When Blizzard introduced a Berserk crossover for Diablo 4 and Diablo Immortal, the franchise’s first-ever exterior IP collaboration, it was arduous to not be excited. The late Kentaro Miura’s legendary manga sequence is a seminal work whose affect will be seen in any recreation with outsized swords and a penchant for over-the-top violence. The 2 franchises are each steeped in blood, gore, and demons–practically making them a match made in darkish fantasy heaven.
Sadly, Diablo 4’s Berserk crossover is basically a disappointment, one that does not capitalize on the overlap between its two franchises. Removed from honoring Berserk, it largely simply seems like a money seize, an excuse for gamers to probably spend nicely over $100 on cosmetics and nothing extra.
Diablo 4’s Berserk crossover, which is reside now till June 3, is damaged down into two components. One is the free set of rewards tied to Diablo 4’s new Reliquary battle go system. Elite enemies have an opportunity to drop Behelits, which might then be used to unlock a handful of freebies within the Berserk Reliquary. The rewards embody a Model of Sacrifice demise marker and tattoo, in addition to a beauty backpiece and mount trophy. Unlocking the 4 rewards then unlocks a free Berserk-themed nameplate. Gamers will want 400 hundred Behelits to accumulate the entire rewards, and whereas that will not take too lengthy (at max stage, gamers are killing elite enemies by the dozen at any given second), it does nonetheless really feel like a grind with none actual depth or technique. It is simply busy work.
The true bulk of the crossover is within the in-game store. Blizzard is providing 4 totally different armor units, together with a pet bundle, for two,800 Platinum (Diablo 4’s premium foreign money) every. A mount bundle can also be out there for two,500. Even factoring within the “free” bonus Platinum included within the bigger bundles on the in-game store, shopping for the entire occasion’s cosmetics comes out to over $120.
That could be a complete lot of money. Expensive cosmetics are nothing new (Blizzard has been promoting varied cosmetics in Diablo 4 for across the similar worth because the recreation’s launch), however it feels particularly egregious right here. All the gadgets a participant would most need, significantly Guts’ iconic Berserker armor and Dragon Slayer sword, are locked behind an expensive paywall. Mixed with the truth that that is the primary season Blizzard is simply providing 200 Platinum, down from 700, within the Diablo 4 battle go, and the thrill round this collab has withered quicker than Griffith locked in a dungeon.
It would not be so dangerous if there was extra for gamers not eager on spending cash to do and unlock. The beauty armor units themselves are meticulously detailed and look fantastic–Blizzard’s artists have performed nice work recreating Miura’s legendary designs in-game. Cranium Knight and the Berserker armor specifically look unimaginable, although it could have been good to see Berserk’s most outstanding heroine, Casca, featured within the beauty armor set lineup as nicely. The true concern right here is that with the precise in-game occasion being virtually non-existent and the free rewards being so disappointing, all the crossover, the primary within the franchise’s historical past outdoors one with Blizzard’s personal Warcraft universe, simply seems like a Dragon Slayer-sized missed alternative.
What’s even stranger is one does not even need to look far to see what may have been. As talked about earlier, Diablo Immortal, Blizzard’s free-to-play cellular recreation, can also be crossing over with Berserk. The method of the 2 video games could not be extra totally different.
Diablo Immortal’s Berserk crossover consists of not solely new cosmetics, however precise, thrilling in-game occasions. It incorporates a boss battle in opposition to the menacing Nosferatu Zodd alongside distinctive rewards. It introduces a brand new Behelit-themed Legendary gem that grants gamers new powers and mechanics to mess around. Gamers may even attempt to survive probably the most notorious second in all of Berserk, the Eclipse, one the place armies of demons descend on gamers hoping to show them into sacrifices to darkish gods.
Why this stage of creativity is discovered within the free-to-play Diablo Immortal and never Diablo 4 is anybody’s guess. The Dragon Slayer showing in Diablo 4 as a Legendary or Distinctive merchandise may have been an thrilling addition, one which may have modified up the sport’s meta in a probably enjoyable and thrilling method. A limited-time in-game occasion the place gamers are marked with the Model of Sacrifice and need to combat to outlive could be proper at house in Blizzard’s premium ARPG. Heck, simply reskin Diablo 4’s endgame Infernal Hordes exercise, rename it Eclipse-mode, and name it a day. It might, a minimum of, be one thing.
Is Blizzard’s Diablo 4 crew stretched so skinny that having enemies often drop yet one more foreign money is all it may provide you with for its first ever crossover? Gamers have complained about Diablo 4’s upcoming content material roadmap and the way it appears missing. The truth that there’s so little to Diablo 4’s Berserk crossover simply appears to show the purpose. There is no such thing as a meat or substance right here. Removed from making gamers enthusiastic about Diablo 4, it sours the thought of future crossovers, which simply so occurs to be one of many few issues probably price getting enthusiastic about listed on the sport’s 2025 roadmap.
It stays to be seen what IP Diablo 4 will cross over with subsequent or what it’s going to entail; in accordance with the roadmap, it’s going to come between September and December of this yr. However Blizzard’s lack of effort and creativity right here does not encourage a lot confidence. Berserk and Diablo 4 ought to have been an ideal pairing. As an alternative, it is only a reminder of what these IP collabs usually are–a probability to make a buck.