The overpowering boss from the first Diablo game developed by Blizzard is searching for fresh flesh. During the early access test that took place over the weekend, the upcoming loot-grinding role-playing game Diablo IV from Blizzard offered a multitude of challenging bosses and garbage mobs for players to eliminate.
Although though gamers, including myself, were excited to step back into the dark world of Sanctuary to vanquish some demons, the community is Shooketh to face the overpowered flesh-carving terror known as The Butcher again.
In Diablo IV, the next installment in the legendary action-RPG series, you must save the gloomy, dark world of Sanctuary from the hands of Lilith, Daughter of Hate and Queen of the Succubi.
Even though there is a lot to be wary of in a game that required crunch to complete, I came away from the beta weekend believing that the new Diablo is the ideal game for podcasts, despite just getting a small taste of the diabolical pie.
It’s not meant as a criticism either. The game’s simplistic yet compelling loop makes it ideal for wasting time after a long day of work by clearing your mind. Until, of course, the butcher with the meat cleaver shows up and cleaves you in two.
When an old buddy reappears (to kill you)
Since the original Diablo was released in 1996, the Butcher has remained a consistent foe in the series. The Butcher, a massive beast armed with a massive bloodied cleaver, is a common monster found in particular situations, such as outside dungeons or at the end of certain quests.
Due to his enormous stamina, great damage output, and insatiable need for blood, he posed an extreme challenge in any fistfight. His brutality in Diablo IV is unchanged. This time, though, The Butcher appears during inconvenient hours.
The Butcher does not stand in one place waiting for players to queue up to be hacked to bits; rather, he appears unexpectedly in dungeons, relentlessly pursuing you with his cleaver while shouting “Fresh meat!” and tossing his chain sickle to draw any runners back to his jagged blade. The eerie feeling of nostalgia is intended to scare you. Diablo’s general manager Rod Fergusson said in an interview with Eurogamer that The Butcher makes for some thrilling, humorous, and unforgettable moments in the game.
Fergusson said-
“The Butcher hits the nostalgia note for everybody who’s ever fought [him] before, and especially in the way that it’s done [now].”
“The Butcher existed in Diablo III as a boss in an arena and that didn’t feel as true to the expression of what it was in Diablo 1, whereas this feels like a much truer expression that can surprise you and so it really plays off that nostalgia.”
“But if you’ve never seen The Butcher before and you don’t know what it is, it’s still exciting and fun to play, and it still creates that really memorable moment because we’re seeing streamers and creators post their “What the heck is this?!” [content], which is awesome.”
“One of the things that can be really fun is changing up the players’ goals at any given moment, and the treasure goblin does that by running off with a pile of loot that you want, so you’re likely to opt into the extra danger [to get it].”
“And the Butcher does that by ambushing you and creating a situation where you’re likely to run and potentially run into other danger or navigate under pressure.”
“So broadly speaking, in Diablo IV, we’re looking for other ways to add that kind of gameplay that changes the player’s experience on the fly. And the Butcher’s a perfect tool for that, because the essence of what players love about him is that ambush and that sense of fear, so he’s a perfect addition. And we want to add more things like that in the future as well.”
The Butcher bullies the community
The locals appear to feel conflicting emotions toward this demonic giant. Players on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter have shared their copium from their battles with him. It was “quite amusing,” according to one Twitter user because The Butcher finished them out in three.
Reddit user “meant to be a troll by Blizzard” speculated that The Butcher’s sudden disappearance after bodying you might be intentional. The Butcher was called the “worst section of the beta” by another Twitter user. In contrast, another Reddit user said that despite being “scared the heck out of,” they still considered their encounter with The Butcher to be humorous. There is a sense of uncertainty wherever you go. No game for the Butcher.
Oh man that druid is thiiiiiccccc https://t.co/mLkPq1Ctsv pic.twitter.com/wS4wf9tpwW
— Chelsea 🗡Drinker of the Corpse-sea🗡 (@Ragrfisk) March 20, 2023
As a witness, I can attest to this feeling. During my experience with the beta over the last weekend, I encountered The Butcher no less than three times in completely unrelated dungeons all across Sanctuary.
I felt like a badass when I started talking trash and charging through crowds. I have already banished several evil spirits, among them the massive dragon-like monster known as Ashava the Pestilent. That’s why, when I first saw The Butcher coming at me with his cleaver and sickle, I figured we’d have a quick and dirty scrap on our hands.
My shadow Rogue easily dispatched most foes, and I was about to kill The Butcher with my dual daggers when he suddenly regrouped. Sorry, I was completely incorrect. As soon as he landed his first blow, which reduced my health by about a third, I realized my error.
I tried to flee, but The Butcher is not only faster than you, but he has a chain sickle that can drag you back to him. I resigned myself to my fate and watched as he led my Rogue into the flames. There has never been a time when I was so angry and so determined to exact my revenge. That’s why Fergusson appreciates the time his players spend interacting with the manager so much.
Fergusson said-
