A longer game review: positive and negative feedback dump after 130h of gameplay

To the agitated players in this forum:

What the hell are you people doing throwing tantrums about game balance?

This forum looks like a customer service desk overrun with Karens. We can - and should - be better as a community.

GGG is letting us play an unfinished game. This isn’t another PoE league - it’s early access for a sequel.

We have half the classes, and even those only have two out of three ascendancies available. We’re missing half the weapons and skills. It’s blatantly obvious this is is not the intended game state.

Some of us want to play fast and risky, others love the slow and thoughtful approach.
I believe the idea was to develop PoE 1 further into the mapping blastfest and PoE 2 in the direction ruthless attempted.
But I undrestand why GGG didn't want PoE 1 veteran blasters to feel left out while ruthless enjoyers play with the new shiny toy.
I can see how this game tries to cater to both groups at the same time.

Perhaps that is why there are so many complains?

Balancing a complete game of this scope is going to be incredibly challenging.
If you played the previous game, you know this.
We complain about something being too strong and a year later we complain about it being too weak.
Demanding balance from an incomplete game is not reasonable.

If your preferred playstyle isn’t fun right now, that’s unfortunate, but this is the time to test different things and provide constructive feedback. Complaining that the game isn’t perfectly balanced in its current state misses the point of early access.

Tell GGG what works and what doesn’t, share your ideas, but don’t act like spoiled kids.
It is so cringe to see this demanding attitude.


My goal is to provide constructive feedback, share some ideas, and talk about the game in general. There's a lot to discuss, and I hope this review captures both the great aspects of PoE 2 and the areas where there’s room for growth.


Who writes this?

I play a wide variety of games across genres, but I’ve always had a soft spot for H&S titles (drop the 'ARPG' branding—we’re here to hack and slash xD). My love for the genre started when a friend showed me a certain game with a cool orange skeleton on the cover. ;)

I started playing PoE right in November 2013, as I was looking for games to enjoy with my high school friends. We never went too deep, but we’d return every few years. Over time, I found myself coming back more regularly to play solo and interact with some cool people in the community.

With over 1500 hours in the first PoE, I wouldn’t call myself an advanced player, but I’ve developed a solid understanding of the game and its systems. I love experimenting with unconventional builds more than chasing meta options for endgame content. While I mostly play Standard, I’ve tried HC, SSF, and even Ruthless (earning a reward during the Ruthless with Gold event <3).

I have tried many different titles within this genre (I completely skipped D3 though), but PoE is just the best and I was very excited to try the sequel.

Since PoE 2’s early access launch, I’ve logged over 130 hours across four characters:
- Witchhunter (solo playthrough, currently early Atlas progression)
- Chronomancer (played with friends, early Atlas progression)
- Blood Mage and Warbringer (going through Cruel difficulty solo).


I really, really like the campaign.

You’ve captured the slow-but-steady progression that many of us fell in love with years ago in D2.

The bosses are absolutely incredible—both visually and mechanically. This is how game designers should respond to the rise of Souls-like games.

Having each act tied to a distinct region and culture works beautifully, giving each a unique identity. Even the gameplay reflects these differences:
- In the first act, we push deeper into the madness ravaging the Ezomytes. Their tight-knit community and resilience forged through years of oppression are reflected in the interconnected, compact maps, where hidden encounters emerge like old wounds.
- In the ancient and sprawling Vastiri desert, we navigate open steppes, sandy caves, and the ruins of old cities. We experience the harsh Maraketh culture and their complicated history, walking the fine line between ancestral pride and the cruelty born of necessity for survival.
- In the untamed and vibrant Vaal lands, we venture through treacherous paths accompanied by the chaotic dance of creation and destruction that defined their culture. The pace is relentless, and nothing is as it seems at first glance. Even as we tread carefully, ambushes await at every turn.

I disagree with the common sentiment that the zones are too big. Some may feel like a slog, but that’s exactly how they’re meant to feel. Traversing an ancient, drowned city shouldn’t be a cheerful stroll - though adding checkpoint travel was a much-needed improvement.


