Diablo 4 is getting review bombed in response to the extremely unpopular Season 1 update. If you haven’t followed the game closely, it can be hard to tell whether this backlash is justified or an overreaction. So, if you’re wondering why everyone is so upset, join us as we take a look at whether the Diablo 4 Season 1 update is as bad as the community is saying.
Is the Diablo 4 Season 1 update bad enough to justify review bombing?
Yes, the Diablo 4 Season 1 update is that bad. Whether it justifies review bombing or not is completely subjective, but the changes that came with the patch show that Blizzard isn’t listening to the community.
At launch, the consensus was that Diablo 4 had an excellent campaign experience with a decent endgame that needed to be expanded. Sure, there were some issues with class balance, namely the Barbarian being overpowered due to a bug and the Sorcerer lagging behind the other classes. However, in general, people had fun with the game. It felt like – besides the overpriced cosmetics – Blizzard might have gotten back on track, and players were cautiously optimistic to see how the live service portion of the game would work out.
Well, we have our answer now. Nearly every change made in Diablo 4 patch 1.1 makes the game worse. DPS for all classes has been lowered significantly, as has their survivability. However, none of them have really been balanced. Of note, Sorcerers are even worse than before and are now basically unplayable in the higher-level endgame.
Given the drastic cut in DPS, players are understandably not excited about the new mechanics coming with Season 1. After all, why grind for less XP against harder mobs to make a build that feels less powerful than what we had pre-patch?
It’s obvious that Blizzard looked at the metrics from the last month and saw players were getting through content too quickly. Slowing down the overall experience is aimed at increasing player retention without adding new content. As a result, the game is now a frustrating slog.
There’s no way Blizzard couldn’t have known that these changes wouldn’t be popular. So, review bombing is one of the few ways for the community to be heard. Unfortunately, when this sort of thing happens, professional critics have little recourse. When we give a score, it’s pretty much set in stone, and this isn’t the first time Blizzard Activision has drastically changed a game’s balance and content from what we saw in the review copy.
Overall, the game is in a much worse place than when it launched, and the paltry six new uniques and malignant hearts aren’t going to make up for it. It’s possible Blizzard might see the unanimous hatred for the Season 1 patch and change course. However, even if it does, these changes will likely return, just over the course of multiple patches instead of all at once.
Despite this tumultuous scenario, there remains a flicker of hope among the player base. A common sentiment is that Blizzard might take this negative feedback seriously, making the necessary adjustments to bring Diablo 4 back to its former glory. But trust has been severely shaken, with many disillusioned players vowing to abandon the game unless significant improvements are made soon. Thus, it’s a critical moment for Blizzard to prove it can listen and respond to its community’s concerns, restoring faith in the process. If not, the legacy of Diablo 4 might be remembered less for its potential and more for its controversial and unwelcome changes.
