3.26 Release Date and poe 1 moving forward
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Poe 2 is not terrible. There is not crafting, the Ascendancy trails suck big time, the white mobs are too over powering, people die like crazy, and the last trial of Ascendancy are make for elite player only.
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" + Mov speed is ridiculous, loot feels worse than PoE1, endgame content is inexistant, oneshot mecanics are boring, roll-roll-roll is an irrelevant system for a Hack&Slash, armor/evasion/life are useless... Should I continue? Faut arrêter ces conneries de nord et de sud ! Une fois pour toutes, le nord, suivant comment on est tourné, ça change tout!
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Poe2 is like a mobile game compared to Poe1. Just gutted and simpler in every way. Polished with glossy textures and shiny sparkles. Tailored specifically for the large masses and new generation.
Blows my mind when people value graphics above gameplay depth/mechanics. Go back to candy crush plebs. The hamster wheel awaits. |
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Path of Exile 2: A Step Forward, One Step Back, and Room for Improvement
After spending considerable time with Path of Exile 2 on multiple platforms—PC, PS5, and Xbox (done with all content available) —both solo and with friends in Hardcore (done but not in ssfhc) and Standard leagues, I’ve come away with mixed feelings. While the game isn’t bad by any means, there are certain areas where it feels like the target audience has shifted, and some of the changes haven’t fully hit the mark for me. A Comparison to Path of Exile 1 If I’m being honest, I still find myself preferring Path of Exile 1 overall. The graphic engine in PoE2 is slightly better, with improved animations, and while the campaign is new, some areas feel empty and overly large (and I don’t feel the need for faster horse movement will keep me engaged). However, the general feel of PoE1 still stands out as more engaging to me. I’d even be happy if the PoE2 campaign and visuals were available as an optional mode in PoE1 for players who want something new—though it’s not fully finished yet, and this was something originally promised for PoE1 during early development. I may be in the minority with this opinion, but I felt it was worth mentioning. I liked WASD movement as being optional and also the new pause functionality in case something unexpected happens. Gameplay and Core Mechanics In my time with PoE2, particularly while playing with a friend through Softcore and Hardcore modes, I found the overall experience somewhat underwhelming at times. While I enjoyed the gameplay, there were moments when I wished I was back in PoE1, especially when it came to certain mechanics like crafting and slightly optimized combat clarity, or how certain classes were implemented. PoE2 introduces some exciting new features, but it’s clear to me that PoE1 handled some systems better—e.g., things which were fixed re-occur like the corpse explosion effects, or lacking opacity in tight floors which felt chaotic in PoE2 due to the screen clutter and lack of opacity. This ended a run on my end. I also found myself hitting a wall with the game’s crafting system. The mechanics just don’t feel as polished, and I miss the depth and satisfaction that crafting in PoE1 provided, and I couldn’t understand why all these different currency types which had their use disappeared. I also encountered a fair amount of difficulty in Hardcore SSF, where I ended up wiping twice—once due to boredom early in a patch (both times in the 80s). While the game is playable, it lacks the refinement I found in the original. Changes to Skills and Systems One of the most noticeable changes in PoE2 is the shift in how skills are implemented. For example, I don’t understand why SRS (Summon Raging Spirits) is now a buff instead of a core skill you can use with normal attacks. It feels like an unnecessary simplification, and it left me wishing for more customization options – I just couldn’t understand why certain skills are not combinable any more -> probably just a slightly different name than poe2 would have done the trick here. Alongside this, the game’s new defense layers and simplified skill tree also made me feel like the depth I loved in PoE1 has been dialed back. I understand that beginners may need some help with the series, but an overlay could have solved that, and many players still want to see further reduction in skill tree complexity as it blocks game flow but this feels even more contradicting – questionable if this is the player base which will play it for the next decade. A recommendation system or downloadable skill trees like Path of Building, displayed in-game or easily selectable, could have addressed these concerns. While some may argue that every class/skill combination in PoE2 is viable, it’s simply not the case. Bosses and Mods When it comes to bosses, I didn’t find them to be far superior to those in PoE1. While they do have visual flair and new mechanics, the challenge didn’t feel significantly different to me. The movement pattern are now either roll, roll, roll, attack instead dash, dash, dash, attack or, depending on boss, 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1. Doesn’t seem like a huge difference to me – zoom zoom and runspeed is given either depending on if you suck, play a meta class etc. . Console Experience On a positive note, PoE2 seems to be a great improvement over PoE1 in terms of console performance. Many of my friends who primarily play on PS5 or Xbox say it’s a much smoother experience. The game is definitely more accessible on consoles, with simplified mechanics that make it easier to pick up and play (though overlays and automation support could have achieved the same result). While PoE1 on consoles had its fair share of issues, PoE2 feels more optimized, with only a few minor bugs here and there (some even preventing co-op play, like issues with trials or glitches causing deaths when standing on top of certain bosses and getting hit by finishing moves). The split-screen feature is a nice touch, but it still didn’t hold my attention long enough to keep me coming back. Final Thoughts Overall, Path of Exile 2 is definitely playable and has some good qualities, but it didn’t grab me the same way PoE1 did. The visuals are nicer, and the animations are smoother (eventually the reason why more players currently play it), but some of the changes—particularly the simplifications in crafting, skill implementation, and defense layers—left me longing for the depth and complexity of the original, still its only an early access so there may be more to come. I didn’t like the trial of sekhema and preferred the labs far more, and I miss that some of the game modes were deleted and disappeared like betrayal, delve, etc. . I also didn’t like to play through the campaign again once I beat it as it feels slightly boring – I had lesser of a concern in poe1 and I don’t know why. Yet I