Diablo IV vs Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Two dark action RPGs ask you to choose between seasonal live-service churn and a hand-built folk-horror world that expects patience.
Updated 7d ago
Skip the $49.99 Standard button — the $69.99 Age of Hatred Collection adds both expansions for twenty dollars more. The 2026 repairs are free either way.
A grimdark Skyrim-killer with crunchier combat and packed-with-stuff exploration — buys in if you can stomach the solo-dev pacing.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 26; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 26.
| Measure | Diablo IV | Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon |
|---|---|---|
| Value Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon wins on value | ||
| Price now | $49.99 Steam | $44.99 GOG |
| All-time low | $12.49 | $17.99 |
| Cost / hour | $1.94/hr $49.99 · 26 h main story | $1.61/hr $44.99 · 28 h main story |
| Off its low | +300% low was Sep 2026 | +150% low was Feb 2024 |
| Main story | 26 h | 28 h |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 65% 78k reviews | 88% 36k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 66% 3k votes · vs 65% lifetime | — |
| Peak players | 12,872 Aug 2026 · ↓ 70% MoM | 1,781 Sep 2026 · ↓ 61% MoM |
| Launch peak | — | 7% of May 2025 launch peak · as of Sep 2026 |
| All-time peak | 63,808 May 2026 · now at 20% | 25,568 May 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | — | 10 days ago |
| Patch cadence | — | 2 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Diablo IV
Three years of repairs finally arriving at once. Players who stayed through every season say the endgame is the best it has been.
Paying again. Skills behind an expansion paywall is the complaint that recurs most, followed by an endgame they still call grindy and unbalanced.
from our July 2026 verdict
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Exploration is the hook that keeps 100-hour fans coming back — every hidden nook holds something worth the detour, and combat's weighty crunch holds up across playthroughs.
Mid-game quests start to drag, and interior spaces lacking maps make navigation a persistent friction even for veterans.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Diablo IV if
- You already play seasonal ARPGs and enjoy resetting progress for new loot.
- You want to play as a Paladin, Warlock, or Spiritborn without buying a standalone expansion.
- You have a stable internet connection and a Battle.net account ready.
Pick Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon if
- You want a first-person RPG with weightier melee than Skyrim's.
- You love Arthurian lore reimagined with dark folk-horror atmosphere.
- You'll tolerate rough edges for a smaller, curiosity-driven open world.
Bottom line
Pick Tainted Grail if you want a cheap, atmospheric one-time RPG with 88% positive reviews and under $1 per hour; pick Diablo IV only if seasonal resets and the Paladin class justify its 65% Steam score.
More comparisons
- Diablo IV vs The Alters
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon vs The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Diablo IV vs Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Diablo IV vs Sword of the Sea
- Elden Ring Nightreign vs Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon