Throwback Thursday: The Demon Cows Of Diablo 2 (VIDEO)
Most anyone who’s played Diablo 2 often finds themselves overwhelmed with swarms of enemies, especially if dungeon-crawling one of the game’s harder difficulties. Of the many magic-casting, dead-raising, and hell-spawning enemies players face throughout their loot-driven travels, none come closer to the bizarre nature of one particular horde of evil: the Hell Bovines.
No, that’s not the name of an oxen-themed biker gang (that I know of); these are actual in-game cows summoned by demonic forces of the underworld. While the mere existence of satanic farm animals is enough to muster a good chuckle, these monochromatic minions are surely no joke on the battlefield. The Hell Bovines rule over the realm of Moo Moo Farm, where the cattle-drive of blade-brandishing beasts utterly massacre players while endlessly flooding their ears with moos.
Presiding over the kingdom of cows is a single Hell Bovine dubbed the Cow King, an inconspicuous ruler acting as the big boss of the realm. While the regal grazer resembles any other sentient cow in the region, players quickly recognize the mooing monarch from his lightning-infused moveset and broad immunity from magic abilities. Actually defeating his royal hooveness indeed yields some glory, but is ultimately bittersweet as it effectively closes off the region from further fighting.
Diablo 2’s lore hilariously attributes the Hell Bovines’ origins to players themselves, specifically those who traversed the ravaged town of Tristram. The cursed area is memorably scattered with dozens of cow corpses, many of which explode if clicked on by the player. As spontaneously-combusting cattle undoubtedly became a popular trend, it also awakened the vengeful desires of collective cowkind. This combined with powers gifted from the Lord of Terror make Hell Bovines a truly bizarre enemy to encounter.
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The “secret” nature of the Moo Moo Farm level has led to it becoming a running joke at Blizzard, with the developer often denying the existence of such a ridiculous area of Diablo universe. However, this fact hasn’t stopped the killer cows from being referenced in many of the company’s projects such as StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and even further Diablo games. Diablo 3 notably brought the hellish herd back for another bout of bloodshed, this time introducing even more members of the Bovine royal family.
What do you think? Have you ever led a crusade to the Diablo 2’s secret cow level, or have you elected to steer clear of such weirdness? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter and Facebook to be informed of the latest gaming and entertainment news 24 hours a day! Also, be on the lookout for the next Throwback Thursday where we’ll highlight yet another piece of trivia from gaming past. For entries from previous weeks, check out these next few news stories:
Eric Hall2712 Posts
Phone-browsing Wikipedia in one hand and clutching his trusty controller in the other, the legendary Eric Hall spreads his wealth of knowledge as a writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. Be sure to catch his biweekly "Throwback Thursday" segment for a nostalgic look at trivia from the past.
