Diablo 4 Season 12 Isn't Worth It - Wait for Lord of Hatred Instead

Diablo 4 Season 12 is coming to an end. Is it worth returning to Diablo 4 now? Or should you jump straight to the next expansion, Lord of Hatred?

There are still a few days until the release of the new expansion, Lord of Hatred. If you're interested in the new expansion, you can use Season 12 to refresh your knowledge of a character, but I don't recommend starting from scratch.

So, I want to discuss whether this game is worth returning to, especially if you haven't played Diablo 4 in a long time. Perhaps you've been playing for a while but missed Season 12, so is it worth returning now?

Therefore, this article will answer the question: Is it worth starting the game again a week before the release of the next expansion, Lord of Hatred?

Seasonal Mechanics

Diablo 4 Season 12 introduced Butcher character. You can experience Butcher this season, but frankly, this character is only fun to play for about 20 minutes.

The first 20 minutes are undeniably exciting, as you can unleash a furnace-like skill with the push of a button, instantly destroying everything in your path. You'll experience the thrill of splattering blood and gore. But after that, it quickly becomes tedious. While there are indeed places, like Slaughterhouse dungeon, where you can gain extra experience and reputation by killing enemies.

If you possess an item with Bloodstained affix, killstreak bonuses can boost your core attributes, such as Strength, Attack Speed, or Critical Strike Chance, with the specific increase depending on the number of enemies you kill, potentially increasing your overall strength.

However, the downside is that killstreak bonuses are useless in boss fights you actually want to challenge. And once these bonuses drop, you can't get them again, as there are practically no enemies to kill. So, the issue of inflated stats definitely exists. If you're really looking for that invincible feeling, I'd say this season is only average in that respect.

Butcher character is indeed great for leveling up and quite fun in the early game; occasionally transforming into a killer is quite satisfying. However, once you reach the level cap, there's not much good stuff to farm in Slaughterhouse Dungeon.

For long-time players, if you play Diablo 4 regularly and reach max level by weekends, Butcher's mechanics can be completed in about 20 minutes. While the occasional transformation is fun and visually stunning, it gets boring after a while. Therefore, it's not recommended to return to the game at the end of the season.

Actual Gameplay

Diablo 4 has always had some bugs, especially since Season 12, with a significant increase in the number of bugs. I suggest you patiently wait for April 18th; perhaps there will be some new surprises.

One of the biggest flaws in Diablo 4 series has always been the crafting system. Item drops are completely random, making it impossible for players to precisely obtain the items they need. The crafting system in Diablo 4 Season 12 remains weak, but this situation may change after the release of Lord of Hatred expansion.

While Diablo 4 Season 12 does feature some cool and unique Diablo 4 Items, they pale in comparison to the unique gear from Path of Exile 1 or Path of Exile 2 that offered unlimited stat boosts and in-game control. Although some new gear has been added since, such as gauntlets and rings that reduce skill cooldowns, the crafting system still has significant room for improvement.

However, in terms of gameplay, combat experience, feel, action, and intense combat, Diablo 4 series has always excelled. It boasts more elements than other action RPGs, and this advantage will continue in the new expansion.

Campaign

If you haven't yet experienced Diablo 4 main storyline, I highly recommend it. The story is capt4ating, the cutscenes are excellent, and the gameplay is fast-paced. The biggest advantage of the campaign mode is that you only need to experience it once.

Therefore, if you're a new player considering Diablo 4, you can complete the campaign mode first and then jump directly into the game after Lord of Hatred expansion is released. A new campaign mode will also be released after the update; you can complete that mode first to better develop your character.

Drop Mechanics

The item drop rate in Diablo 4's Season 12 was extremely low. Even if you played for 30 hours a day, it was sometimes difficult to find the items you needed. The use of Random Number Generator (RNG) was simply unacceptable to most players.

Sometimes, defeating a boss would drop a chest containing a physical item. This could be a cosmetic item or a weapon, but the quality wouldn't be very high. If you wanted better gear, you would need to exchange it for gold in the shop.

This issue has been revealed to be addressed in the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion, so stay tuned.

This concludes the article. If you plan to return to Diablo 4 later, please keep a close eye on Lord of Hatred expansion. This article is my opinion on whether you should return to Diablo 4 now. What are your thoughts? Feel free to discuss them with everyone.