Path of Exile 2 Overview

At ExileCon in Auckland, New Zealand, Grinding Gear Games revealed exciting updates for Path of Exile during their Saturday keynote. They announced the upcoming release of Path of Exile Mobile, a new double expansion for the game arriving this December, and the highly anticipated Path of Exile 2, scheduled for release late next year.

I had the opportunity to explore the demo of Path of Exile 2 firsthand through three separate playthroughs, and I believe it is a title that all action RPG enthusiasts should keep on their radar—even if the original game didn't initially captivate them.

Although Path of Exile 2 appears to be a completely independent sequel, it will be integrated into the existing game as a free, substantial update by the end of 2020. When players begin a new game, they will be prompted to choose between continuing with the original campaign or embarking on the new Path of Exile 2 storyline. The sequel introduces a fresh seven-act narrative set many decades after the events of the first game, featuring a new cast of heroes representing the original seven classes. During the demo, only the Marauder, Ranger, and Witch classes were accessible, selected from a stark character selection screen.

The story begins with a dark premise: players are cast as condemned criminals on the brink of execution. However, in a twist of fate, those chosen to hang find their noose snapping, allowing them to escape and wash ashore on a forest riverbank. This setup sets the stage for a reimagined adventure, blending familiar mechanics with new storytelling elements and character choices.

Upon watching the gameplay footage, I was immediately struck by the stunning visual enhancements in Poe2. Thanks to a comprehensive upgrade of the rendering engine, the game now features highly detailed character models, fluid animations, and realistically simulated clothing, making it visually much more appealing than the current version of Path of Exile. Although the heads-up display remains largely familiar, many other elements have been refreshed to give the game a polished look. The demo also showcased notable improvements in procedural world generation; while quest lines remain consistent, the environments appear more natural and immersive, with the world map's layout being randomly generated. Towns, for instance, now have dynamic entry and exit points, adding to the sense of unpredictability.

The variety of environments presented in the initial act is impressive. Starting at a riverside landing, players are quickly introduced to a quaint village under siege, reminiscent of the original Diablo’s Tristram. Moving beyond, the setting shifts to dense forests, overgrown battlegrounds, and a tunnel carved through a massive tree’s roots leading into a graveyard. The game is rich with crypts, tombs, and valleys tangled with enormous rose-thorns, creating a diverse and atmospheric landscape. The limited 45-minute demo provided only a glimpse of what the full game offers, and even with three different character runs, only seasoned players managed to see all the content. Some areas were only accessible to speedrunners, highlighting the depth and complexity awaiting in the full experience.

Studio head Chris Wilson has revealed that Path of Exile 2 will expand into a sprawling world adventure, showcasing regions and environments previously only hinted at in the original game. One segment involves traveling across expansive deserts via a mobile caravan-town, offering players a dynamic way to explore. Another segment takes place aboard a ship, which features a waypoint on board and plays a significant role in the story's third act, highlighting the game's diverse settings.

A common critique of the original Path of Exile centered around its armor sets, often considered unattractive and uninspired. In contrast, Poe2 is set in a more developed civilization, approximately 20 years after the devastation depicted in the first game, with society having mostly recovered. The monsters encountered are a recent threat, making the initial town feel more like a fortified village equipped with a functional blacksmith's forge, rather than a dilapidated, medieval wasteland. Additionally, gear available for purchase is now in coordinated sets and boasts a more polished appearance, allowing characters to look credible from the beginning—though not necessarily fashionable, they will at least have a more cohesive and fitting look.

Path of Exile 2 introduces significant gameplay adjustments that go beyond mere aesthetics, fundamentally transforming combat dynamics. Enemies now exhibit more diverse behavior, creating a more engaging and challenging experience. Swarms of smaller, distracting foes—often referred to as 'popcorn' enemies—are now accompanied by powerful adversaries capable of inflicting substantial damage in a single strike. Fortunately, these formidable foes typically telegraph their attacks clearly, giving players a chance to react. Early in the game, players gain access to a movement skill gem that allows for quick evasion, enabling strategic dodging under pressure.

This shift marks a departure from the early days of Path of Exile, where encounters focused heavily on enduring enemy assaults through robust dodge mechanics, health pools, and shields. In Path of Exile 2, the emphasis leans more toward dynamic action, encouraging players to actively avoid damage rather than simply withstand it. One notable example is the Grim Tangle area, which is infested with fungal zombies. The terrain is riddled with explosive mushrooms resembling landmines, and larger enemies release toxic spores that fill the battlefield with damaging clouds. Success in such environments demands swift movement and careful targeting, emphasizing agility and tactical decision-making.

Mastering footwork and enemy tracking proves essential across all encounters, especially during the demo's four key boss fights and several mini-boss battles. Each confrontation is a visually stunning, multi-stage ordeal where devastating attacks can deplete a significant portion of your health pool. The gameplay evokes a strong sense of familiarity with FromSoftware's renowned action titles, featuring tense dodges and swift warps to evade large, telegraphed strikes while seeking openings to strike back. This resemblance becomes even more apparent when observing the boss designs, many of which seem to fit seamlessly into a Bloodborne-style universe.

The demo introduces the Devourer as the initial major boss—a colossal, clawed worm lurking in tunnels beyond the starting village. Its most formidable attack involves a move where it creates arches from its body, requiring players to find cover behind them. Among the encounters, the Rust King stands out as a personal favorite. This towering figure, composed of rusted armor and weaponry, engages players in a gritty duel marked by metallic shouts and detailed combat animations. Occasionally, waves of rusted soldiers join the fray, adding layers of chaos and intensity to the battle.

