Of all of the enemies in Blizzard’s motion RPG Diablo, The Butcher stays a fan favorite. His love of fresh produce (especially meat) and undying rage have written him down within the bloody books of Sanctuary’s history, but he doesn’t return as an easy Diablo 4 boss, as a substitute ambushing random players. During an exclusive developer Q and A in London, I asked Blizzard why.
The Butcher has been in every Diablo game thus far, excluding Diablo Immortal – but considering it is a live-action game, it’s more likely to drop into Westmarch in some unspecified time in the future. It has even appeared in other Blizzard worlds, most notably within the now-defunct MOBA Heroes of the Storm (RIP).
While the developers could have easily created a full-fledged, dramatic boss fight for Diablo 4 characters, they took a really Very a unique approach. As you make your way through dungeons and slay hordes, you’ll by chance be attacked by the Butcher, who can spawn in any dungeon, at any time, at any time. It is that this unpredictability, as Shely explains, that may be a throwback to the origins of Diablo.
Meeting the Butcher is a “perfect example” of how Shely and the team tried to capture the darkness of Diablo 2 while maintaining the fluidity and volatility of Diablo 3. “There are plenty of great boss fights in Diablo 4, and we could create one other boss fight with a theme of The Butcher, but we recognize that, as with many other Diablo elements, the important thing thing about this encounter is that it feels each surprising and terrifying.
“These are things that were really essential to hold over from Diablo 2, so we realized that feeling in Diablo 4 differently than simply making a cool fight.”
“It’s a fun fight,” says PCGamesN with a smile. “But it was a means of asking ‘what’s the true essence of individuals [think of] once they say they love Diablo 2.” What exactly are they talking about in each individual case and the way to capture it.”
In my Diablo 4 beta journey, I’ve yet to come across the Butcher – perhaps I’m not fresh enough, considering I play a rather emaciated Necromancer. With every hallowed hall I traverse and each bloody cathedral I explore, I catch myself gasping, wondering if This there’s a moment. That tingling sensation down your spine is precisely what I felt in Diablo 2, and it’s a really welcome feeling.
If you too need to be attacked by a really indignant demon, there are many them in Diablo 4. We’ve got you covered with a breakdown of one of the best builds for every of Diablo 4’s five classes, in addition to the situation of Diablo 4 World Boss Ashawa – the most important, scariest demon you may encounter on this testing phase.