Gold works great!

Gambling is always exciting, and it serves as a satisfying last-chance option when loot drops don’t go your way.

Gold also gives me the flexibility to respec and experiment with new items or skills as I find them—or to completely rework my build if I’m stuck with something unfun.

It feels good to pick up even a few coins when you whiff on loot otherwise, adding value to every encounter.

And since gold isn’t used for trading, there’s no pressure to hoard it. Instead, I can fully enjoy spending it as I go. Spend it all to try a wacky build? Why not!


The new crafting currency is so cool!

I found myself picking up a lot of white items to see what I could craft on them. I even vaaled some uniques immediately! I never did either of those!

This system feels so much better than in the first PoE and works incredibly well… up to exalts. At first, I used exalts frequently, but once I realized I could save them to buy early Atlas gear, I started hoarding them instead. While this felt like the correct choice, it wasn’t very fun.

It’s also more painful to get a bad result with an exalt when you know you could’ve saved it for a guaranteed upgrade from trade.

I’m not sure how to address this without decoupling crafting currency from trading - which I wouldn’t want to see, since it’s such an iconic and fun system.

Maybe there could be a new type of currency to perform a similar function on low-level items? Or perhaps even more layered currencies, where each additional affix requires an increasingly rare orb?

(The “use-or-trade” dilemma doesn’t exist in SSF, of course, but I’d love to see a better solution for Standard.)


Every class plays differently.

Your chosen playstyle isn’t just about which skills you want to use—it’s also about how you interact with different enemy types. Shield-bearers challenge projectile builds, fast and jumpy enemies pressure casters and summoners, and slow hard-hitters… well, they’re a challenge for everyone.

I’ve never seen adaptive gameplay work this well in any other H&S game. In most, you can simply brute force your way through enemies, ignoring their unique characteristics.

The balance of power between characters feels good to me - in the campaign, at least. There are peaks and troughs across zones and bosses, but I didn’t experience any major issues with the classes I played. Once I figured out a set of skills that felt good, I could stick with it for at least an act. If I couldn’t scale a skill or archetype further, I could respec, gear up, and continue with something that worked.


~The defense/armour problem~

In the endgame, I found what many players have observed: intelligence and dexterity archetypes consistently outperform strength-based builds in terms of defense. I’m not sure how much of this stems directly from armour mechanics, but a warrior in my group ultimately opted to go full offense after being disappointed by armour - and it worked great.

I hope we see more varied and balanced ways to scale defenses for each archetype as early access progresses.

Armour has been notoriously difficult to balance in PoE for years. Personally, I’ve felt discouraged from using it ever since the introduction of armour break, a mechanic that feels far more punishing for armour users than the accurate mobs for evasion or the “donut” for energy shield characters.
EDIT: brainfart, donuts eat MoM characters, not ES characters. ES characters dont even have a punishing monster modifier.

I had hoped PoE 2 would address this issue, especially with the introduction of two new strength-based characters, but energy shield somehow feels even further ahead - not just in raw numbers but in the mechanics supporting it. Of course, the poor mercenary suffers the most, and it’s telling that many content creators prefer energy shield even on rangers and warriors.

If balancing armour is this challenging, perhaps it should be decoupled from strength entirely and made a universal mechanic, with strength adopting a new defensive identity. Thorns might not feel exciting now, but they could be developed into a thematic “strength defense.”

Seeing the state of armour, I invested heavily in block on my warrior. Block feels effective but oddly simple to cap at 75%, leaving little room to further improve or make it more impactful. It might serve as a staple strength defense—reliable but uninspired. I may try a block + evasion combination on my witchhunter, but the fact that such a hybrid seems more appealing only underscores how lackluster armour feels.


New gem system is more fun!

While I loved the idea of Virtue Gems becoming a part of you and growing with you, the new system is just more fun mechanically.

Finding new gems and deciding what to do with them, rather than relying on the plain vendor/mule-and-go system, makes them feel more precious and exciting - even if you still end up with a pile of them in the endgame (maybe give us some extra uses for them?).

