Summary
Diablo 4’s Season of the Construct has been controversial among fans, with the introduction of traps within the season’s new dungeons proving to be frustrating for players.Diablo 4has had a lot of ups and downs since it launched back in June 2023, with a disappointing first season followed by a more substantial second season. WhileDiablo 4Season 3 has improved somewhat thanks to recent updates, fans who were turned off by the season’s initial launch issues might want to keep an eye on February 21 when the upcoming ARPGLast Epochlaunches out of early access.
As theDiablofranchise has popularized the ARPG genre, there have been various titles that have tried to capture what players love about the series while iterating on its formula to create a unique experience. Fans of ARPGs are likely familiar with titles likePath of ExileandGrim Dawnwhich are two standouts within the genre. WhilePath of Exile 2still seems to be a ways off,Last Epochhas the potential to be another great entry in the ARPG genre that might win over someDiablo 4players who were disappointed after theSeason of the Construct’s controversial start.
Last Epoch Could Be the Solution for Fans Disappointed with Diablo 4 Season 3
Last Epochis an indie ARPG title from developer Eleventh Hour Games that launched in early access back in 2019 and is now slated for a full release on June 28, 2025. LikeDiablo 4,Last Epochfeatures five base classesfor players to choose from, including Mage, Rogue, Primalist, Acolyte, and Sentinel. The core gameplay loop ofLast Epochalso mirrorsDiablo 4, with players tackling hordes of enemies as they explore dungeons and search for the rarest loot they can find withinLast Epoch’s randomized loot system.
How Last Epoch Improves on Diablo 4’s Criticisms
WhereLast Epoch’s gameplay goes beyondDiablo 4’s is in its level of build customization, something thatDiablo 4players have lamented with its build imbalances across the game’s first three seasons. Instead of simply having five classes for players to work with,Last Epochallows players to ascend into one of three different class masteries for each of the game’s five base classes. This system greatly expands the build varieties available to players, and the addition of specialized skill trees for each mastery further deepens thebuild complexity players can expect inLast Epoch.
Another aspect ofDiablo 4that was controversial among players was the MMO-like elements the game introduced, such as always needing to be online.Last Epochsidesteps these issues by including both an offline single-player mode and an online mode for multiplayer groups, but only characters made specifically for a particular mode can be played within that mode. Eleventh Hour Games promises thatLast Epochwill never introduce pay-to-win elements and will followDiablo 4’s lead with cosmetics being the only items available for purchase from an in-game shop.
WhileDiablo 4still lacks many of the quality-of-life features and endgame mechanics that players were hoping for,Last Epochseems like it will be filled with a lot of these features when it launches out of early access.Last Epochwill also include endgame content like the Arena, where players can face endless waves of enemies and compete for top scores on the leaderboard.
