A Berserk Fan's Journey to Diablo: A Plea for a "Part 2" Collaboration

PC General Discussion
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Dear Blizzard Entertainment Team,

My name is Diety, and I am writing to express my profound appreciation for the recent Berserk collaboration in Diablo IV and Diablo Immortal, and to passionately advocate for a potential “Part 2” or improved rerun of this incredible crossover.

As a hardcore Berserk fan, I must confess that the announcement of this collaboration was the sole reason I decided to dive into the Diablo franchise. I was so captivated by the idea that I started my journey from the very origins of Diablo lore and am currently progressing through Diablo Immortal’s story, completely immersed in the universe. To my delight, Diablo has quickly become one of my top 3 favorite gaming franchises.

The thematic fit between Berserk and Diablo is, in my honest opinion, nothing short of perfect. Both universes share a deeply compelling blend of dark fantasy, grotesque demonology, and heroic struggles against overwhelming evil. Seeing iconic elements like the Berserker Armor and Skull Knight in Sanctuary was a dream come true, and I happily purchased the Berserk cosmetics in Diablo IV because of this perfect synergy.

However, echoing feedback I’ve seen from many in the community, I believe there’s immense untapped potential for an even more profound collaboration, especially for Diablo IV. While the cosmetics were visually stunning, I feel that Diablo IV missed an opportunity to integrate more substantial in-game content, such as a dedicated questline, new boss encounters, or unique events that would truly bring the harrowing world of Berserk to life within Sanctuary. Additionally, the lack of a cross-class cosmetic bundle felt like a missed opportunity to offer a more unified and player-friendly experience.

A “Part 2” collaboration, or an improved rerun, could elevate this crossover to legendary status. Imagine:

• New Bosses: Battling powerful Apostles like Slan, Ubik, or Grunbeld, each with unique mechanics fitting their Berserk depiction.
• Themed Events/Dungeons: Experiencing a “Trial of the Eclipse” that truly puts players through a gauntlet of horrors, or exploring a twisted realm reminiscent of Berserk’s darkest moments, perhaps a temporary zone inspired by the God Hand’s domain or a demon-infested locale.
• Expanded Lore & Quests: A temporary narrative arc that delves deeper into how Berserk’s influence might manifest in Sanctuary, perhaps involving a temporary companion (like Puck!) or an encounter with a prophetic figure like the Skull Knight.
• More Diverse Cosmetics & Character Inspiration: Beyond Guts and Skull Knight, imagine character outfits for other classes inspired by Casca, Serpico, Farnese, or the Band of the Hawk, along with unique transmogs for iconic weapons like the Dragon Slayer (for other weapon types) or magical staves inspired by Schierke. Even small additions like a “Puck” or “Isidro” pet or companion could delight fans.
• Unique Mechanics/Items: Introducing temporary Legendary Affixes or unique items inspired by Berserk’s world, or even seasonal events with mechanics reminiscent of the Brand of Sacrifice or specific abilities seen in the manga.
• More Earnable Content: Beyond shop purchases, offering a more extensive range of unique cosmetics, titles, or items attainable through challenging in-game activities, battle pass tiers, or specific event completions, fostering a greater sense of accomplishment.
• Player-Friendly Monetization: Offering a comprehensive, multi-class bundle and clearer cross-class cosmetic options.
The first collaboration successfully drew new players like myself into your incredible universe. I genuinely believe that by addressing the community’s desire for more robust content and flexible purchasing options, a second Berserk collaboration could solidify its place as one of the best crossovers in gaming history and further strengthen player loyalty.

Thank you for your time and for considering my passionate feedback. I eagerly look forward to the future of Diablo.

Sincerely,

Diety#31975

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I am never this guy, but this reeks of a burner account.
“Please, let me spend more money!”

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I’ll sniff past the new-account smell & lob a syntactical objection (btw the spelling of your name bothers me a little - that’s on me :grimacing:)…

Berserk collab was your reason for diving into the Diablo franchise…

Summary

…but you describe the collab as a “dream come true”…

Summary

So right away, despite your perfect English (maybe this is a perfect translation?) you sorta-fail the Turing test: “a dream come true” means first there was a “dream” (a wish, a yen, a desire, a hunger) and then it “came true”. I don’t remember any instance in my decades of listening to & reading standard English, in which this chronological order isn’t implicit.

So how (even for a second) could you have had a desire for this collab, if you apparently had no interest in Diablo or its lore until the collab showed up?

But ok, let’s say it’s genuine (& you’re a human), and you’re just expressing an emotional reaction after the fact, and this is how it came out. Fine. I guess my ‘note’ is that it might not persuade a lot of “community members” b/c it (the post) comes across as unusually Berserk-fanatical. Maybe the studio would see it similarly… In their interview-promo video after launch, they looked barely interested (just another last-minute ad, released after season start).

The reaction to the collab announcement on the forum was net negative, most posters didn’t fudge with the property. Post-release it was even more negative… b/c of how limited the cosmetics, how they seemed a pure cash grab, and even how there’s no viable Barb 2H sword build to match the theme (& to this day, even the weapon expertise system still hates 2H Sword, and everyone takes 2H Axe). That’s how superficial this collab was to the studio.

And then they saw what Immortal provided.
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24189532/berserk-collides-with-sanctuary-for-a-limited-time
Point is, should those D4 producers who went scouting for collab material, ever consider Berserk again, Rod would be wise to shut them down to avoid reputational cost.

So the “further strengthen player loyalty”…

Summary

…is out of touch IMO. It enhances the odor of Berserk-fanaticism, and Diablo is a small asteroid trailing in its wake.

Some of the content ideas in the middle chunk seem fine - they’d never get implemented b/c the studio is burning the midnight oil on expansion #2 to try to get the game into a post-Early-Access state, so they can’t spare development time for that much creativity for a ‘collab’. Maybe remind them in 5 years?

But many (most?) of the ideas are cosmetics-focused, including leaning into the new gacha scheme the Berserk collab was used to inaugurate. I’m still ‘loyal’ enough to the Diablo franchise that I hope that type of feedback burns in a lake of eternal hellfire. :fire:

Let’s give expansion 2 a chance to turn this into a ‘very good game’, and if it comes out as more room-temperature porridge, your kind (cosmetics-enamored RP’ers with ‘easy’ content standards & high tolerance for Rod’s corner-cutting) can have it.

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I thought ChatGPT. At least it is polite.

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Well, at least the marketing gimmick worked on at least one person.

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