Meaningful Boss Encounters with Proper Rewards in PoE 2 and Uniques

I genuinely enjoyed the boss fights in Early Access 0.1. The encounters felt engaging and well-designed I was actively dodging, fighting, learning mechanics, and recognizing patterns. Defeating a boss felt rewarding and satisfying on a personal level. While the loot itself wasn’t particularly meaningful, the experience was still very enjoyable.

However, with each subsequent patch — 0.2, 0.3, and now 0.4 the game has gradually begun to feel more like Path of Exile 1. Boss fights no longer feel meaningful or engaging; most bosses die in just a few hits, removing the need to interact with their mechanics at all. Despite multiple patches, the rewards from bosses remain underwhelming typically a few rare items and a map. It feels inconsistent that a basic skeleton monster can drop more exciting and valuable loot than an actual boss encounter.

I understand that the game is still in beta. However, with each update, Path of Exile 2 increasingly begins to resemble Path of Exile 1. For many players, this may be a positive direction, but I strongly believe it diverges from the original vision presented for PoE 2. Early on, the design intent was clear, distinct, and genuinely exciting, with a noticeable Diablo II–inspired focus.

From my perspective, the expectations of the Path of Exile 1 community appear to have significantly influenced the current direction of development. If that is the case, it may be worth reconsidering the original concept that was presented a shared or combined endgame between Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2. Such an approach could allow development resources to be used more efficiently while enabling the team to support and evolve both games in parallel, without compromising the identity of either experience. Me (dissapointed if that happens, but i had to mentioned it)

Additional feedback regarding unique items:

I did not use any unique items in patches 0.3 or 0.4, even after their buffs, as they still feel impractical. Many uniques require sacrificing core defenses, removing key gear slots, or heavily restricting gameplay just to activate their effects. While those designs can be interesting in niche cases, the game also needs uniques that provide clear power or utility without forcing players to dismantle their entire passive tree or build concept.

I understand that not all players will agree with my perspective, particularly regarding the overall direction of the game. However, I was hoping for a distinctly different experience in Path of Exile 2, and increasingly it feels like Path of Exile 1 with improved visuals rather than a truly new evolution of the game.

I agree with the first part and hope you are wrong about the second one!