When Diablo 4 was first announced, those of us who played a bit of Diablo 3 on the original Switch liked the idea of taking a proper sequel on the go. The reality on Nintendo’s older kit was pretty clear, though. It was already struggling, and bringing Sanctuary’s open world to that hardware never stood a chance.
Fast forward to the Switch 2, and Blizzard has brought over the Diablo 4: Age of Hatred Collection. Bundling the main campaign with the Vessel of Hatred and Lord of Hatred expansions into one package sounds great on paper, and the core gameplay loop is as addictive as ever.
I was hyped to try the new game, as I still hadn't found my jumping on point with the Diablo franchise. By the end of my time with the game, I was hooked. The loot loop gripped me, and I am ready to go back and play through the franchise's previous games.
That said, this version had a few niggles and stumbled hard with one massive flaw.
Diablo 4, even on other consoles, doesn’t run well at 60fps, which I think, for a top-down isometric ARPG, should be a must-have. However, here, compared to the Xbox Series X or PS5, the drop in visual quality is obvious right away. The Switch 2 version is quite blurry, and it gets even more noticeable when docked on a bigger screen. You can get 40fps in performance mode, but I wouldn’t say it's steady.
While fighting through dungeons and getting swarmed (especially in the expansions), the Switch chugs along, with framerates dropping left and right. But honestly, it is forgivable if the game clicks with you, as it did for me. Diablo 4 is a top-down isometric ARPG, not a showcase where you sit and admire individual armor details. The camera angle does most of the heavy lifting, and once the action starts, you don't miss the missing fidelity much.
The actual combat carries the whole experience. The loop of picking up a quest, clearing a dungeon, killing hundreds of monsters, and grabbing loot is great. After only a few hours in Diablo 3, Diablo 4 is the first in the series I’ve actually sunk time into, and that gameplay loop really sucked me in. Plowing through hordes of enemies, sweeping up the gear, and swapping out your old equipment never got old with me.
Things get much better once you level up and unlock your ultimate abilities. As a Barbarian, dumping points into Iron Skin turned my character into a brick wall, letting me dive straight into dense mobs without getting shredded. Pairing that with Call of the Ancients gave me a massive crowd-control advantage that pulled me through the toughest fights. Tweak your build around a new piece of gear, and you get that steady sense of progression that keeps you playing way past when you should have gone to sleep.
The story is a bit more of a mixed bag, though it ends well. Without any real attachment to the broader lore, Act I felt slow and dull, relying on standard "evil demon lady doing prophecy stuff" tropes that didn't do much for me. Still, the dark fantasy cutscenes are a visual treat, even if I was detached from the start of the story.
Act II turned things around. The story with Donan and his son Yorin hooked me, giving all the insane, metal album-cover-like goings-on a bit of grounded sadness. It led up to a fight against Astaroth that was as tragic as it was memorable.
The pacing wobbles again after that. Act III was a slog. Navigating that blind sandstorm section was easily one of the campaign's most annoying parts. Act IV brought Donan back to get things moving again, though it felt like a quick back-and-forth buffer before a weak boss fight. Act V picked up the slack with Lorath and Elias, set against a fantastic backdrop of wrecked ships along the coast. By Act VI, the final boss fight gave the campaign the strong ending it needed.
Having the Vessel of Hatred DLC included gives you plenty of extra to work through. Picking up right after the main campaign's cliffhanger, you are straight into pursuing Neyrelle as she tries to handle the soulstone. The new jungle region of Nahantu looks great visually.
The problem is that Nahantu shows the Switch 2's physical limits. The DLC easily doubles the number of NPCs and enemy mobs on screen compared to the base game. Even with enhanced textures switched off, the console struggles. Frame drops, lag, and micro-stuttering become very noticeable during heavy jungle fights.
Lord of Hatred is also included in the bundle and adds a whole new volcanic island, plus 2 new classes: Paladin and Warlock.
Performance hiccups aside, the rest of the package works well. Cross-save is brilliant. Link your Battle.net account, and your progress moves back and forth without any hassle. You can play on Xbox or PC, log off, pick up the Switch 2 in bed, and pick up right where you left off.
Then there is the main issue: the campaign has no offline mode. You have to be connected to Blizzard’s servers 24/7, whether you are running solo story quests or doing world events. For a handheld console, that is just plain stupid.
On a home console like a PS5 or Series X, an online requirement isn't a problem, as it stays plugged into a router next to the TV. But the Switch 2 is built to be portable, and many people use it mainly in handheld mode. Forcing an always-online connection on a handheld defeats the whole point.
Nintendo's adverts like to show people playing high-end games everywhere, on planes, in parks, or on holiday. Real life isn't like that. Take a Switch 2 to the beach, and you’ll spend your time hunting for phone signal instead of clearing dungeons. Stay in a hotel, and you are stuck paying daily fees for poor Wi-Fi that constantly drops out. On a train or in an airport, you can forget it. Lose connection for a second while you're in a tunnel, and the game kicks you straight back to the main menu, wiping your dungeon run.
It is an annoying decision, especially when older games managed offline play without issue. If Blizzard had included an offline single-player option, even if it turned off shared-world stuff like Helltides while disconnected, it would be an easy recommendation. Instead, a portable game ends up tied to a home internet connection.
Diablo 4 on Switch 2 is a great game, but its online-only nature on a handheld drags it down, and it stutters when the screen gets busy. The combat is great, build crafting feels rewarding, the story finishes on a high note, and cross-save works seamlessly. Plus, the package includes both expansions.
If you already play on Xbox or PlayStation and share a TV, this could be a good way to add some extra hours. But if you wanted to play on your daily commute or away on holiday, that online lock ruins what should have been a slam dunk. Buy it on Switch 2 only if it is the only console you own; otherwise, you will probably have a better time on another platform.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming news, reviews, features, and guides.