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Ten years ago, the Reaper of Souls expansion completely reimagined and revived Diablo III. It overhauled huge swaths of the game, strengthening its foundation enough that D3 remained a fun time even as it stretched far past what should have been its expiration date. Diablo IV has moved at a different pace. It managed to get through launch without the technical mishaps that plagued its predecessor, but it was still a game that landed somewhere short of its full potential on arrival. Our review felt that, and I felt it in my own playthrough. Once I finished the campaign and started the grinding loop, I quickly got bored and abandoned my character. But ahead of its first major expansion, Vessel of Hatred, Diablo IV is not the same as it was at launch. I've spent some time with the new content in Vessel of Hatred and while I'll cover what the region of Nahantu brings to the table, I'm also taking this chance to take a broader look at the state of Diablo IV. Vessel of Hatred adds companionship and customization Vessel of Hatred introduces a new region, Nahantu, and a new class, Spiritborn. Nahantu is a jungle biome with lush greenery in some spaces and complete devastation in others. Basically, its your standard Diablo IV location. It also has several points of interest for the lore nerds out there. Blizzard Entertainment Spiritborn is a completely new class in the Diablo universe and it's a great addition. This is a close-range fighter with skills inspired by four Spirit Guardians: The gorilla abilities center defense and heavy hits, the jaguar delivers tempo-driven fire attacks, the eagle deals lightning damage via feathers, and the centipede is all about poison powers. Yes, centipede. It doesn't sound like a fearsome creature, but trust me, those poison attacks are rad. The biggest thrill spawns from the ultimate abilities, where the actual Spirit Guardian appears to fight on your behalf. Having a spectral gorilla smash down and crush enemies is deeply satisfying in a way I didn't know I needed. In my run of D4, I've put the most hours into playing a Necromancer and a Sorcerer. They're both loads of fun, but they feel at their strongest when they're completely focused on one element or damage type. I'm not enamored of needing to completely redo my talent tree and paragon boards every time I encounter a unique item, so I appreciate that a Spiritborn really can pick and choose skills from across the four Guardians. That's something Blizzard devs spoke about in a livestream about the class design, and I'm pleased to report that the class-specific Spirit Hall makes it easy to get benefits from legendary and unique item powers without overhauling your entire rotation. That's not to say optimal builds won't emerge over time, but flexibility is a real win in the Spiritborn kit. My other favorite addition in Vessel of Hatred is the Den, a quartet of mercenaries that can join you on your quests. For solo players, they act like the companions in Diablo III you can pick one to follow you around and join your battles. Each has a miniature skill tree that you can customize to best match your own playstyle. A secondary mechanic, Reinforcement, allows you to access followers abilities even if you dont or can't have one equipped. Reinforcement allows you to pick a single ability from a single merc and set when you want them to use it. Their skills can map directly to when you use your own powers, or to more battle-specific conditions such as your character being injured or crowd controlled. My favorite combo started with me casting an eagle spell to yoink enemies into a clump, then my archer buddy would show up and fire off an incendiary grenade to scorch them all. But the combinations are pretty endless and easy to switch up on a whim. The Den isn't a deep game system and heavy-duty players probably won't take long to max out all four companions. However, it offers yet another opportunity to customize your playthrough, and that's where I think a Diablo game shines. Even though I used a default Spiritborn model, named her Test and never bothered to transmog gear, it still didn't take long for me to start feeling attached to the character. This was my Spiritborn, my journey to save the world with my set of allies. Sanctuary is a bleak place. Even when I play D4 with other people, the oppressive grimness of the settings and situations creates a feeling of "us against the world." Maybe a few NPCs will be useful from time to time, but most of them are either going to betray us or lie to us or die on us. But for once, even while facing the most unbeatable foes, Vessel of Hatred made me feel connected. It's in the expansions basic premise, that Neyrelle has chosen to shoulder an impossible burden for you and is going to try her damnedest to survive and succeed. It's in the presence of the Den, where someone always has your back in battle. It's in the refrain of your guide, Eru: Help is needed, so help is offered. It's in the new Dark Citadel end-game dungeon, which you literally can't complete without at least one other person. Even if you play Vessel of Hatred solo, you never feel alone. Blizzard Entertainment There are other notable features arriving with Vessel of Hatred, and you'll notice the stat crunch and new difficulty system if you've been keeping up with the game over the past year. Runewords are returning in a throwback to Diablo II, and there is of course more powerful gear to hunt down. But I see those updates as the culmination of a whole year of tweaks and revisions to Sanctuary. A review of Diablo IV's first year For better and for worse, Blizzard is a game studio that responds to the demands of its audience. "We've heard your feedback" may be the most-uttered phrase across the company's events. I think there's a balance to be struck in giving the community such a loud voice in a game's direction, but in the case of Diablo IV, it has generally turned out well. When a lot of people fill the forums and say that a system is unfun, odds are good it'll get reworked. And there definitely were someunfun points in Diablo IV. The item system got a thorough and rewarding overhaul in Season 4. Activities like the Helltide and Nightmare dungeons are no longer gated to the highest difficulty levels. Even simple tweaks have done a lot to improve quality of life: At one point, the locations of the vendors changed so that the Blacksmith, Jeweler and Occultist are now all next to each other, meaning you aren't mounting up to go across town just to swap out one item of gear. Nearly every update feels intended to give players more agency and more power. A seasonal model also helps here, introducing fresh gameplay ideas every few