As a seasoned gamer with countless hours spent in the original Path of Exile, I can confidently say that the upcoming sequel is shaping up to be a real treat for us hardcore ARPG fans. The focus on a robust and engaging endgame content during early access is a smart move by Grinding Gear Games, as it addresses one of the common complaints in the genre – not enough post-campaign challenges.
As a passionate gamer, I’m thrilled about Path of Exile 2! When it launches in early access, you can expect a treasure trove of content. Grinding Gear Games has already crafted three full acts of the story, which essentially lays the groundwork for half of an epic campaign.
We tried out more Path of Exile 2, but before we tested the Mercenary class, the creators discussed the game’s final stages with journalists, explaining why they emphasized that aspect for early players.
Rogers emphasized that a crucial aspect of any action RPG is the ‘end-stage experience.’ Often, when a new action RPG debuts, players complain about insufficient endgame content. To avoid this issue in Path of Exile 2, our team has rearranged priorities to ensure the game doesn’t leave players feeling shortchanged in this area.
Initially, completing the first three acts of PoE2 takes approximately 25 hours. This is significantly longer than many games’ campaigns. However, players often invest hundreds of hours in the game’s endgame. It wouldn’t be wise to release Acts 4-6 early access as it would be better for us to focus on improving the endgame instead. Therefore, we’re prioritizing enhancing the endgame to make it exceptional.
During Path of Exile 2’s early access phase, players can anticipate encountering approximately 50 bosses and over 400 types of monsters. The developers aim to increase these numbers significantly at launch, with around 100 bosses and about 800 different monster types. The development process has progressed smoothly, allowing for frequent updates. For those seeking advanced endgame content, there will be plenty to engage with. A new difficulty level called Cruel difficulty is being introduced, which will present players with a challenging campaign offering superior rewards. This difficulty level resembles New Game Plus, providing a tougher challenge without any loss of previously acquired items.
In Path of Exile 2, the structure of the endgame leagues will mirror that of the original game. Each league will offer its unique narrative, special mechanics, and potential for substantial rewards. Grinding Gear Games is excited about the chance to revisit some of the most beloved leagues from the first game in PoE2. For instance, The Trial of the Sekhemas is being marketed as a continuation of The Forbidden Sanctum. Players will face a roguelike-style series with randomly generated rooms, formidable foes, and significant payoffs, but only those who make it through the entire trial, including each floor’s final boss room, will reap the rewards. Other endgame instances include continuations of 2021’s Expedition league and also a follow-up to 2020’s Delirium league.
In Path of Exile 2, players who may not focus on the endgame can still find a wealth of content during the early access phase. Apart from exploring over 50 unique bosses and 400 diverse monster species, Shacknews got a sneak peek at some fresh character classes. For instance, the Ranger class leverages mobility to outmaneuver monsters, freezing them in place with its abilities. However, the majority of the preview session was dedicated to the Mercenary, an intriguing class that employs a crossbow as its primary weapon. This class can be equipped with various bolts, each having unique effects, making Path of Exile 2 feel more like a twin-stick shooter. The Mercenary guided me through previously unavailable game sections, such as hidden crypts teeming with challenging bosses.
In Path of Exile, character customization is a significant aspect of gameplay, and the current count for the passive skill tree has soared to an astonishing 1,500 nodes, with even more on the way. Each class can explore the entire tree, starting from different origins and expanding outward.
There’s a lot more discussion to be had about the Path of Exile 2 exhibition on Thursday. For those eager to learn more, head over to the official Path of Exile website. The wait for early access is nearly at an end! Mark your calendars for December 6th, as Path of Exile 2 will debut in early access on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Don’t forget to check out our guide on Path of Exile 2 early access to find out how to secure a spot.
This preview is based on an early PC build played at a closed press event in Los Angeles, CA with food and lodging provided. The final product is subject to change.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-11-22 01:28