Compare Diablo IV vs Total War: WARHAMMER III – Lords of the End Times

One expansion review praised Blizzard’s cutscenes as massive, detailed, and stunning.

One elite Empire unit may be held back by awkward attack animations that appear to hurt its battlefield performance.

One expansion review criticized missions for repeating ambush-style objectives.

The four lords pursue notably different goals and power-building paths, helping each campaign feel distinct rather than formulaic.

Co-op evidence was positive, with reviewers praising group formation, level scaling, and the extra fun of playing with others.

Co-op loses some narrative elements and parts of Thanquol’s Masterplans, so playing with friends does not currently deliver the full campaign experience.

One review reported a persistent crash after a specific main-quest boss.

Update 9.0 is notably stable in extended play, with one long-form tester calling it among the most stable patches they had used.

One review framed the modern grind as low-commitment and welcoming rather than punishing.

Nagash’s late unlock requirements and resource gates can become grindy, especially for players who want Mortarchs and high-tier content quickly.

One review found the shared online world could detract from the lonely Diablo atmosphere.

Narrative pop-ups, cinematics, devastation, and changing world states make Immortal Empires feel more reactive and story-driven than before.

Innovation was criticized as limited, even by reviewers who liked the overall design.

Nagash’s faction design and the world-changing End Times systems push Warhammer III into genuinely new territory. Not every lord is equally inventive, but the expansion as a whole raises the mechanical ceiling.

Learning curve evidence was mixed: complexity can be bracing, but the Warlock and skill systems were also called approachable.

The DLC is demanding for newcomers, particularly Nagash and Thanquol. Dense menus, layered resources, and opaque mechanics can overwhelm even experienced players at first.

One comparison review felt Diablo IV weapons functioned too much as stat sticks.

Stormfiends are powerful without completely invalidating existing weapons teams, preserving useful roles for older ranged options.

Polish was mostly praised, with several reviewers calling the launch or technical package ready, well made, or a tour de force.

The package shows substantial effort, but bugs, uneven lord depth, and old-versus-new faction disparities keep it from feeling fully polished.

Upgrade-related evidence was positive overall, especially around Talismans and loadout tailoring, though one reviewer had not yet found thrilling pieces.

The Black Pyramid offers a huge range of useful upgrades and synergies, giving Nagash unusually flexible long-term development.

Narrative drew broad but mixed praise: many reviews liked Lilith, Mephisto, or expansion arcs, while several criticized weak, predictable, or ham-fisted storytelling.

The expansion adds welcome story structure without abandoning the sandbox. Lore-tailored goals and small narrative beats make campaigns feel more purposeful and memorable.

Difficulty evidence was mixed: bosses and tier options were praised, but some expansion encounters and later challenge tuning felt frustrating or uncertain.

The strongest campaigns pair demanding openings with satisfying late-game power, and the new crises can genuinely threaten a mature empire. Some encounters are punishing, but that challenge is usually treated as a strength.

Class balance evidence was mixed to negative in expansion reviews, especially around the Paladin feeling underwhelming or passive despite power.

Power creep is present, but the new factions generally feel better balanced than feared. A few broader balance issues remain around individual campaigns and units.

Endgame was heavily discussed and mostly praised, especially day-one systems and War Plans, though a few reviewers found later loops lacking.

The revamped End Times are a major success, turning the late game into a real crisis with invasions, scripted objectives, world changes, and climactic battles. They give long campaigns a much stronger reason to continue.

One review praised the ability-tree flexibility, saying players can rebuild their character and adapt play fluidly.

The expansion succeeds most when its faction systems reshape familiar races: Nagash’s undead network, Thanquol’s Masterplans, and the Glottkin’s hybrid mechanics all create distinct strategic identities. Some simpler systems do not reach the same depth.

Bug evidence was limited and negative-leaning, with IGN-style reviews noting irritating issues.

Bugs remain one of the expansion’s clearest weaknesses, including broken Masterplans and scenario issues. The release feels less buggy than some prior DLC, but rough edges can still interrupt campaigns.

