Control spells have been nerfed really hard. Directly by reducing their durations and indirectly by making Concentration next to impossible to maintain. Even Wall of Stone had it's HP nerfed from 180 to 30. And Defensive spells usually require concentration, meaning you will lose their effect in a matter of seconds when they flood your feet with fire or you get knocked Prone. Prone doesn't end Concentration in D&D, but here the control and buff hate is real.
Damage spells on the other hand have been ridiculously buffed by letting you cast two or three spells per turn instead of just one. Three Fireballs do triple damage, 3 Hypnotic Patterns are exactly the same as 1.
