The Diablo III That Might Have Been

Screens have surfaced of an early version of Blizzard's action/RPG that will never release.

Kotaku has come across some early screens for the Diablo III game that was being designed by Blizzard North. That version was cancelled in 2005. The screens show off a version of the game that looks awfully similar to many elements of Diablo II. Colors are more muted than in the new version of the game, which is expected to hit shelves sometime in 2011 or 2012. The UI also harkens back to earlier entries.

It's been a long wait for Diablo III, and a big reason behind the delay is likely the effective restart of the project seen in these recovered images. Then again, there's a reason why most gamers will purchase Blizzard games sight unseen -- the company tends not to release a product unless they're completely satisfied with its quality.