Content variety was mostly positive thanks to sidequests, endgame activities, and expansion additions, though one review warned some activities can feel copied.

Four very different lord campaigns, large unit additions, faction reworks, and new endgame scenarios give the package exceptional breadth. Variety is one of its most consistent strengths.

Fun factor was broadly positive across base game and expansion reviews, even among reviewers who criticized story or systems.

Most of the new campaigns are highly enjoyable, with Nagash, Thanquol, and the Glottkin drawing especially strong enthusiasm. Boris is simpler, but still lands as fun for many players.

One review praised the slick 60 frames-per-second performance.

Campaign-map performance is much steadier, with high settings holding frame rates in areas that previously caused dips.

Monetization was mixed: cosmetics were not intrusive or pay-to-win, but reviewers repeatedly criticized high prices and paid layers in a full-priced game.

The bundle structure and individual lord purchases are flexible, but the return of pre-orders drew criticism as an unnecessary step backward.

One review specifically praised player agency in choosing how to spend time across Sanctuary.

Immortal Empires remains highly flexible, letting players rewrite the End Times, reverse famous outcomes, and pursue very different campaign stories.

Skill trees and buildcraft were heavily covered and mostly praised for flexibility and depth, with some caveats that changes could be overstated or twig-like.

Nagash’s Black Pyramid is the standout progression tree, offering an enormous number of useful, branching upgrades. Its depth is exciting but can be intimidating.

Reviews found the story and current ARPG structure approachable for newcomers, especially when major lore points were explained.

Campaign flybys and Boris’s more familiar Empire structure help ease players in, but tooltips for deeper systems still need clearer explanations.

Reviewers described the core loop as deeply compelling overall, though one found repeated spaces blurred together after long sessions.

Nagash meaningfully changes the usual campaign rhythm, while some Glottkin and Thanquol systems can fall back into familiar or menu-driven routines. The best campaigns feel substantially refreshed.

Progression was mostly praised for freshness, item growth, and useful systems, though a few reviewers found leveling or rewards slow early on.

Progression is strongest when early vulnerability grows into major late-game power, especially for Nagash. Some resource gates and Thanquol’s waiting-heavy schemes can slow that momentum.

Environmental detail was a major strength, with reviewers praising intricate environments, Skovos changes, and beautiful region design.

Campaign-map terrain receives noticeable visual refinement, including more detailed mountain regions.

Combat was one of the strongest points, with repeated praise for precision, satisfaction, and tactical chaos; only one review framed it as more uneven.

The new lords and units add enjoyable tactical options in battle, with the Glottkin standing out for their flexible mix of spellcasting, durability, and melee pressure.

Originality was a weakness, with reviews describing Diablo IV as rule-following or more deterministic than surprising.

The expansion contains genuinely fresh systems, but some individual units and Boris-specific additions feel too close to existing designs or outright reskins.

Graphics were consistently praised as stellar, beautiful, sharp, and technically impressive across base game and expansion coverage.

The campaign map looks cleaner and more refined after the update, with visible improvements to several regions.

Pacing was a recurring weakness, with reviewers criticizing filler errands, shocking plot pacing, and overly cinematic stretches.

Nagash’s later progression can slow sharply as Mortarchs, heroes, and high-tier content sit behind lengthy requirements.

One review found respec costs workable but still a slight disincentive to experimentation.

Nagash’s economy and resource caps create meaningful decisions, but early income and scarce Necromantic Energy can feel restrictive. That tension adds strategy for some players and grind for others.

The roster was praised overall for fun, distinct classes, especially Warlock and Paladin, though some reviews preferred one class over another.

Nagash and Thanquol are the standouts, with a broad lineup of lords and heroes adding meaningful variety. Boris is consistently seen as the least distinctive member of the group.

Visual effects received strong praise for spell and magical effects that looked flashy while staying functional.

Devastation and corruption visibly transform the campaign map, and Nagash’s wastelands are especially striking. These effects make faction impact easy to see.

One review praised Diablo IV as quintessentially Diablo.

The new campaigns strongly capture their Warhammer identities, from Nagash’s undead power fantasy to Thanquol’s scheming and the Glottkin’s Nurgle hybrid design. Thematic execution is consistently praised.