Skill variety feels a bit limited right now, but I can already see how powerful and comprehensive the system will become in the future.

I hope we get more cross-element interactions! These are great to play around alone and VERY exciting to use in group play.

The way you solved reservation is amazing. Spirit is a great solution, keeping mana relevant while carefully issuing extra passive buffs.

I didn’t get to play with meta gems before the nerf, but afterward, I noticed they’re quite useful in boss fights and not very helpful elsewhere. I’m not sure if that balance is good or bad.

Being able to use multiple copies of the same skill feels a little like a bug. I hope you clarify whether that’s intended or not.


I don't like the current Atlas.

On my first character in PoE 2, I ran three waystones before quitting the game for a week.
I reluctantly came back, afraid I got all I could from the game.
And I ended up enjoying myself playing the campaign again with new characters.

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, but this Atlas just doesn’t feel fun to me—and I’m not sure it ever could.

To be fair, I rarely enjoy endgame systems in any game. In the first PoE, it took a more experienced friend to guide me into the endgame. Still, I’d love to develop my character further after the campaign rather than feeling forced to reroll if I want to keep having fun.

Maybe a smoother transition from the campaign gameplay loop could help? Right now, the shift feels abrupt:
- The campaign loop is straightforward: Go to a specific predefined zone, clear mandatory and optional encounters, upgrade your character through random and predefined loot, choose skills to improve, and move on to the next challenge. This structure creates a natural sense of progression and agency as you steadily develop your character.
- The endgame loop, by contrast, feels like convoluted gambling: Get a key to determine the base difficulty, apply random difficulty modifiers, select a map theme with optional objectives, apply additional semi-random modifiers (from towers), enter a semi-randomized zone, face random encounters, collect random loot, repeat until you can upgrade your character or access other content.

The campaign feels clear and rewarding, with consistent forward momentum. You get random loot and adjust to that but you also get to plan around the constants. The endgame, however, feels bloated with too many layers of abstraction and randomness, making it harder to stay engaged.

The only real transition between these loops is gradually slower character upgrades, which isn’t enough. I hope the later acts introduce something to bridge the gap. (I’ve heard the Karui Islands might offer more open travel, which could be a good place to introduce semi-random zone modifiers.)

Later on I also suggest more definite split between these two playstyles.


I actually find myself enjoying trials more and more!

One reason I want the ability to progress past the campaign is the amazing trial system.

I think we were all shocked by it initially, but it’s grown on me. A lot.

To think we’ll have even more types of trials? HYYYPE!

They’re tough, require planning, and reward knowledge - exactly what The Lord’s Labyrinth felt like on first playthroughs: an exciting challenge for wealth and power.


Monster variety is great in the campaign but feels bad in the Atlas.

I love the slower, more tactical and adaptive combat - something the campaign executes perfectly. New enemy types are introduced gradually, their thematic relevance is spot on and each zone offers a unique enemy composition to play around.

In the Atlas, I never feel like I know what I’m fighting. Random mixes of enemy types was something I wanted but current implementation doesn’t work for me. Maps often feel cluttered with too many enemy types at once, encouraging a "blast through" approach instead of strategizing.

Maybe if we could see enemy compositions when activating waystones, it would allow for better planning.


Not that many bugs!

Considering the complexity of the game, there aren’t many bugs, and that’s impressive for an early access title.

There were some crashes, but they were relatively rare for a game with such stunning visuals. I didn’t encounter anything game-breaking (that I know of). The multiple skill gem issue might qualify, though it’s more of a design ambiguity than a bug.

Two technical issues stood out to me:
1. Graphic glitches in Utzaal
In the above-ground zones of Utzaal, my group experienced constant flickering glitches. We joked about rushing through the area before it triggered an epilepsy attack.
2. Titan boss fight as a warrior
This fight was incredible on my ranged character and spellcasters, but playing it as a warrior was awful. Movement skill glitches and odd aiming/hitbox issues made the experience frustrating instead of fun.


Game world is enthralling.

