25 years later, the creator of Diablo 2 regrets one of the most criticized choices in this action RPG. Even the man behind one of the world’s most successful games still has nightmares about a single decision made with the Blizzard team.

It’s curious how even the minds behind some of the greatest games in history sometimes feel dissatisfied with their work. It’s not that Diablo II’s former lead isn’t proud of what Blizzard achieved with this fantastic action RPG—after all, it’s one of the most influential games ever made. But if David Brevik could travel back 25 years, he knows exactly what he would change about his legendary creation. If you’re a veteran, you may even agree with him.

In a chat with one of the creators of Path of Exile—the Diablo series’ main rival today—the former Blizzard developer admitted that Diablo 2’s stamina bar was a mistake. It was born from the best intentions but has since become a decision he deeply regrets.

“I hate Diablo II’s stamina bar. Whenever I think of it, I get chills. It becomes completely irrelevant as you progress through the game and ends up being a punishment for new players. It’s like a tax for newbies.” – David Brevik

If you played the classic, you’ll remember that in the early game, stamina would deplete very quickly, meaning that even just running around in search of enemies forced you to walk for a bit to recharge. It wasn’t fun, and it didn’t add anything to the action. Ultimately, all it did was slow down the opening hours of adventure.

Why Was the Stamina Bar Included in Diablo 2?

If he hated it so much, why implement it 25 years ago? Brevik admits in this extended video conversation that the main reason was to prevent players from fleeing fights—to stop them from simply running back and forth without fighting any demons. The problem, as he notes, is that it wasn’t the best solution. The feature was so unpopular at Blizzard that later games, Diablo III and Diablo IV, have no trace of a stamina bar at all.

In this same conversation, Brevik discussed the games that influenced him at the time, the differences between the classic and its Lord of Destruction expansion, and even the possibility that more content could have been created for this legendary action RPG.

Whether you’re a veteran eager to relive this iconic RPG action adventure or a newcomer curious about the classic, remember that you can buy the original or check out its visually enhanced remake, Diablo II Resurrected, which is also available on consoles.

Source: 3djuegos