Concept Overview
In Path of Exile (often shortened to PoE) you play as one of six playable criminals, exiled to the island of Wraeclast by the empire of Oriath for your crimes. Wraeclast is a hostile environment, and was once home to the empire known as Vaal, an ancient and powerful empire with unknown technology. Journey through the is multiple environments of Wraeclast and battle rivaling tribes and warring empires. Path of Exile offers truly next-level customization of your character’s build and skill choices, with new mechanics that break from the standard formula of the isometric aRPG dungeon crawler.
Path of Exile’s skill system works in a very different way than the typical Torchlight/Diablo skill system of simply unlocking the skills as you level up. In PoE, you must find skill gems, which are them slotted into your gear and grant you the ability to use that skill. Furthermore, support gems can be slotted connecting to the skill gem to grant it an added effect. This system will not only force player to search for the skills they want and make use of the skill that they have, but to also strategize their gear based around both their stats and their available slots.
PoE level progression system is also unique and extremely customizable. Every time you level up, you are given a skill point to be allocated on the passive tree. PoE’s passive tree is massive, and you will have to plan a route for how you want your build to go. Some nodes will only be acquired as a way to reach a more important node that you want to reach. The tree holds all of the passive nodes for all classes, with different classes simply starting at different points on the tree. Technically speaking, any class can perform any role and be modified to fit any build, though placement on the tree makes certain archetypes easier for some classes over others.
Artstyle & Sound | Gory
The art style is realistic and brutal. Some enemies fall to pieces upon death, and corpses are the most common decorative piece in most environments. The realistic style has some limitations in an isometric game, as you are generally too zoomed out to appreciate the look of the assets, and there is too much detail crammed in together. However with the bloody and brutal feel that the game has gone for, the choice to go realistic is not surprise, and serves as a nice break from the bright and cartoonish RPGs we have become accustomed to.
The design of enemies is solid, though I feel that with the dark and bloody game world Path of Exile created they could have taken many of the enemy designs to different more twisted places. Many of the bosses also look fantastic in concept art, but in game it is much harder to see their characteristics. Many of the common enemies you fight feel underwhelmingly normal, and could certainly use some spice.
The sound is solid, with your enemy's flesh making a nasty sound on contact with your weapon to match the game's gory aesthetic. Searching a body for loot makes sickening squishy noises, just in case the rivers of blood and piles of bodies wasn’t gross enough. Music is not all that notable, and is mostly atmospheric.
Playability | Some Learning Curve
PoE certainly has a steeper learning curve than similar games. The massive passive tree can be truly daunting to look at. You will more than likely have to plan out which path to take along the tree to reach the passive nodes that you want. The skill gem system may take a moment to get used to, but most other mechanics are intuitive.
But is it Fun? | Yes
I am a huge lover of dungeon crawlers of all shapes and forms, and to this day PoE remains my favorite dungeon crawler of all time. I love that PoE made an effort to differentiate itself from the classic formula, with their new creative progression systems that have me starting new characters over and over to try it all. The passive tree, once you’ve gotten used to it, gives you a very concrete goal to work towards as you set your own ideal for which nodes you need next.
The skill gem system, at least when you’re first starting out, will get you to try out spells that may be less than ideal. As you create further character, you can fast-track this process as you will most likely have collected any skill gem that you want by then.
The gameplay plays just as you’d expect of these games, so there isn’t too much to say here. At its core, the game is still an aRPG, so you can expect all the same click-based movement and attacks with keyboard abilities. The game provides a great balance of difficulty and feeling extremely powerful as you decimate waves of enemies that just won’t stop coming. The carnage your character leaves behind not only adds to the bloody aesthetic of the game, but keeps combat satisfying. Enemies don’t simply fall over on death, they fall to pieces as your weapon cleaves them apart. Those not so familiar with dungeon crawlers may find the gameplay repetitive, as admittedly, combat generally consists of clicking on your enemies. Thankfully, difficulty and different ranged and movement ability options create a need for kiting and further strategy than simply standing and trading blows. There are some builds and classes, however, that are built to do just that however; stand still and pound on your enemies while taking all incoming damage and (hopefully) brushing it off.
Replay Value | High
Path of Exile, like many dungeon crawlers, is built to be replayed. Replaying the game at new difficulty levels or with new classes adds for new experiences for every new game. Starting a new game with a new build for your character in mind is addicting, and I found myself making ten different characters all of different builds without having even complete the game once. While the gameplay can no doubt feel repetitive for players who are not a fan of the genre, new updates roll in to alter games and keep play the same game over and over fresh.
Conclusion | Try it Free!
Path of Exile has everything you could want in a dungeon crawler, and with it's free price tag, there's really no reason not to try it. While other dungeon crawlers may tend to blend together, PoE truly stands out with unique systems and tone. Lovers of the genre will find this to be a great edition to their collection, while those new to dungeon crawlers can try this game free and decide if they like these games for themselves.