The graphics and sound design are spectacular, even with occasional technical glitches.

Rich backstories and hidden lore pieces are exciting and captivating.

I want to emphasize again: boss fights are absolutely breathtaking, combining visual flair with engaging mechanics.

Honestly, I hope GGG follows companies like Valve and Riot into producing television or streaming content. I think we all want to see more of these characters (both enemies and allies), locations and stories!


Enemy "readability"

This is an ancient H&S problem: not knowing what rare monsters do until their abilities activate. It’s especially frustrating when players can’t distinguish rares from magic or normal enemies at a glance. (In my group, the most common mapping question is, "Where’s the yellow one?")

Regular campaign enemies and bosses work so well because they are visually distinct and recognizable. You can engage with them mechanically because you know what to expect.

Rare monsters, especially in the Atlas, are different. They’re intimidating, not because they’re challenging, but because their abilities feel unpredictable. Dying to an on-death effect isn’t inherently as frustrating as some players here project - but the lack of forewarning is. Most of us don’t want to read modifiers on a health bar in the heat of combat.

I’ve noticed some reskins for monsters to indicate effects like Infernal Cry explosions. These look great and are somewhat helpful, but I think players would prefer this system to be used for monsters to visually signal their abilities rather than just telegraph what we can do to them. Add some bright pustules to enemies who explode on death, various types of thorns for on-hit effects, etc.


Ground effects... the good and the bad.

From what I understand, ground effects are supposed to encourage movement and prevent brainless facetanking. Choosing where to stand is a fun game... if I can see where the good and bad spots are.

In the campaign the pace is much slower and positioning is a cool tactical layer:

Something exploded there and left a big degen pool?
I have to choose between rushing past the pool, keeping back or attempting a dangerous engagement.

That witch is gonna explode corpses?
I have to remove them myself, move away or prepare for a hard hit.

Choices, interaction, FUN!

In the Atlas the pace accelerates, and so does the visual clutter from our and enemy abilities.
A random set of enemies with random modifiers approaches:

Something exploded in a spot I want to be?
I don't know what it was, better stay away.

Aha!, I spotted that witch enemy!
Oh she had a hasted modifier.
I didn't catch that in time because I was fighting twenty other enemies of four different types and one of them turned out to be a rare.
I managed to dodge most of her corpse explosions last second!
...but ended up in a burning pool from that rare.

Ah, I see this map has chilled ground modifiers, I better watch my step.
Oh, my friend shoots frostbolts everywhere and leaves their own chilled ground.



These endgame issues leave two solutions:

- Gamble your life and precious waystones on a well balanced build trying to adapt to what you can spot and interact with.

- Blast through enemies without allowing any interaction from their side.

And players who choose the latter get further ahead faster.

Which indicates this playstyle is the intended choice for endgame.

I prefer the slower tactical playstyle I fell in love with during campaign.


I’d love to see at least one alternative to the Atlas as a major endgame loop.

With playerbase this large, you will never be able to satisfy us all.
We just want different things.

Having alternatives to the parts of the game we don't enjoy seems like a way to improve player experience, while keeping the design space more open to you.

Personally, I would like to have alternatives for the endgame progression.

For example, Cruel mode works really well now - it could be a great way to level to 100 in the full game.
Increase difficulty, cut the checkpoints, replace permanent upgrades from bosses with additional content access tokens.

I know some players have already suggested infinite Delve as an alternative to the campaign for the first game.
This might be an interesting way to level the blasting minmax builds (which I do also enjoy on occasion!) instead of respeccing after campaign.


Congratulations, this is a very good early access game!

Let's be straight: this is one of the best early access titles I’ve played.

The game is already better and offers more content than many AAA games, and it's not even released yet!

I was discussing this with a friend yesterday, and we realized the last time we spent this much time in an early access game was... Minecraft.



I ended up spending a lot of time on this, but it felt good to voice my opinions.

Some parts were so incoherent, I needed to ask AI for help. That might have "sterilized" them a little.

I am open to discussion if someone wants to contribute!