would prefer also for poe1 and 2 an option to skip the campaign after beating it in a league e.g., via heist mechanic, or via delve etc. That said, as speaking with friends if you’re a newcomer or someone who primarily plays on consoles, PoE2 might be more up your alley. For long-time fans of the series, there’s still a lot to enjoy, but it may not be the revolution I was hoping for. It reminds me of the shift from Diablo 2 to Diablo 3—I played Diablo 3 Hardcore for a while and eventually quit, much like I did with Diablo 4, but I can still enjoy Diablo 2. Eventually, modding could be an option if PoE1 is abandoned (can result in a downside unless mod support is restricted - otherwise community is further split and it feels empty - believe me). With the right modding interfaces and support, it could become a more vibrant, and even further enhanced experience if you enable to update graphics etc. . After all, you could even earn through in-game shops – but the current state to have such long league cycles is a bit too much – 4 month didn’t feel really bad but the current state is too long. I didnt have the feeling also that i want to play till 100 suprisingly although i had char which was capable - didnt kept me engaged - maybe because its early access. There is far more .. but well.. Last edited by Storylyne#1859 on Jan 16, 2025, 2:36:28 AM
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" +1 100% True...it honestly feels like a shitty knockoff with no understanding of what made the original game enjoyable and popular with its core audience in the first place. Last edited by Erebus1800#6364 on Jan 16, 2025, 3:01:46 PM
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" I'm convinced it is intentionally designed like it is. Dumped down skill, gem, fusing and tree system to cater casuals for the campaign and then the sudden change to blasting in the endgame to hope that the PoE veterans like it. Because deep down they know John, his 4 wives, 16 kids and 3 jobs will move on once the campaign is done. |
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" I only started PoE2 recently after buying the early access support pack, which I absolutely would Not recommend anyone to do by the way, but the emotions I had after playing for a bit were just like "why am I even spending my time with this when there is a better game?", and when I say that it's not just that it's early access and it's obvious there is a lot of stuff to be added, I'm talking about the core gameplay difference and enjoyment I felt with PoE compared to my time with PoE2. It's just not Path of Exile anymore, it's a completely different game at this point. I'm not even sure what their target audience with it is, since for casuals it's way too difficult to even get to maps without trading, while veterans are largely preferring PoE1 for many different reasons anyway. Again, I'm not saying this because of early access quality and issues like bugs and crashes, I understand that it's still very early access, but I'm talking about the core differences in gameplay and design, it's just not what I came to love in PoE 1. |
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Its almost like people do not realise that the game is in EARLY ACCESS - NOT DONE YET...
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so far the worst things I see in the game are:
Spoiler
1. The whole gem system is clunky, unfinished and partially unintelligent (about being able to use 1 support gem per character). Obviously, this will largely reduce the amount of potential builds that can be created. I prefer to rather see this 'feature' as a preventive measure for the game being in early access than an actual part of the game when it's officially released later - just because they want to avoid unnecessary overlap of skill features which would cause problems with graphics, pathing, etc.;
2. Maps are TOO DAMN large. There is mostly very similar content throughout any given zone which makes the experience monotonous and boring, even heavy at some point. The size of zones should be drastically reduced (by 20 to 40%); 3. The 'difficulty' feature should be removed once and for all. I cannot stand replaying the whole content but "more difficult". Instead of playing one whole story from A to Z - the better variant; 4. Currently the 'Checkpoint' system is absolutely useless and bugged. First and most importantly the monsters SHOULD NOT RESPAWN after you die. Second - the checkpoints should be only at the boss locations and not at a random location at least half of the times. People would usually hate to see monsters at places where they already explored the map and are sure everything should be dead there; 5. The fact that there are only two flasks is only excusable because we're in the early access. This should definitely not be the case with flasks after the official release and/or shortly after that. There were tens of builds made around flasks in PoE 1 and there's no other excuse for the game to only have one life and one mana flask. Not to say that when you're playing with Blood magic, 50% of the current 'Flask' feature is useless. I am sure this will definitely be largely improved in near future but I just wanted to mention it; 6. Players should be able to move and redirect the character at any time during channeling of skills. Currently, you will cancel the channeling even if you click with your mouse while channeling. I consider this a minor bug that would be fixed soon but I preferred to mention it as well. and the best things:
Spoiler
1. Visuals are just great. The art style is awesome.;
2. New skills, new type of skills, a different approach in combat is awesome.; 3. Finally boss fights are (and should be) more important than fighting trash.; 4. More weapon types? Finally.; 5. More minion types? Yes.; 6. Storytelling so far beats PoE 1 which gives me hope. I want to see that being developed even more in the future game versions. OVERALL SCORE: a solid 8/10 for an early access state of a game. **************************************************************** I stopped playing PoE 2 a month ago. Quite sincerely, I'd really prefer both games to receive equal attention from GGG. As a friend said, "there's no other game that kept me playing it for 10 years+ like PoE did". I am hopeful for PoE 2 but not for another at least 1-2 years. I am back to my builds in PoE 1, expecting the announcement for the new league soon. Good luck everyone. Last edited by fostaa#0384 on Jan 16, 2025, 4:56:13 PM
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" Oh wow, that's actually such a good screenshot you used, did you notice the -250k player drop in a single month after it went public? It's a new game. like 50% or more dropped it in a Month. Do you see how the graph goes down? Remember that, because after the new fresh game and Elon autism hype are gone, what will be left is close to the same or less than PoE 1. Last edited by InuMagic#7397 on Jan 16, 2025, 4:57:16 PM
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