruction expansion, it seems like Blizzard Entertainment wants to dig even deeper into that, elevating the mechanics and features from what was considered the pinnacle of the series. And I couldn’t help but consider the possibility, or rather, how interesting it would be to see classes from Diablo 3 appear in Diablo 4 as Mercenaries.
For those unfamiliar with the Mercenary system, in Diablo 2 You can hire mercenaries in major towns to travel with you across different continents to defeat the Prime Evils. These companions are not given individual character arcs, but instead are faces with names and classes attached. They can die, and if you grow attached to them, either through their interests or building a story in your head about who they might be, it can sometimes feel like a loss. New mercenaries can be hired to replace your old mercenaries, continuing the cycle of life, death, repeat.
Diablo 3 expanded on this system, although some say it was a step backwards in some ways since players weren’t really looking for former mercenaries to become fully fleshed out characters. Instead of hiring a nameless Warlock, you can instead bring along Cormac the Templar, who has a small introductory quest that helps you learn who this man is and what his ideals are. Diablo 3 There are a total of three mercenaries that you can recruit and equip, and even tweak their skills.
This is more or less the direction Diablo 4‘S The ship of hatred seems to be coming in. There are a total of four companion characters, about whom Blizzard Entertainment has shared very little information, who appear to have their own stories. What those stories are is unknown or their utility. But they do seem to cover several types of roles that will suit certain playstyles and builds. While these new mercenaries are in Diablo 4 seems neat, part of me would love, or would love to see the classes of Diablo 3 come back in some way.
Like many players, I am beating my chest because of the true “tank” class. I want a Templar (that seems unlikely given new lore), a Paladin (also unlikely for lore reasons) or Crusader (again, probably impossible due to lore theory). But if I can’t play one of these three “holy warriors,” I’d love to see one join my team. Perhaps an exhausted Paladin, or the Last Crusader looking for someone to give his armor to and rush into. Or even Demon Hunter! I love Demon Hunter and the lore surrounding the class. Correct, Diablo 3 is a colorful game and a point of contention for players, but Demon Hunters are a class honed in some of the most harrowing, traumatic experiences possible. So having a Demon Hunter, perhaps on the verge of becoming what they hunt, would fit with the cynical tone of Diablo 4.
It will also give the team the opportunity to dig deeper into what happened between the events of Diablo 3 And Diablo 4 Without it in a series of short stories or novels, not everyone can get their hands on it. (Or maybe don’t want to read in general.) I know I definitely want to know more. Even receiving a piece of information about Malthael wiping out a large portion of humanity in Soul killer got me caught up in the “What Ifs” of what happened between games.
And if we can’t play or revisit the classes that some people love Diablo 3 for one reason or another, adding them in through other means could at least be interesting.
Diablo IV available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC, and Ship of Hate expansion Release date is 8, 2024.
