Path of Exile 2 Early Access: First Impressions
The long awaited follow up to the popular ARPG, Path of Exile, entered live Early Access on Friday 6th December. Path of Exile 2 hit the top of Twitch with over 1.1 million viewers at launch, and that’s before anyone had even gotten into the game. Since the big reveal stream on 21st November, hype had been building for the launch with developers at Grinding Gear Games expecting around a million players on launch. Despite some last-minute server and database patching that caused delays, some players estimated a million on Asia’s servers alone. On Steam, Path of Exile 2 hit a peak concurrent player count of 578,569, sending it straight into the Top 5 Most Played Games on the platform, and entering at 15th place for all-time highest concurrent player numbers.
The cinematics and trailers released so far depict a visually and thematically dark game, in keeping with the history of the series, with scenes of torture, tentacles and bloody experiments. Not least, someone being sliced in half vertically, Thir13en Ghosts-style. Path of Exile 2’s background describes a time of peace across Wraeclast in the interim period from the first game, which is now being threatened by tyranny and a lust for power. There are those in the world who seek to harness the power held in a Seed of Corruption, and it is here that a new exile enters to try and overcome evil and put the Corruption back in its box. Or, in this case, a ball.
As Path of Exile 2 is in Early Access, this is not the full release, not the full game. For now, there are only six (6) out of twelve (12) character classes available, each with only two (2) out of three (3) ascendancies (think class specialisations) and we only have access to the first three of six campaign acts. However, GGG focussed on having end game activities ready for Early Access, so once you’ve reached a high enough level you can move into mapping. Some classes will look familiar, such as the Ranger, or the Witch, however there are new classes to investigate too. The Sorceress feels like an elemental-focussed split from the original game’s Witch but with some interesting options at Ascendancy (a Chronomancer who can control time, for example). The Mercenary is also proving very popular, and looks reminiscent of Victor Vran, with his crossbow skills feeling much more FPS-like than anything before in PoE.
Some jankiness can be expected in any Early Access game, especially one of this size (a cool 86GB download awaits you). The team at GGG handled the delays on launch day admirably and the game was playable within a couple of hours (much better than the delays Diablo 3 suffered on full release). If you’re a veteran Path of Exile player, you’re going to notice a difference in play style. PoE2 is a much slower pace and feels much more soulslike that the original game. Yes, power creep was becoming an unwieldy beast in Path of Exile, but a lot of feedback coming in after launch weekend is that PoE2 is difficult and rewards are minimal. From my own experience, I have to agree. I’m not a soulslike fan; I don’t find dying 15 times to an act boss rewarding in and of itself, and I have had to get up and walk away for a few hours at least three times already. And, I’ve only just completed Act 1.
I’m not a top tier player by any means. I have rarely made it to ‘uber bosses’ in Path of Exile but can usually get as far as completing the Atlas, sustaining red maps and the occasional ‘pinnacle boss’ with some help. I am, in PoE terms, a slightly above average skill level. Of course, all the elite streamers have completed the campaign and are already into the end game, but a lot of people are going to be grinding through the campaign for days to come. I have played for 16 hours and died 57 times already. By comparison, in the Settlers of Kalguur league for Path of Exile, I didn’t die at all during the campaign and only started having trouble at the high end of maps. Power creep needed addressing, but this might have gone too far the other way.
Visually, Path of Exile 2 is beautiful. My machine is struggling at some points when there’s a lot going on but hasn’t quite gone full toaster-mode. If you’ve not upgraded your graphics card for a few years, you may have some issues. Thematically, the story is suitably grimdark and all the attention to detail in the worldbuilding really shows through. There’s variety in the interactions with NPCs based on which class you choose, and variety in environments to fit the different cultures of the game. Overall, this Early Access release is giving me a lot of hope and excitement for the full release. I know there’ll be patches and balancing as the days, weeks and months progress so GGG can get it right. If you’re a fan of the ARPG genre, Path of Exile is an absolute staple and 2 will surely add a great deal of value to the canon.
Path of Exile 2’s Early Access is partially-closed, insofar that you need a key. If you’ve spent more than $480 on supporter packs and microtransactions in the first game, you’ll find a key waiting for you on the website. Alternatively, you can buy a key for $30. If you’d prefer to stick 100% free-to-play, Path of Exile continues in its own right and a new league is estimated to be coming towards the end of February 2025. Upon full release, PoE2 will also be completely free-to-play, but this could be another 6 to 12 months, depending on how development goes. It’s available for PS5, Xbox X/S Series and on PC via Steam, Epic Games, or the standalone client.
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