Path of Exile has been one of the best ARPG in the marketplace for years now—Diablo 4 did not even scratch the paint for me (largely as a result of Blizzard constructed an MMO as a substitute)—however when Grinding Gear Video games introduced Path of Exile 2 in 2019, I used to be a little bit nervous. Dwell service video games with periodic updates have a spotty document with sequels, and infrequently find yourself cannibalizing their predecessors—like Future and Overwatch.
At ExileCon a pair weeks in the past, my fears have been assuaged. As a substitute of changing Path of Exile as initially deliberate, Path of Exile 2 will probably be a standalone sequel that may run concurrently with the unique. And it is enormous, with a brand new marketing campaign, new character courses and ascendancies, and a brand new endgame, the works. In the event you’re questioning what’s going to occur to your spectacular assortment of portal skins and stash tabs, fear not—all microtransactions you buy will probably be carried over to each video games, with exceptions for issues that do not exist in each video games. Every sport will obtain content material updates about each three months, so in the event you wanna play each video games you will undoubtedly have your arms full.
The Path of Exile 2 beta is sort of a 12 months away (GGG says it’s going to be out there subsequent June), however I bought to play the hands-on demo of Path of Exile 2 that was out there for ExileCon attendees, and there is a lot to love already.
The voice performing, music, and up to date character fashions are all glorious, and there are some high quality of life enhancements like having the ability to portal in quest NPCs with out having to return to city to speak to them. The up to date expertise make fight much more interactive, and taking sockets off objects and making them intrinsic makes it so you should use a number of expertise extra successfully whereas nonetheless having the ability to scale them with out having to fret about crafting a six hyperlink.
It is also powerful. Very powerful.
Ruthless and dynamic
Launched with the three.20 Forbidden Sanctum league final December, Ruthless is basically a tough mode for Path of Exile. It craters drop charges for loot, takes away most motion expertise, and introduces a bunch of different modifications that considerably gradual the sport down and make it tougher. The Path of Exile 2 demo jogged my memory a whole lot of taking part in on Ruthless.
Monsters in Path of Exile 2 hit exhausting, and so they have all types of nefarious means to encompass you. I had seen some streamers get completely ranched taking part in the demo, so originally I took it very slowly, and I am glad I did. Like in PoE’s Ruthless mode, I did not have juiced motion pace from gear, teleports, or spells that blew up the entire display. What I did have was a dodge roll, and boy did I want it. A brand new characteristic in PoE2, all characters get a limiteless dodge roll that does not require a ability gem and may even animation cancel in the event you’re caught in an enormous assault and want to maneuver instantly.
All 4 playable characters within the demo had this dynamic: a number of expertise to make use of, none of which have been good all the time, however all of which have been nice among the time.
At first I crawled. I bought caught. I died. As I bought acclimated, nonetheless, issues began sliding into place. The common workers assaults on the monk did not do a ton of injury, however they did have a small AoE and a little bit of stagger, so I might use them to stave issues off. Falling Thunder did unreal injury, however I wanted energy expenses to make it work. Killing Palm might get me these expenses, however was sluggish to make use of and put me in danger.
Earlier than lengthy I used to be cruising by means of Act 1 with the Monk, darting out and in of fight, slowing monsters with waves of frost earlier than lunging again in to complete a pair off, constructing some energy expenses, after which dodge rolling out and blowing every part else up with an enormous finisher. All 4 playable characters within the demo had this dynamic: a number of expertise to make use of, none of which have been good all the time, however all of which have been nice among the time. As a lot as I like PoE 1, typically you simply flip in your Righteous Fireplace and go strolling simulator mode whereas mobs die round you, no buttons pressed. Fight in PoE 2 is much more dynamic.
The extra dynamic fight was by no means on higher show than it was for the boss fights. “We’re going extra within the sort of like Elden Ring form of course,” stated sport director Jonathan Rogers in an interview with IGN’s Kat Bailey. “It is rather more action-focused, however with a form of hardcore bent.” This philosophy was evidenced in bosses that have been difficult, attention-grabbing, and a ton of enjoyable to kill.
There are apparently over 100 new bosses in Path of Exile 2. A few of my favorites from the demo have been Lachlann, a poor schmuck who loses his household and turns into an enormous rage zombie. Preventing him required me to kite him across the graveyard, constructing energy expenses on minions to whittle him down with Falling Thunder. One other spotlight was the Forsaken Son in Act 2, who I beat with the Huntress (on my first attempt, I’d add!) in a wild brawl with hearth in all places and so many slams I might’ve been at WrestleMania.
The top is the start is the tip
Clearly, we’re miles away from having the complete launch of Path of Exile 2 in our little lootgoblin arms. We now have principally no concept what the endgame seems to be like—they’ve stated there are maps, however principally nothing else. Tons continues to be up within the air. We have got dynamic fight, however will it proceed to be so after we scale our characters to the moon and have sufficient injury to kill God? There are candy bosses, however will there be compelling causes to battle them greater than as soon as? We have been instructed we are able to shapeshift, however can we’ve got bear intercourse like in Baldur’s Gate 3? That is why they’ve me right here, to ask the exhausting hitting questions.
All of those will probably be answered in time, and at the very least we have tons to maintain us occupied till then. Path of Exile 1 has a brand new league popping out August 18, with a bunch of recent help gems, reworks to Guardian and Chieftain, and a tower protection fashion league mechanic. Final Epoch has been in Early Entry since 2019, however we needs to be tremendous near a launch announcement (they stated 2023). And I assume the Diablo 4 devs lastly realized that gamers need monsters to kill of their sport, in order that’s one thing!