There are some games, really good games, that are time vampires. They draw you in with engaging gameplay, catch your eye with beautiful visuals, and get you into challenging battles that you won't want to give up.
After playing about seven hours of Path of Exile 2 at a preview event—from the first act of the campaign all the way to the second act—it's clear to me that this game is the time-killer's Nosferatu. Great weekend devourer. I looked at its December 6th release date and knew I was screwed. Of course you do too. sorry.
What Grinding Gear Games has done here is take what was great about Path of Exile 1 and refine it into a stronger, more modern monster. Don't panic! Complexities remain, as do challenges. This is not a dilution of the sauce, but a gorgeous revolution in the original. Easier to get started with, but requires trying. Even for those familiar with team work, it's full of surprises.
You thought maybe you'd be okay, but you weren't. Path of Exile 2 There are 12 classes: Very different from each other, and with a frankly ridiculous level of skill customization, which pretty much confirms that my playstyle and yours will be completely different. Eat your heart out, Diavolo.
iGamesNews
By the way, this is true even if we play with the same base class. My warrior can focus on his totems, pop them out and use them to detonate the ground around him in a massive AOE clear. You might be a fire-focused warrior, using a battle cry to ignite enemies and empower their attacks. Maybe you'll get a unique weapon that enhances your bleeding attacks? Well, then you can reset everything and build your character around it for awesome results. Add to that those support gems and the legendary huge passive skill tree… Building a character in Path of Exile 2 is like saving up clothes, and you might come across a shirt or jacket that completely flips your outfit.
This itself is similar to what Path of Exile 1 had to offer. The key difference for me is the improved experience for new players in terms of overcoming the daunting complexity surrounding the series. Path of Exile 2's method provides a path to the top of the wall. Any active or support skill gems you acquire will give you options divided into classic and weapon types. If you are more experienced, you can risk abandoning the standard options offered to you. But what this approach provides is a simplified path through the game system. This way, once players reach the end of the campaign, they'll understand how everything works. No need for lengthy guides!
If this is the core of the game, where do you bring all this skill and complexity? Well, you will take it with you to the homes of various monsters, ghouls, freaks and terrorists for fierce battles. It's all well and good written about how much you can tweak your abilities in Path of Exile 2, but that praise means little if those abilities feel weak and unremarkable. I am happy to write that everything is far from reality. Your attacks explode outward in visual explosions and brutal blows, knocking enemies into the air or scattering them bloody.
Path of Exile 1 has made significant strides in improving the overall combat experience in recent years, but I feel like Path of Exile 2 has jumped right into something exciting. No part of the game exemplifies this more than boss battles. Not just behind-the-scenes bosses, but regular bosses that you find throughout the show. Various stages, tons of attacks, and very eager to slap you to death. This is a good thing! You shouldn't wait until the end of the game to have to lock.
.png?width=690&quality=70&format=jpg&dpr=2&auto=webp)
As for other notable perks? The tone of this game was extraordinary. Even within the first act, the various biomes are so distinct in nature that I never grew tired of a particular area or enemy type. Frankly, it helps that there are a ridiculous amount of enemies! Throughout the campaign, you'll rarely see enemies reused – a fact that applies to bosses as well! Each area is brand new and presents new challenges to face. All these areas share a common fear and insecurity. You follow the path of your opponents, and they leave poison in their wake, a poison that adds flavor to the entire experience.
These areas are also full of surprises. Those bosses I mentioned earlier aren't disposable damage sponges, but real, fun fights. I encountered a boss named Krobel halfway through the first act. This is a three-stage battle that takes place on a map with unique models and attacks. This fight likely ended a side quest or played a mini-boss with narrative ties and was just left for me to discover. A real surprise, a pleasant surprise.
There's a lot in Path of Exile 2 that I haven't seen. I only watched some of the second act, but not the third. I haven't played the final game myself yet, but got an idea of how it works through the pre-game demo. Even so, I can't help but sit here and feel a twinge of excitement for Path of Exile 2. It does feel like a true sequel, improving where it can and building on a solid foundation. I would recommend it to anyone who loves ARPGs to give it a try next month, and anyone who is even remotely interested in a deep, dark, mean game that you can really get into.
Path of Exile 2 will be released on December 6th on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation. We visited Path of Exile 2 through a dedicated Grinding Gear Games preview event and received travel assistance from the developer.
