I had the opportunity to play an early copy of Grinding Gear Games’ Path of Exile 2 at a media event in Los Angeles last month, so without further ado, these are my Path of Exile 2 first impressions!
I’ve mostly only played Diablo games in the past when it comes to ARPGs, but this was something special.
Path of Exile 2 first impressions are very good
I’ll be putting out a full review soon, but for now I’ll be giving my first impressions from only that playtest and nothing from additional play I have had since.
Versatility
The things that stood out to me the most were the sheer number of options. Sure, you choose a class like you would in Diablo, but you really were only limited by which weapons you were decided to use.
This meant you could be a Sorcereress who also summoned the undead like the Witch or any other combination simply by choosing a staff and a wand or other class items.
WASD or mouse option
The next thing that was really cool was the ability to either WASD or use the traditional mouse clicking to move around. I gravitated toward WASD and it felt natural and easy, especially on the Mercenary, which is the class I chose first.
The visuals
Third on the list of first impressions was the environment and spell effects. I was actually incredibly surprised by how good the world looked graphically and how awesome the spell effects were. I know it sounds like I’m blowing smoke, but these genuinely looked amazing for an ARPG.
Difficulty and boss fights
The last thing I want to harp on for my first impressions is the difficulty. The game was not a cake walk, at least the first chunk we got to play wasn’t. The bosses actually felt difficult with varying unique abilities ranging from one-shots to area of effect slams and more.
I personally enjoy having some difficult gameplay that makes victories and progress feel more rewarding so this is a huge win in my opinion. I do think Path of Exile 2 gives the feeling of a real journey you’re working through — at least in the limited gameplay I had.
So basically, what I’m saying is, Path of Exile 2 may be the best ARPG if it continues to scale and the depth of end-game activities they’ve touted are enjoyable. We’ll have to wait for my full review to find out!
READ MORE: How to play Path of Exile 2 early access
