The name Michael “Bellular” Bell is likely familiar to any Blizzard fan. The YouTuber has been making videos about everything related to the company for years, with a focus on World of Warcraft. In his latest video, he dissects the issues that Diablo 4 has faced since its release, how they have improved, and what the future should bring.
Who is the critic?
- Bellular is known as a particularly critical voice when it comes to Blizzard. In 2021, he even called for fans to stop loving Blizzard.
- However, he is also a great fan of Blizzard’s games, especially World of Warcraft, which he particularly enjoys dissecting. Recently, he seemed quite satisfied: Bellular praises the upcoming expansion The War Within.
- Now, the YouTuber has taken on Diablo 4, in which he claims to be “casually interested in the genre but not a hyper gamer” (via YouTube). However, his analysis goes very deep into the subject.
According to Bellular, the problem with Diablo 4 is: The analyst looks at the development of Diablo in his video – from before the release to the upcoming expansion Vessel of Hatred.
Bellular explains that Diablo 4 has a certain conflict with its identity. It was announced as “back to the roots”, a game like Diablo 2. Now, it plays more like Diablo 3. Bellular explains:
- On one side, Blizzard wants to attract new players and especially appeal to a broader audience. This is primarily because the studio belongs to a profit-oriented corporation – first Activision, now Microsoft.
- On the other side, they want to satisfy the veterans and Diablo fans, those who have remained loyal to the franchise for decades.
The wishes and needs of these two groups are, however, vastly different. Other companies that manage themselves – like the makers of Path of Exile – do not have this problem. The analyst explains:
If you’re wondering why other action RPGs can implement community feedback faster and give you exactly the game you want – Because these games are essentially made directly by fans for fans, not for legions of new fans. […]
[Blizzard and Microsoft] have to cater to this broad audience to recoup their costs. But sometimes this comes at the expense of the most devoted fans. Fans who will likely be playing the early access of Path of Exile 2.
Bellular on YouTube, around minute 18:20
Just before Season 4, players shared the same opinion: Diablo 4 wants to please everyone and is therefore worse than it could be.
Bellular also talks about Vessel of Hatred. He particularly liked the cinematic:
“Looks cool, but Reaper of Souls moved me more”
Bellular criticizes mainly the past and the release of Diablo 4. It was just as terrible as the one from Diablo 3, which only developed into the celebrated game it is today over the years and with the expansion Reaper of Souls.
With Diablo 3, the introduction of more content and improved loot helped. That is exactly what Blizzard is currently doing with Diablo 4. Bellular even sees good signs for the upcoming Season 5:
- Blizzard is continuing to improve the quality here. While there is no map overlay, at least something similarly useful is being introduced.
- Existing content is becoming more rewarding; for example, you can grind Hell Floods and get more loot because you are guaranteed to receive a chest from the Tree of Whispers.
- Bosses are significantly less annoying to farm.
Bellular supports his impressions with expert Rhykker.
Only the new mode, the Infernal Hordes, is not a good addition. There are not enough reasons to play it. Not only do you have to grind forever just to get in, but the rewards are poor and if you fail, you get nothing.
However, Vessel of Hatred looks promising. Just the new co-op dungeon in the endgame already sounds very cool, and the new class fits perfectly with the expansion. Still, Reaper of Souls moved him a bit more. It remains to be seen how many lessons Blizzard has been able to learn from Diablo 4 so far and how they have been incorporated into Vessel of Hatred.
Many of Bellular’s findings are not new, but they are interesting in that he, as a “casual” with a broad reach, analyzes precisely what players have been saying for months. These are often points at which professionals and experts have already moved on. They usually get into much more detail: Expert says: Everything about the new Season 5 in Diablo 4 is great, except for one thing – Unfortunately, it is also the most important
