Why you should give Path of Exile 2 a chance
The biggest early access release in recent memory keeps getting bigger, and it wants you to try it!
Path of Exile 2 launched into early access on the 6th of December 2024, and it’s been going strong ever since. In this article, I wanted to talk about why you should consider jumping into the early access and helping the developers with your feedback!
If the only thing keeping you from trying out the game is the fear of the grind, as many ARPG have, I recommend going to https://playhub.com/poe2/currency. Here you’ll be able to get good deals in the game’s different currencies, and that way you will skip some of the game’s most sluggish parts. Now, let’s talk about some of the great things that await you in this game.
Campaign
Taking place 10 years after the previous game. Embark in a dark and gritty story where a new corrupt empire has risen, and you play as an Exile fighting to survive and challenge this power. Uncover secrets, battle monsters, and try to bring change to Wraeclast. Now, the campaign isn’t finished yet, but as of right now you can play the first 3 acts of the total of 6 that will be in the full release. This is already around 30 hours, which is already the length of the first Path of Exile’s campaign, give or take. This means that what is already in the game is around the same amount of content campaign-wise as the first one. While the endgame and post-game content isn’t finished, yet, you can also get plenty of extra hours too.
Classes
Right now, Path of Exile 2 has 7 classes in the game with 2 ascendancies each, some now having a third one. And it plans to have 12 at launch, with every one of them having 3 ascendancies. More classes are being added through updates, such as the brand-new class “Huntress” that launched with the “Dawn of the hunt” update on April 4th. If you’re coming from the first game, you will be glad to know that every class from the first game got a rework, and they feel drastically better and more are to come.
Right now there’s
- Warrior
- Huntress
- Sorceress
- Mercenary
- Monk
- Ranger
- Witch
And future classes include:
- Druid
- Marauder
- Duelist
- Shadow
- Templar
Some of these haven’t been shown yet and could change, but this is more or less what you should expect to come in the future.
Many playstyles
Not only are there ascendancies that drastically change how your class plays as well as skill gems that change some of the effects of your different skills, but even the classes themselves feel very different in how they play.
Get close and personal with the Warrior’s weaponry or strike from afar with many spells as the sorceress to even transform the game into a top-down shooter with the mercenary. He even ditches the traditional point and click movement for WASD keys and uses the mouse to aim instead.
The game needs you
The game being is in early access because the developers need the help of the players to create an economy system that feels balanced and fair. They’re doing everything to keep the game from being Pay-To-Enjoy, as they put it, so they want the help of as many testers as they can get their hands on. Just recently there was a free expansion called “Dawn of the Hunt” that introduced a new class and changed the economy of the whole game and players are not very happy at the moment. However, the developers at Grinding Gear Games have already acknowledged the feedback and plan to act accordingly. It’s good that these devs listen to the players, but it’s also vital that there are players to listen to begin with! Besides, if you purchase the early access you get some “Points”, the game’s premium currency, and some exclusive cosmetics, depending on the edition you purchase.
Build freedom and hardcore gameplay
I won’t lie, this game isn’t for the most casual of players. If you never played an ARPG before such as Diablo you might feel pretty lost, and this game respects your intelligence enough to not hold your hand on every little system it has. However, if you’re into the idea of building a character with incredible freedom, you came to the right place. Just taking a look at Path of Exile 2’s skill tree gives you all the info you need. The class you pick dictates where you start in the tree, but once you choose it’s all you from there! Every character and class shares the exact same tree, so it’s up to you to figure out how to build your perfect character. Luckily it also has a search bar in which you can look up different attributes, such as “electricity” to find every skill that has that keyword and find your place in the tree quicker. But the game’s leveling up mechanics aren’t the only hardcore part of this game. The difficulty itself is also quite high. This game punishes your mistakes quite heavily. You need to manage every resource, specially your flasks, before going into dungeons, or you’ll find yourself unable to even finish them. Bosses are brutal and your placement in the battlefield is a vital key to win fights. Characters like the warrior can manage being surrounded thanks to some of their area of effect attacks, but magic users or dexterity based characters usually have very little health. This game feels as intimidating as its tone is dark, and if you’re into dark fantasy and ARPGs then this game is exactly what you want.
In conclusion
Path of Exile 2 is in early access and that means it should be expected to have a few rough edges, but that’s also exactly why you should still dive in. The devs need the help of players to create the best experience for you! It’s truly one of the best of its genre, and I’m sure it will leave the predecessor in the dust as soon as it hits 1.0.