Art direction was a standout strength, with reviewers praising Diablo IV’s darker horror look and expansion region aesthetics.

Bespoke character and mount designs fit the setting well and give major additions a suitably dramatic Warhammer look.

Atmosphere was strongly praised for darkness, brutality, and ominous beauty in both base game and expansion.

The apocalypse feels tangible once invasions begin and provinces are devastated. Persistent destruction gives late campaigns a much stronger sense of urgency and scale.

One review praised world bosses and limited-time events for making the shared world feel active.

Devastation, corruption, and faction conquest visibly alter provinces and can even reshape climate, making the campaign world feel more reactive. Some AI-driven transformations can become too dominant.

Sound design was unanimously strong in scored evidence, from demon audio to interface and environmental details.

Nagash’s mixed undead roster creates a slightly jarring blend of vocal styles, especially when shifting between zombies, spirits, and Vampire Coast units.

Multiplayer design was praised for cross-platform flexibility, online integration, and group play freshness.

The underlying multiplayer potential is appealing, especially around revised Books of Nagash, but several story systems do not integrate smoothly with multiplayer campaigns yet.

Quest evidence was split between strong praise for rewarding side content and complaints that some side quests were mundane or one-dimensional.

Quest battles are a highlight, offering memorable set-piece encounters that fit the featured characters and reward campaign progression.

Mission design drew criticism in expansion coverage for repetitive objective flow and travel-to-talk sequences.

Lore-driven objectives, quest battles, and revised victory conditions give campaigns stronger direction than simple territorial expansion. A few objectives still feel repetitive or underdeveloped.

The open world was broadly praised for scale, interlinked regions, and multiplayer-friendly structure.

Immortal Empires remains an enormous, impressive sandbox, though its scale can dilute direction and Nagash’s starting position can distort the regional campaign too quickly.

UI evidence was positive where scored, especially tooltips and UX design.

The Glottkin’s consolidated mechanics panel is clean and convenient, but the broader ten-year accumulation of systems has made parts of Warhammer III’s interface harder to parse.

Map and navigation design was praised for an easy world map, pathfinding, overlays, and War Plans teleporting.

The larger opening flyby improves orientation by showing the surrounding theater and giving players a clearer sense of where threats are located.

World-building was praised for history, mythos, and an exciting Sanctuary setting.

Immortal Empires is praised as an exceptional digital realization of Warhammer Fantasy, especially once apocalyptic events and post-crisis recovery reshape the world.

Menu and inventory usability was mixed, with praise for loot filters but criticism of the small inventory and missing gem bag.

Complex systems such as Nagash’s necromancy screen and Black Pyramid can be intimidating to navigate. The depth is appealing, but the presentation is not always immediately readable.

Voice acting was consistently praised, especially Lorath and the expansion performances, with only minor presentation caveats elsewhere.

The alternate Boris performance is praised as excellent, even if the decision to split voices between modes is questionable.

DLC value was mixed: several reviewers found Lord of Hatred worth playing or robust, while others called it a hard sell or context-dependent.

The bundle offers unusually strong value for committed Warhammer III players, with multiple substantial campaigns and broad cross-faction benefits. Even individual lord packs can be worthwhile depending on faction preference.

Value evidence was positive, with reviewers saying the base game offered strong hours-per-dollar value.

Standalone character access can unlock Immortal Empires at a low price, while the full bundle delivers a large amount of substantial campaign content for its cost.

Replay value was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly saying the game kept them returning through classes, builds, and endgame systems.

Different lord mechanics, branching upgrades, optional endgame scenarios, and cross-faction unit additions give the expansion exceptional replay potential.

Performance was generally praised as smooth and well optimized, though one expansion review noted mild issues and progression bugs.

Update 9.0 brings substantial technical gains, especially faster turn processing and smoother campaign-map performance. These improvements are noticeable even without benchmarking.

The soundtrack was consistently praised as memorable, majestic, atmospheric, and excellent.

Dynamic music changes help sell major world-state shifts and reinforce the scale of devastation.

