Blizzard has released Berserk-themed cosmetic items for Diablo IV, and by God, the reaction has been heated. The Barbarian Berserker armor set, which draws inspiration from the famed manga Berserk, is available in the in-game store. Rather than cheers, buyers and players have just poured more venom on Blizzard than a Helltide event would ever generate.
To truly give them credit, the armor looks wonderful, so it cannot be denied. It basicallyChanneling all that Guts-from-Berserk energy-out with all of its sharp edges and intensely menacing aura. The problem with it is that it is a flat-out money grab. It is charged for with real money. Like a lot of real money. Rumor-mongers soon appeared, saying a full set costs about $25-and another $150 if you want every item from the collab. Ouch.
The comments below Blizzard’s tweet were equally sarcastic and fiery. Summed it up nicely, @Greydi_of_Pax: “Looks great! Not great enough for the $25 price tag though. Sorry.” Then again, @RavenKesrar bemoaned the present: “This is so sad… what happened to good storytelling?”
Price was not the only thing annoying players. Another gripe was that the armor locked to the Barbarian class; so, one’s mains being Druid, Rogue, or something else, would naturally only mean bad luck. “…For the low low price of about $200 you too can have armor pieces that only one class can use,” Conro said, maybe jokingly.
Next, bugs. Lord, bless, the bugs. People like @smcfarlane456 have been complaining about missing Gold Trolls in Helltide and moves not registering, issues that have lasted an embarrassingly long time while Blizzard has been spent hyping up new armor. Certainly not a good look.
Actually, some proposals at the solution were available. @JOHNHATTAM2 suggested more Berserk content, like Beast of Darkness for a pet or apostles for world bosses. But really, if Blizzard is charging $25 for armor, how much do you think they would ask for a demonic wolf companion? $50? $100?
Disappointed. Big-time. The players see Diablo IV as a money grab, with overpriced cosmetics getting more attention than anything else, such as gameplay fixes or worthy updates. @MIDNIIITE put it together: “I’d love to see how much revenue y’all actually make on cosmetics, because even the whales gotta be raising an eyebrow.”
So that just about sums up the big-money Berserk logo-looks-great, but on what bloody terms? Literally. If Blizzard really wants to win back their former player base, they should put less effort in milking players for armor skins and more into making the game fun to actually play. Just saying.
Which means rich Barbarians can enjoy dressing up for now. Everyone else should put that $25 money away for an investment that won’t leave them feeling utterly ripped off, like a pizza pie. At least it will put some pounds on your belly!
