Diablo 2
In a recent interview with VideoGamer, Blizzard co-founder and Diablo programmer/designer David Brevik expressed a bleak view of the current state of ARPG games like Diablo. He argues that the inflated number of enemies and the flood of loot and experience have robbed the genre of the interest and weight present in the first two Diablo games.
«I think ARPGs in general have started to lean towards that: killing bunches of enemies all over the place super fast,» Brevik said. «Your build kills all sorts of things so you can get more drops, you can level up, and the screen is full of stuff you’re not interested in».
In contrast, Brevik argues that Diablo 2 had a more «personal and realistic» feel due to the number of enemies on the screen and the abilities the player could use against them.
«The pacing in Diablo 2, in my opinion, is just great. That’s one of the reasons why the game has remained popular,» Brevik said. «I just don’t find it exciting to kill entire screens of enemies instantly, sweeping away everything in your path, and walking around the level killing everyone. It doesn’t seem interesting to me. It’s more like pointless».
Brevik also criticized the approach taken by newer ARPGs such as Path of Exile, Diablo 3, and Diablo 4, where players are encouraged to level up their characters as quickly as possible, as the end is perceived as the most important part of the game. He emphasized that the real fun of ARPGs «is not really about getting to the end, but about the journey». Summarizing, Brevik said:
«When you shorten that journey and make it meaningless, you devalue the entire gaming experience in my opinion».
Source: pcgamer