This article appears in the new issue ofDEN OF GEEKmagazine.
No elaborate character backstories, no morality system, and no dice roll-based decision-making.
In Breviks words, he wanted to make an RPG that let you get in and start smashing things.
It was a sacrilegious idea to those who saw traditionalRPGsas the backbone of the computer gaming scene.
Appropriately, Brevik called his idea Diablo.
Released in 1997,Diablowas a true game-changer.
It boiled the complex CRPG down to its purest form.
Back then, I would just voraciously consume any game I could get my hands on, Haroutunian recalls.
I hadnt played anything like that before.
The challenge was Go to the bottom [of the dungeon] and good luck.
You know immediately what something is going to do by simply trying it.
The industry was put on notice, but few responded to this emerging trend.
For years,Diabloand its Hellfire expansion remained largely unrivaled.
That is untilDiablo 2was released in 2000.
Considered to be one of the greatest games ever,Diablo2offered more than just more.
It fully realized the potential of what was already a modern classic.
When we make games, we are sometimes unintentionally making promises to people playing them, Haroutunian says.
Diablo 2fulfilled those promises made by the first game.
Diablo 2went on to sell over 15 million copies, but its legacy is more substantial than that.
Diablo 2is something that the team still talks about and still plays, Haroutunian says.
You play it, and the bones of the game are still fun.
If the bones are fun, then you might look past the older graphics.
Diablo 2quickly spawned massive fan communities and a small army of copycats.
Despite the increased competition,Diablo 2remained the king of its genre.
Many fans said that the only thing that would pull them away fromDiablo 2wasDiablo 3.
Thats where things took a turn.
Even thoughDiablo 3reportedly began development in 2001, developer Blizzard Entertainment didnt release it until 2012.
Expectations only grew during that time.
Some still sawDiablo 2as a perfect game.
They could only imagine what 11 years would add to perfection.
However,Diablo 3s release wasnt perfect.
The franchise that could do no wrong suddenly felt like a memory.
Ultimately, though, they were united by an idea.
Across the team, there was a drive, Haroutunian recalls.
Its like, Okay, its out now.
So now we can begin the work of making it better, right?
It almost doesnt matter how it starts… For the most part, theDiablo 3team made good on the promise.
Bugs were fixed, missing features were patched in, and countless improvements were made based on player feedback.
With over 30 million copies sold,Diablo 3is considered a success in every conventional way.
Yet, there was a splintering.
Some longtimeDiablofans felt thatDiablo 3had lost its identity through its attempts to reach an even wider audience.
In the years followingDiablo 3s release, a new wave of competitors emerged.
Some, like the wildly successfulPath of Exile, were practically sold as theDiablosequel hardcore fans had originally wanted.
It wasnt just the direct competitors.
Aspects ofDiablos once-iconic formula become much more popular.
There was a time whenDiablowas the only and best game of its kind.
But the mystique gradually started to fade.
Through all of that,Diabloremained somewhat dormant.Diablo 3continued to receive updates but was beginning to show its age.
The 2022 release of a microtransaction-laden mobile gameDiablo Immortalonly riled fans who felt the franchise had lost its way.
WhenDiablo 4was finally announced in 2019, it wasnt quite the celebration some expected it to be.
The world was different.
Some of the magic was gone.
How didDiablofit into an industry that had learned and borrowed so much from it?
The reality is that everyone has always done that, Haroutunian says regarding the games imitators and influences.
AsDiabloevolves and Action RPGs evolve, developers are looking for advancements and ideas elsewhere.
The goal isnt to give you theDiablothat was but rather a modern version of howDiablogames should make you feel.
We were able to capture that, and they were able to experience it inDiablo 4.
Over 25 years ago,Diabloshocked the gaming world with a bold take on role-playing that nobody saw coming.
According to Haroutunian, even lifelong fans are in for a surprise.
You have no idea whats coming, Haroutunian teases.
I dont think they really know how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Diablo 4releases on June 6 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as PC.
