Games worth discovering

Diablo IV's third season is really boring. Why is Blizzard afraid to let players have fun?

1K View2024-01-27

Diablo IV hasn’t always been an easy game to like, but I had high hopes for its third season. The Season of the Construct seemed like it would be right up my alley. It promised underground dungeons, mechanical monsters, and some nice quality-of-life updates. Best of all, I’d have a little robot buddy to fight alongside me. Surefire fun, right?

But tragically, the Season of the Construct hasn’t been much fun at all. The new dungeons are visually appealing, and my robot companion is extremely cute, but the actual gameplay is pretty boring. It just feels like a worse version of Diablo IV, and that’s not something I want to spend my time on.

The primary problem with the season is its dungeons, which are called Vaults. These dungeons are littered with traps, and they’re a huge headache to play around. There’s no real skill involved in dodging traps, and I haven’t seen any traps with clever or interesting designs. Dungeons are also filled with enemies, so I had to rush past traps and deal with hordes of monsters at the same time.

Blizzard has said they plan to improve the Season of the Construct, but the whole concept feels like a misfire. One of my favorite things about Diablo is that it’s effortless to play. I can zone out, smash through hordes of monsters, and get absolutely showered in loot. The occasional trap is fine, but having traps everywhere slows down the gameplay loop and makes it harder to have a good time.

Even the better aspects of the season, like the robot companion, don’t really hit the mark. I was excited to unlock a robot buddy, but once I had one, I basically forgot it was there. It didn't have a noticeable effect on my gameplay, and it ultimately felt more like a cosmetic pet than an actual companion.

Diablo IV has a great foundation, but some of its devs don’t seem to understand why Diablo is fun. The Season of the Construct is dull, tedious, and doesn’t seem to want to give players any positive feedback. It’s a watered-down version of Diablo that makes its addictive gameplay loop less engaging. Leveling is slower, loot is less frequent, and the perks just aren’t that exciting.

At its best, Diablo delivers a non-stop supply of dopamine. Your character is constantly getting more powerful, and there are always plenty of enemies to use those powers on. Numbers keep getting bigger, and the loot keeps getting better and better. It never stops rewarding you for playing, and that feels amazing.

Take all that away, and you’re just left with an empty grind. Season of the Construct is a chore, and that’s not what I want from a Diablo game. It seems like Blizzard is terrified of letting players enjoy themselves, and I can’t understand why. I really want to like Diablo IV, but this season just feels like a waste of time.