Diablo 4's Vessel of Hatred expansion just came out, and it has proven to be quite divisive among fans for different reasons, such as the Dark Citadel raid or the story campaign and its epilogue. One element that seems to be generally well-received is the game's sixth class. Diablo 4's Spiritborn is an amazing class that is arguably far more polished than the base game's five starter classes, as it was built from the ground up with hybridization and customization in mind, fusing together different playstyles and guardian spirits. One of the problems with the class, however, is that it lends itself quite easily to comparisons with the Druid, for better or for worse.
At face value, Diablo 4's Spiritborn and the Druid are simultaneously pretty similar and nothing alike, with the former being a sort of protector of the Spirit Realm and Nahantu with a lot of Diablo 3 Monk inspirations, and the latter being the ultimate guardian of nature that likes to cast spells and change its form. The Spiritborn is a martial artist at its core, with a lot of its skills being more melee-adjacent, though Diablo 4's strongest skill in Vessel of Hatred is probably Quill Volley, a ranged skill from the Eagle line. The comparison between Spiritborn and Druid makes sense, and it could bear fruit or become a problem.
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred's Tenets of Akarat Explained
Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred's Tenets of Akarat are new collectibles added with the expansion that essentially replace the base game's Altars of Lilith.
Why Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred's Spiritborn Class Can Make the Druid 'Obsolete'
Diablo 4: The Spiritborn and Druid's Approach to Spirits and Nature Explained
The first and most glaring similarity between the Spiritborn and the Druid is that both have their animal spirit determine what they can achieve in terms of gameplay. Diablo 4's new Spiritborn class can choose between four different spirits as its primary and secondary guardians in the Spirit Hall screen. These are the Jaguar, the Gorilla, the Eagle, and the Centipede, and all of them have defined identities in terms of mechanics, with the Jaguar revolving around Ferocity and multi-attack skills, the Gorilla focusing on Resolve and Barriers, the Eagle featuring Evade-based skills and projectile attacks, and the Centipede heavily promoting damage over time via Poison.
Each of these spirits has its merits and associated builds, but what makes them so different compared to the Druid's Spirit Boons in Diablo 4 is that they directly influence gameplay choices and the way the Spiritborn works. Combining different spirits will lead to unique playstyles and builds that can have a much larger degree of customization than the Druid's Spirit Boons can offer, as they are passive bonuses that can influence a Druid's build to a lesser extent.
How Diablo 4's Spiritborn and Druid Compare Based on Gameplay and Builds
Another comparison is that the Druid's biggest pain point is mobility combined with a subpar leveling experience in respect to other classes, which is not something the Spiritborn truly suffers from thanks to Eagle skills increasing mobility and several other abilities making the early game a breeze. Diablo 4's Druid is naturally tanky and slow, with some hard-hitting skills that combo with each other, such as Werewolf and Werebear skills or Nature and Earth skills, whereas the Spiritborn is more agile even if it chooses mostly Gorilla skills because it has access to more mobility tools overall.
The Druid's Werewolf skills are arguably the class' most mobile, but incidentally, they are also generally considered some of the weakest for the class, if not in the game overall.
Furthermore, with the Spiritborn being new and taking the spotlight in Vessel of Hatred, it only makes sense that it will be used much more than the Druid for a while, especially seeing how some traits are similar between the two. This ends up calling for the question of whether Diablo 4 needs new classes or just subclasses for the existing ones in the first place. On the other hand, this comparison can further highlight the weaknesses of the Druid for future seasons, making it so Blizzard does something more concrete than skill balance to address underlying issues with the class' design. As such, the fact that Spiritborn builds in Diablo 4 are so powerful to overshadow other classes is not necessarily bad news for the Druid's future. On the other hand, this could also get the Spiritborn nerfed without an actual "benefit" for the Druid.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
Diablo® IV is the ultimate action-RPG experience with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot.
Embark on the epic campaign solo or with friends, meeting memorable characters through a gripping story in a beautifully dark world, or explore an expansive end game: battle iconic bosses for powerful loot, fight back the encroaching onslaught of Hell in Helltides, master the Forge to create your ultimate weapons and progress powerful characters, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms.
Discover the critically acclaimed franchise that defined the Action RPG genre. As the battle between the High Heavens and Burning Hells rages on, hatred devours Sanctuary as evil spreads and a new wave of cultists and worshippers arise to embrace Lilith’s coming. Only a brave few dare to face this threat and bring light to the all-consuming darkness.
Expansive Open WorldForge your own path through the corrupted lands of Sanctuary, an ever-growing, fully explorable world teeming with challenges, quests, enemies, and loot. Join your fellow adventurers, rescue and retake besieged towns, delve into nightmarish dungeons and uncover lost secrets as you fight back evil. The many zones of Sanctuary are yours to explore, and with rotating areas of extreme peril like World Bosses and Helltide, danger lurks at every turn.
Immersive Character DevelopmentCreate and customize your character to face the encroaching darkness. Choose from one of five classes and build your hero with skills, abilities and cosmetics, creating a champion that is uniquely your own. Grow stronger as you progress through powerful Skill Trees and develop even more unique end game specializations with Paragon Boards.
Legendary Gear, Epic BattlesDiscover and experiment with a vast arsenal of powerful weapons, armor and more to fight back against the demons threatening Sanctuary. Explore unique combinations, create your own upgrades and collect a plethora of powerful tools to battle in immersive, action-packed combat against the deadliest of enemies.
Seasons & EventsThe tales of Sanctuary continue to unfold. Create Seasonal Characters and join in fresh adventures - master new mechanics and take on the latest threats in each new Season. Complete harrowing feats of the Season Journey and earn new Battle Pass rewards. Plus, sharpen your swords and get in the spirit of the seasons when Limited-Time Events sweep through Sanctuary.
End Game UndertakingsThere’s even more Diablo® IV to explore as you reach higher levels and more fearsome World Tiers. Face the greatest challenge yet as you take on the most powerful demons in The Pit, steel yourself against Uber Bosses to reap uber unique rewards, fight back overflowing armies of Hell as Helltides emerge across Sanctuary, battle larger-than-life World Bosses, and master the Forge to create the mightiest weapons fit for a hero.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
- Cross Save
- All platforms
- Franchise
- Diablo
- Number of Players
- 1-2 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- File Size Xbox Series
- 158.25 GB
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 players (console only)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
