Taking the Path of Exile Beta

I’ve been on a serious action RPG kick. It might be because this cold has reduced my attention span into something more appropriate for a kitten, but the frantic clicking and feel-good gameplay of titles like Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 is hitting the spot. I found out just 16 minutes before it was released that Path of Exile was entering an open beta and I couldn’t resist downloading it. It’s a free to play title that offers action RPG gameplay with a grittier atmosphere. But picking up a free to play game is like consenting when your friend asks you to “close your eyes and say ‘ahh'”. Is Path of Exile worth your time?

Grimdark Hack and Loot

The obvious appeal of Path of Exile is its tone. Your character begins the game on a boat to be exiled (for “crimes” they admit to comitting) to the monster filled island of Wraeclast. The game is dripping with a grimdarkness, you feel like one of the few survivors on the Worst Island to Be On in the World. Loot consists of shields that are splintered, armor that is rusted, and axes that are little more than driftwood with sharp rocks embedded in them. The environments are filled with oppressive shadows and the dungeons and enemies glisten with filth. Path of Exile is clearly attempting to appeal to the audience that didn’t want Torchlight’s lighter aesthetic and found Diablo 3 too pulpy.

You will be doing plenty of clicking and leveling up as your character progresses from the shores of Wraeclast into its heart, but it’s the character development in Path of Exile that really shines. All skills are gems that are found/rewarded, ready to be placed into appropriately colored sockets in your gear, brilliantly tying skill progression to the loot-grind. (Materia anyone?) You can attach gems that customize your skills as well; attaching an Increase Area of Effect gem to your Fireball gem to create a much larger effect. Each level up also grants one skill point to unlock upgrades in an intimidatingly massive sphere-grid style system ala Final Fantasy 10.

The character progression feels new and rewarding, a feat for an action RPG. The transparency of the sphere-grid allows you to look ahead and plan your progress. The gems level up with you, giving you a constant stream of mini-rewards. In fact, the sphere-grid and skill gems are so enjoyable that it seems unbelievable that no one has added them to an action RPG before.

Deliberate and Claustrophobic

The core of Path of Exile is already fun: kill monsters, get magic pants. But how does the game compare to other games in the action RPG genre, especially with the surge of recent high profile releases?

Path of Exile feels like the true sequel to Diablo 1. It forsook the silky smooth instant-gratification of Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3 for a more deliberate game. You aren’t picking up every single thing you find, there is no pet that can run back to town to offload your junk. You aren’t badass out of the gate that can respec at any moment, you’re gaining power by permanent inches in a game that’s surprisingly challenging. Even the lack of UI shortcuts makes me feel like I’m playing an older game. (What do you mean I can’t buy and sell items in the same vendor menu?)

The camera’s positioning is much closer to the character than TL2 and D3, and the character’s pace (without speed enhancements) is slower by comparison. This up-close-and-personal view, the measured pace, and the foreboding shadowy environments combine to create a c
laustrophobic feel that harkens back to the cathedral crawling under Tristram. This is part of why the atmosphere works: you’re not blasting through the world at mach 3 frantically picking up every piece of loot you find, nor are you shooting laser beams through fifty goblins to get a Killing Spree! The game slows you down to pay attention to the creeping darkness and the lurking monsters.

To make a slower game is a brave choice, and I respect it even though I prefer Torchlight 2’s smoother gameplay. I’m sure that the intentional and thoughtful pace of Path of Exile is exactly what a lot of people have been looking for.

A Quick Aside: The Cash Store

Path of Exile has a microtransaction store, but the store only contains cosmetic items. (Turning your fireballs into dragon faces, special pets, making your sword glow, etc.) As of writing this review there is not a single purchasable item that would give one an edge in game play; they even resisted selling temporary XP, gold, and magic-find boosting items. The closest it gets is extra room in your stash, but the default stash already comes with a generous amount of space. This is truly free to play without a shred of “pay to win”.

Free to Must Play

This game is already good. Since this game is just in beta the UI and gameplay will only get more refined with time. The character progression with the sphere-grid is already the most fun I’ve had progressing a character in any action RPG ever. The game is already worth $20, the fact that this game is free makes it a game you can’t miss. The servers have been going through some turbulence as bugs are being addressed, but this game is still worth your time if you’re looking for a dark and thoughtful action RPG sprouted directly from the genre’s roots.