I’ll be bold and say I believe it’s a bit disingenuous to call Path of Exile 2 a Diablo-like. After all, I found that Path of Exile 2 is actually fun to play, with a variety of builds and itemization, even though it’s in Early Access. So really, it’s nothing like Diablo IV at all. That might sound a bit harsh, but if you’re going to share this on social media, you should be ready to take some criticism for it. Since its Early Access release, I have spent more hours playing Path of Exile 2 than I have in Diablo IV or the original Path of Exile—this sequel could be the ARPG I have been waiting decades for.
It is important to preface this first impressions review with some background on my action RPG habits. I grew up playing the original Diablo and spent thousands of hours in Diablo II, one of the best games I’ve ever played. When Diablo III was released, I recognized its flaws, but I was so eager for a new Diablo game that I continued playing it. It obviously got a lot better with the Reaper of Souls expansion, and all said and done, I spent thousands of hours in Diablo III as well. Before Diablo IV’s release, I was open about my concerns regarding the game. After my initial playthrough, my review was pretty negative as I was overall very disappointed with the game that was delivered at launch. I wasn’t a fan of how some of the development team publicly responded, either.
As for the original Path of Exile, I tried numerous times to get into it. I played it for about 10 hours at launch, but something about the combat in the game just felt off. Over the years, I didn’t spend even 20 hours total in the original game. Needless to say, I wasn’t a fan. Instead, I found solace in games such as Grim Dawn, Last Epoch, Victor Vran, Warhammer: Chaosbane, and the Torchlight series. Unfortunately, none of those games ever brought back that same fanaticism I had with Diablo II.
Leading up to Path of Exile 2’s Early Access launch, I had low expectations. Since I never spent much time in the original Path of Exile, I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy its sequel. I knew the game was going to be quite different with a lot of streamlined systems, but the combat, build variety, and itemization were all question marks. The ideal ARPG for me strikes a balance between complexity and accessibility, and in my opinion, the original Path of Exile is no longer easily accessible. That being said, let’s get this out of the way: Path of Exile 2 shares more in common with a Souls game than a modern Diablo game. Some will find the game’s campaign and difficulty punishing, but it’s the first time in an RPG where I found myself having to revisit my build multiple times. This isn’t a game where you can simply equip whatever you find on the ground and easily progress through the campaign.
There’s a bit of irony in how much I enjoy Path of Exile 2, considering I’m not a fan of soulslike games. The closest I’ve come to finishing a game in the genre is Stellar Blade, and even then, many would mock me for suggesting it belongs in the discussion. It’s clear to me now that it’s not so much the difficulty and mechanics that I despise, but rather the combat system of souls games, particularly FromSoftware titles. I jokingly said all the hours I spent in V Rising prepared me for everything Path of Exile 2 could throw at me.
In Path of Exile 2, you’ll be spending a lot of your initial playthrough learning to dodge mechanics and being patient against bosses. Some of these fights will involve multiple deaths and will often frustrate you. Dying in a zone while playing solo resets the entire zone, causing all mobs to respawn, and you’ll need to fight your way through again. There are checkpoints on each map that help alleviate some of that pain, but Path of Exile 2 definitely draws inspiration from modern soulslike titles.
I found myself enjoying the difficulty because it required me to go back and look through gear and find upgrades. It required me to consider the skill points I’ve invested in my Passive Skills to see if there were improvements that could be made. It inspired me to test different Skills and Support Gems, not only to find what fit my playstyle but also what would work best on the boss I was stuck on. This is the first time an ARPG’s campaign has challenged me this much, and thankfully I had a group of friends to play with. Getting through Cruel together felt like an actual accomplishment.
Unfortunately, the game is far from being in an ideal state. Path of Exile 2 has some issues, and some of them are major. Some classes, like the Titan, seem to be at a major disadvantage right now, and some of the endgame mechanics are terribly unforgiving. For example, mapping isn’t fun right now since dying equates to failure, and you lose the map. Even if you’re playing with friends, they’re unable to resurrect you if you die. Instead, you’ll spend the rest of the time staring at your dead body and likely browsing on the website for gear upgrades while your friends finish the map.
Speaking of trading, it is one thing that the Path of Exile community has always handled well. All equipment is tradeable, even after you’ve equipped it, used it, or customized it. Given how Diablo has tried to force bind on equip or bind on pickup through the years, I am so relieved that Path of Exile 2 decided to stick to what it knows is most fun. Nothing beats using a weapon to level, posting it, and trading it away later on when you have no use for it. It’s as if an in-game economy for an ARPG with potentially millions of items works in favor of the player. It’s all very easy to do too, with the game’s web interface that allows you to narrow down what you need—though this part can be a bit frustrating with the affixes—and provides a quick way to whisper the player. I’ve traded for dozens of pieces of gear already and it’s been a very pleasant experience.
While I’ve only played one class so far, my group of friends has tried various other classes. Some have even tried off-the-wall builds, like a Monk using a bow as a weapon with a poison-centric build. We’ve barely begun scratching the surface of what’s possible with the diverse skill system in Path of Exile 2, which is actually streamlined if you don’t care about experimenting. It’s evident from playing Path of Exile 2 that developer Grinding Gear Games applied much of what it learned from Path of Exile to its sequel.
Path of Exile 2 isn’t going to be for every ARPG fan out there. I would argue that Diablo IV fans might not necessarily enjoy what Path of Exile 2 offers. In my opinion, Path of Exile 2 is carving out its own niche, not only because it has to separate itself from its predecessor, which continues to exist on its own, but also to widen the gap from the competition. It feels like a modern, next-generation ARPG regarding mechanics, though not necessarily in features. At its core, it feels like a familiar game (it even has a map overlay), but there’s something interesting around every corner that makes you think, “Oh yeah, maybe this could work in an ARPG.”
Even with all its flaws—of which Path of Exile 2 has many depending on the class you’re playing—this is one of the most engaged I’ve been with an ARPG in decades. At the time of writing, I’ve spent over 90 hours with the game already, and I’m still playing my first class and going through the endgame content. I’m looking forward to seeing how Grinding Gear Games responds to community feedback. Since I never went through the paces with Path of Exile, this experience will be entirely new to me. So far, from what I’ve seen, the team and the game are the best the genre has to currently offer.
Path of Exile 2 entered Early Access on December 6, 2024 on PC. These first impressions are based on a purchased retail copy of the game on PC. While FullCleared does have affiliate partnerships, they do not influence our editorial content. We may, however, earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links.
Path of Exile 2 First Impressions Gallery (possible spoilers!)
