I’d also add that by the time you reach 30 minutes in VS, you’re having to basically vaporized everything on the screen at once and then Death just one-shots me…I guess there is a way to beat that end-boss for a level? The difference is that the first time I made it to the 30 minute mark in HoT (which took comparatively much less time…maybe because I’m just more familiar with the style of game?), I at least had a fighting chance against the 1st map’s boss, and your end-level builds seem leave more room for exploration. The quests or achievements I prefer to VS, and I also prefer the way items work (including the well) generally. VS is a fun game, but HoT really improves on it in many different ways, including the visuals/tone (which is very much Diablo-esque).
Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same.