Path of Exile 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular action RPG, promises a thrilling and challenging gameplay experience. With its ruthless difficulty and revamped mechanics, players are in for a grueling journey through the dark and treacherous world. In this preview, we delve into the intense boss fights, the changes in crafting, and the overall direction of the game.
From the very beginning, POE 2 sets the tone for its demanding gameplay. Halfway through act one, players encounter a side quest that culminates in a battle against a grotesque boss. This encounter serves as a taste of what's to come, as the boss unleashes devastating area-of-effect swings that can quickly deplete your health. Furthermore, additional phases introduce spectral figures that hinder your movements, making it challenging to evade direct attacks. While defeating this boss provides a sense of satisfaction, subsequent encounters with similar bosses become increasingly fatiguing rather than exhilarating.
The difficulty escalates in acts two, three, and four, with boss fights becoming even more punishing. The Prisoner boss fight in act four, for instance, features multiple area-of-effect attacks, a couple of which can instantly kill your character if not approached with caution. To make matters worse, the Prisoner can fully regenerate its health between phases if players fail to engage with its core mechanic swiftly. This relentless challenge pushes players to the brink, resulting in frustration and exhaustion rather than enjoyment.
In an effort to overcome these formidable adversaries, players are encouraged to improve their characters and gear. However, the crafting system in Path of Exile 2 appears to have taken a step back. In the preview build, gear upgrades primarily rely on crafting orbs, rare currency drops that allow players to enhance their items. Unfortunately, the drop rates for these orbs are scarce, severely limiting the opportunities for improvement. The randomness of affixes further complicates matters, as desirable modifiers are hard to come by without the crafting bench, which has been removed in this iteration. While other crafting mechanics will make a return in the full game, the absence of deterministic crafts is a significant setback, making gear upgrades reliant on chance rather than player agency.
It's worth noting that many of the changes that have been met with dissatisfaction are not entirely new to Path of Exile 2. Grinding Gear Games introduced the optional Ruthless difficulty variant to the original game in late 2022, catering to a niche group of players who relish the challenge of scarcity, limited crafting options, and perilous combat encounters. These players appreciate the brutal difficulty of the early acts and the unpredictable progression of drops.
While Path of Exile 2 aims to provide a challenging and rewarding experience, the current implementation of certain mechanics leaves much to be desired. The repetitive nature of boss fights and the scarcity of crafting opportunities can lead to frustration and diminished enjoyment for many players. However, it's important to remember that the preview build represents an early stage of the game, and Grinding Gear Games may address these concerns before the full release.
As the Path of Exile 2 development progresses, players eagerly anticipate further updates and refinements. With its rich lore, deep itemization, and addictive gameplay loop, Path of Exile has garnered a passionate community that hopes the sequel will live up to its predecessor's legacy. Whether Grinding Gear Games can strike the right balance between challenge and accessibility in Path of Exile 2 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the journey ahead will be ruthless, demanding both skill and perseverance from those brave enough to traverse its dark paths.
Quick guide:
MMOexp will provide POE 2 Currency, Path Of Exile 2 Gold, POE2 Items, and more service.
Together, we look forward to more POE1 and POE2 quality content.