Mini-Bosses and New Encounters

While the main bosses tend to garner the most attention, the game also features a variety of mini-bosses that stand out with their unique designs and behaviors. These mini-bosses often come with their own custom arenas and distinctive combat cues, adding depth to the encounters. One standout was the bearer of repentance, a significantly enhanced version of the graveyard enemies known as burdened wretches, who wield swinging gravestones.

This mini-boss's presence is announced audibly, with his ominous shouts of "judgement!" and "repent!" preceding his appearance, emphasizing his threatening aura. His design and attack patterns evoke the dark aesthetic of titles like Blasphemous, which I found particularly appealing. His massive rolling shockwave attack, paired with his commanding vocalizations, made for a memorable fight that felt both challenging and atmospheric.

Interestingly, I didn't manage to reach the crowbell boss shown in the gameplay footage below. Wilson mentioned that the demo was intentionally tuned to be more difficult than the final version, given that most players at the event were experienced. Nevertheless, the developers aim to increase the game's overall challenge compared to the first installment. Personally, I hope they maintain a high difficulty level at launch, as it adds to the game's engaging and rewarding experience.

When Path of Exile 2 is eventually released, players can expect a comprehensive overhaul of the skill system, which will also be integrated into the original game. The new design aims to make skill management more intuitive for newcomers while offering enhanced versatility for seasoned players. In the past, the system relied heavily on skill gems—items granting combat skills and spells—and support gems that modified these abilities. These gems had to fit into randomly assigned sockets across weapons and armor, complicating upgrades and gear swaps.

The revamped system standardizes socket types for each weapon and armor category, making them consistent across all gear. For example, wands are now exclusively equipped with blue sockets for magical attacks, while hammers feature red sockets for strength-based skills. This change simplifies socket management and streamlines gear upgrades. Additionally, each gear set can hold up to eight skills, with the potential for more through specialized equipment.

Support gems can now be slotted directly into your skills, independent of gear, enabling players to customize and define their abilities more precisely from the early stages of gameplay. Overall, this overhaul promises a more accessible yet deeply customizable experience, fostering creative builds and smoother progression.

Exciting updates are on the horizon, including a variety of fresh skill gems designed for every class, with the most anticipated being the shapeshift: werewolf gem, which has garnered significant player interest due to its obvious appeal. In addition to these, a new category of skill gems called meta gems is being introduced, offering innovative gameplay possibilities. Meta gems have the ability to contain multiple skills within a single gem, allowing players to activate several effects with just one hotbar button—such as triggering three different buffing auras at once. This opens the door to highly complex and powerful character builds, where meta gems could be set to cast spells upon taking damage or landing critical hits, potentially unleashing devastating spell combinations like a supernova.

Meanwhile, Grinding Gear Games provided further details about the nineteen new ascendancy classes that will be available. These prestige subclasses are unlocked partway through the game’s storyline and offer players new, intriguing ways to customize and enhance their characters. Although development is still underway, early developer presentations showcased a couple of these new ascendancies, which appear to be more visually and functionally distinct than most of the original classes, promising a fresh and diverse gameplay experience.

The Beastmaster Ranger class offers a versatile gameplay experience, allowing players to shift into a werecat form and summon a variety of wildcats to aid in combat. As they progress, they can upgrade these feline companions from simple mogs to more formidable predators, blending ranged attacks, melee combat, and pet management seamlessly. Another intriguing variant introduced is the Tactician, a class focused on crowd control through the deployment of enhanced ballista turrets. Notably, the Tactician can also wield bows in close-quarters combat, and the official artwork depicts her thrusting a spear at enemies—an uncommon weapon choice in Path of Exile.

Additionally, players can enjoy the convenience of retaining their previously unlocked ascendancy classes across different campaigns and game modes. This means that a Beastmaster can be brought back into Path of Exile even after switching to different playstyles, such as the classic potions-and-poisons Pathfinder. Grinding Gear Games has also confirmed that all stash tabs and cosmetic items purchased in the original game will be available in the sequel, making the transition between titles smoother and more rewarding for dedicated players.

While the launch of Poe2 is undoubtedly the most anticipated event, Grinding Gear Games is emphasizing that players can expect numerous updates and improvements leading up to its release. A significant upcoming upgrade includes universal character animations, which will enhance the overall visual experience across all characters. Additionally, a major overhaul to bow combat mechanics is scheduled for December 13th, coinciding with the debut of the new Metamorph league and the Conquerors of the Atlas endgame expansion. Fans are eager to see what other features and surprises Grinding Gear Games will unveil in the coming months.

Although a specific release date for Poe2 has not been announced, the developers aim to launch the game around late 2020. Both Path of Exile and Poe2 will continue to be free-to-play titles, with revenue generated from cosmetic item sales such as character skins and additional inventory tabs that allow cross-character storage.

(Note: Grinding Gear Games sponsored my travel and accommodation for this trip.)

What is PoE2 and PoE2 Currency?

PoE2 Currency refers to the unique items and orbs used within Path of Exile 2 to enhance equipment, craft powerful gear, and facilitate trades between players. These specialized items are crucial for character progression and optimizing your build, serving a much broader role than simple gold coins found in other games. Players can obtain PoE2 Currency through in-game activities such as defeating monsters, completing quests, and trading with others, or by topping up on reputable game trading platforms like MMOGAH, AOEAH, and IGGM. These platforms offer secure and convenient ways to quickly boost your PoE2 Currency stash, ensuring you always have the resources needed for your adventure.

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How to buy POE2 Currency on LootBar, a Step-by-Step Guide

To buy path of exile 2 currency on the LootBar trading platform, start by visiting the official LootBar.gg website. Once there, select your preferred language and currency type, and log into your account. Navigate to the Home page and locate the Game Items section, where you will find the PoE 2 Currency category. Browse through the available currency options, decide on the specific item and quantity you wish to purchase, and click the “Buy Now” button to proceed.

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