One review warned that the gore is intense enough to shock players who dislike graphic violence.

The handling was praised as precise and responsive, with reviewers highlighting intuitive combat feel and quick reactions.

One review criticized the player character as lacking personality or development.

End Times diplomacy can create convincing temporary alliances, but campaign AI remains inconsistent. Nagash can dominate neighboring factions too aggressively, while allied AI sometimes collapses during crisis scenarios.

Boris’s voice setup feels unnecessarily split between two performers. One performance lands well, but using separate voices across modes comes across as a missed opportunity.

One review praised the base game’s characters as more fleshed out and memorable.

Thanquol’s schemes and narrative pop-ups make decisions feel consequential, with plans able to pay off, backfire, or reshape the next move.

Community features were praised through trading, clans, and group activity support.

AI-controlled Nagash can become disproportionately dominant in his region, wiping out nearby factions early and narrowing who remains to fight later.

This is one of the fullest-feeling Warhammer III expansions, especially when paired with Update 9.0. A few missing characters and dated older factions keep it from feeling completely definitive.

Crafting and Horadric Cube evidence was strongly positive, with reviewers valuing refinement, gear forging, and buildcraft expansion.

One review praised the move away from cheesy performances and dialogue compared with the prior entry.

Emotional impact was generally strong in expansion and lore-focused reviews, though one reviewer said the base game did not raise their pulse.

Enemy variety was mixed: one expansion review praised a cohesive new bestiary, while base-game reviews noticed repeated enemies or simple mechanics.

Exploration was consistently praised as rewarding, joyful, and enhanced by large regions, side activities, and new expansion spaces.

One expansion review found some lip-syncing and cutscene quality behind the curve.

One expansion review praised War Plans for saving players from searching the large map.

Reworked short campaigns offer a satisfying objective arc without requiring an enormous time commitment, while the new endgame supports much longer runs for players who want them.

The expanded campaign flyby gives useful context about nearby factions and likely threats, making unfamiliar starts easier to read.

Horror tension was mixed-to-positive, with praise for evil tone but one caveat that some horror imagery became bland through repetition.

One reviewer criticized the inability to change the HP bar color while using Warlock resources.

Loading is modestly faster, complementing the larger technical improvements in Update 9.0.

Loot was praised for cadence, usefulness, and improved design, with reviewers emphasizing experimentation and build-defining drops.

One review strongly praised Diablo IV as rewarding for lore enthusiasts.

One review said the shop was annoying but did not ruin the game design.

Movement received strong marks for responsive dodging and class mobility, including praise for the expansion Warlock’s wraith-like movement.

Online stability was mostly good in review periods, though reviewers still noted rare hitches and disconnections.

The Vampire Counts recruitment overhaul is a major improvement, making unit access and lord development feel more thematic and purposeful.

One reviewer said seasonal content is integral and often good, while noting the reviewed expansion period did not include it.

One review praised the supporting cast and narrative characters as more memorable and fleshed out.

Social features were praised through increased trading and clan prominence.

The unit additions are overwhelmingly strong, with Stormfiends, Ulric troops, undead monsters, and Nurgle units filling useful battlefield niches. Some reskins and redundant units keep the roster from being uniformly excellent.

One review criticized the story presentation as clunky and out of place.

One expansion reviewer criticized premium battle pass add-ons as unnecessary cosmetic value.

One review praised cross-platform play as fun and appealing.

One review praised carrying progress between consoles as appealing.

Live-service evidence was cautiously positive, with reviewers praising foundations and planned updates while noting unknown seasonal elements.

The scale of Update 9.0 breaks compatibility with major overhaul mods such as SFO until their developers rebuild against the new version.

Server reliability was mixed: some reviews saw stability, while others reported lag, disconnections, or rubber-banding.

Boss design was highly mixed, ranging from phenomenal and mechanically distinct to disappointing, inconsistent, or frustrating.

Level design was mixed: some praised less backtracking and rewarding dungeons, while another found dungeon structure predictable.

Nagash’s specialized settlements add meaningful faction identity, though capacity rules and settlement restrictions can feel a little clunky.