months that the devs can learn from and possibly turn into permanent updates. For instance, Vessel of Hatred is launching with the start of a new season that adds Realmwalker monsters to chase across Sanctuary. Not every season revolutionizes the core gameplay sometimes its just a glimpse into a faction with a short story thread to untangle but these themed end-game additions can be reason enough to keep playing. Blizzard Entertainment So, is it worth returning to Sanctuary? For those who just want to experience the story, Vessel of Hatred is a worthwhile and natural continuation of the cliffhanger from the base game. For über-fans, I assume you live on the PTR and already have your own opinions about what's coming (and you'll play for hours no matter what). I'm mostly speaking to the group in the middle, who have dabbled occasionally or never logged back in after the big Lilith battle. For these players, now's a good time to return to Diablo IV. Explore the new story, try the Spiritborn; you'll probably find plenty to enjoy. A live game usually needs some time to find its footing, or to prove it has staying power beyond an initial fifteen minutes of fame. Vessel of Hatred is just the latest example of how Blizzard is committed to changing, improving and making Diablo IV a hell of a good time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vessel-of-hatred-is-the-latest-reason-to-start-playing-diablo-iv-again-160036459.html?src=rss
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Meta just announced several updates coming to Facebook during the companys IRL event in Austin. It's testing an Explore tab and adding a new video tab. Lets start with the Explore tab. If youve ever perused Instagram, you likely know how exactly this will work. This tab will house a variety of content tailored to your interests. Meta says that the algorithm has been designed to serve up content that doesnt just entertain, but helps you dive deeper into your interests. Heres hoping I get nothing but content about wild traversal strategies in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. In any event, the new Explore tab is still in the testing phase so it could be a bit before a wide rollout. The video tab is also getting a major update to accommodate Reels. All of the video content on Facebook will now be housed behind this tab. The content will stream on a full-screen video player that lets users seamlessly watch the best short-form, long-form and live videos in a single experience. The updated video tab starts rolling out to users in the coming weeks. This is definitely an attempt by Meta to capture some of those younger eyeballs, as the announcement was accompanied by statistics indicating that young adults on Facebook spend around 60 percent of their time watching videos and Reels. I got news for you, Meta. My dad, who is not a young adult, also spends all of his time on Facebook watching videos and Reels. So well all benefit from this expanded video tab.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/facebook-is-testing-an-instagram-like-explore-tab-and-introducing-a-new-video-tab-for-reels-153033149.html?src=rss
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With October Prime Day just around the corner, we're starting to see more and more early deals pop up each day. While it might be too early for your liking to think about holiday shopping, you might want to after you check out the latest Prime Day Lego deals. A number of Lego sets from the Super Mario, Star Wars and Harry Potter lineups are already on sale for up to 41 percent off. There are even steeper savings on general Lego sets as well. On the Star Wars side of things, this Spider Tank set is 36 percent off and down to only $32, which is the lowest it's ever been. It includes 526 pieces that replicate the spider tank from season three of The Mandalorian, plus three minifigures: Din Djarin, Bo-Katan Kryze and Grogu. Once built, the spider tank has grabbing claws, flexible legs and a little cockpit in which one of the figures can sit. Also on sale is this Boarding The Tantive IV set in which you recreate the iconic scene from Star Wars: A New Hope. That will set you back $44, which represents a 20-percent discount. In the Mario space, this Dixie Kongs Jungle Jam expansion set has the biggest discount: 41 percent off and down to $16. It has 174 pieces along with buildable Dixie Kong and Squawks figures that both come with musical accessories. Mario fans who are old enough to have a work-from-home setup might appreciate this displayable Piranha Plant set that would look great in the background of any video conference call. It's 20 percent off and down to $48. Rounding things out with Harry Potter sets, this Hogwarts Castle and Grounds set is down to $136 and has never been cheaper. It includes 2,660 pieces that create a final product that's over eight inches high, 13 inches wide and 10 inches deep. Plus, it comes with a cute, golden Hogwarts architect statue minifigure. If you're looking for more general Lego sets, two of the best deals we found are on the Classic Medium Creative Brick Box, down to $19, and the Lego City 2024 advent calendar, down to $26. The former includes 484 pieces in all different sizes and colors, and would make a great gift for anyone who just likes to build with Lego without following a set of instructions. As for the latter, you probably know someone who loves a good advent calendar this time of year, and this Lego one has 24 surprise gifts that include seasonal minifigures, mini builds and more. Best Prime Day Lego deals Lego Star Wars Spider Tank 75361 for $32 (36 percent off) Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy Toy 75387 for $44 (20 percent off) Lego Star Wars Droideka Model 75381 for $52 (20 percent off) Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426 for $48 (20 percent off) Lego Super Mario Dixie Kongs Jungle Jam Expansion Set 71421 for $16 (41 percent off) Lego Super Mario Bowsers Muscle Car Expansion Set 71431 for $24 (20 percent off) Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle and Grounds 76419 for $136 (20 percent off) Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle Owlery Toy 76430 for $36 (20 percent off) Lego Harry Potter Hedwig at 4 Privet Drive 76425 for $16 (20 percent off) Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit Building Set 42179 for $60 (20 percent off) Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696 for $19 (46 percent off) Lego City 2024 Advent Calendar 60436 for $26 (20 percent off) Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-lego-deals-include-up-to-41-percent-off-super-mario-star-wars-sets-143008945.html?src=rss
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