David Brevik, co-founder of Blizzard and designer ofDiablo, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the recent evolution ofDiablo-style ARPGs, arguing that the experience has become shallow due to accelerated progression, excessive worthless loot, and the overwhelming number of enemies on screen.
ARPGs Are Too Fast? Diablo Creator Thinks So
In an interview, Brevik criticized the trend in modern ARPGs to focus on rapidly and massively eliminating enemies solely to earn more rewards and level up at high speed. According to him, this approach has removed the sense of impact and friction that characterized the earlyDiablogames.
“Now it’s all about killing hordes of enemies in seconds, filling the screen with irrelevant items, and progressing as quickly as possible. Honestly, I don’t find that to be an appealing experience,” he stated.
For Brevik,Diablo II—a game he directed—had a more personal and realistic pace, with a better balance between the number of enemies on screen and the player’s abilities. He believes that part of its lasting success is due to this slower, more challenging structure, in contrast to the “lawnmower” feel that many current games in the genre offer.
Fast Progression Ruining the Experience
He also criticized how games likePath of Exile, Diablo III, and Diablo IVencourage players to rush to the endgame, neglecting the true essence of the genre. For him, the fun of anARPGisn’t reaching the end but the journey itself. “When you shorten that journey and turn it into something ridiculous, in my opinion, you’ve degraded the entire experience,” he concluded.
While Brevik’s comments apply to the recent Diablo games, they could also be extended to titles like Path of Exile 2 and Lost Ark, as well as MMOs that share similar issues. “I think MMOs have gone in that direction,” said Brevik.
“How fast can you level up? How quickly can you kill everything? It’s all about speed and things like that, but in reality, I think that makes the experience worse. And I tend to avoid that direction.”
In addition toDiablo IV, which remains very active and recently launched its seventh season, the latest hit in the genre isPath of Exile 2,which debuted with massive success in Steam Early Access last December.
Be sure to check out other newsDiablo 4 2.0 Now Live on PTR What You Need to Knowand alsoBlizzard Celebrates The First Anniversary of Diablo 4And don’t forget to bookmarkDiablo 4 Wiki, as you most assuredly will need it!
