David Brevik, the mind behind Diablo, has long since moved on from Blizzard, but his passion for ARPGS has not waned! As the head of Skystone Games, he continues to shape the gaming landscape. In an exclusive interview with Videogamer, Brevik shared his thoughts on the evolution of action RPGs, the impact of rapid progression, and why he believes the genre has lost something special.
Diablo 2’s Pacing is What Made it Great
Brevik acknowledges the evolution of the genre he helped pioneer but believes games today are missing a crucial element: the journey.
“RPGs in general have started to lean into this: kill swaths of enemies all over the place extremely quickly,” Brevik explained. “Your build is killing all sorts of stuff so you can get more drops, level up, and the screen is littered with stuff you don’t care about.”
According to him, the rapid leveling in modern ARPGs, where players can hit max level in just a few hours, takes away from the sense of progression and accomplishment. He points to Diablo 2 as an example of pacing done right, where every level and loot drop felt meaningful.
Too Many Enemies, Too Little Impact
Another major issue Brevik sees is the overwhelming enemy count in today’s ARPGs. Modern titles flood the screen with monsters, making combat feel more like a numbers game than a strategic challenge.
Can the ARPG Genre Be Saved?
Brevik hopes developers will return to slower, more rewarding progression systems, ensuring that combat, loot, and leveling retain their significance.
You can read the full interview at Videogamer.
