Path of Exile is a challenging ARPG set in a unique dark fantasy setting where players must try to survive on the continent of Wraeclast against all manner of dark and evil creatures. It’s a fast and at times unforgiving game from developers Grinding Gear Games. Using six different classes in an unconventional way through the in depth passive skill tree and further customizing characters with the gear gems mechanic, Path of Exile boasts endless possibilities when it comes to designing and playing the kind of character you want to play. The strong PVE and PVP are just two elements we love of the game.

• The Currency/Trade Mechanic - There is no money in the game. What would it be like to live in a world without money? Well pretty horrible it would seem if the continent of Wraeclast is anything to go by, however, for an MMO it’s a pretty cool mechanic that instead relies on trading items and bartering. Between NPC vendors there are of course trade items to give loot some type of monitory value, coming in the form of orbs and scrolls that are essential ingredients for crafting. However, between players it really comes down to having what a player wants or needs most of the time, which is why separate sites and forums have been created just to try and get a bit more of a handle on the trade economy that the game offers and help players navigate the uncertain waters. What it comes down to though is if you have something that a player wants, then with the lack of an Auction House available in the game you need to any item you want before they meet someone else who will take it off their hands.


• The Skill Tree - A huge web of passive skills to customize your class. Players have an unprecedented amount of character customization when it comes to the games Passive Skill Tree; every level players receive a point to spend and unlock a node on the vast web of interconnecting skill to give themselves minor buffs and attribute increases. The six classes in the game have their own starting location on the tree, surrounded by nodes that will best support their initial abilities, however with enough nodes unlocked (players get over a hundred to spend in total) players have the option of delving into parts of the tree used originally by a different class, allowing for hybrid and multi-class builds and some truly unique characters to best support your preferred playstyle.


• Grim Dark Fantasy - Players face the eerie unknown. The players’ story begins by being washed up on the beach of Wraeclast as one of a few dozen criminal Exiles from their homeland, Oriath. Dumped into the ocean many die before they make it to the coast, many die soon afterwards as the vile monsters of forgotten Empire and ancient cults plague the lands. The first time you step foot on the sand at night you have an instant feeling that things just aren’t right, it’s a creepy atmosphere and you honestly feel lost and unsure of what to do or where to go (by design) and from the very beginning of the game you feel like you are simply trying to survive. Exploring the continent as you unlock its secrets is an endless uncertainty and one wrong step can bring you face to face with a demon pit or ancient evil power looking to drain you of your soul; definitely a 1* rating on Trip Advisor.


• Hardcore Mode - For a real experience you can play on Hardcore mode. If you are killed then it’s Game Over. Your character is deleted and you lose all your gear. That’s it. Awesome.


• Challenging Content - Unlike most games... this one is difficult. Very much by design the game does a good job of pointing you in a rough direction without having to hold your hand, players are left to work out what they need to in order to get ahead or survive. Combat alone is quite difficult, what has been uncovered about the history and lore of Wraeclast is patchy and so you always feel kind of in the dark. There’s no money, no sure fire way to get what you want. Built in a time where we have a generation of players relying on instant respawns, save locations, AFK systems and pay to win mechanics we’re happy to say that Path of Exile does a good job of putting off those kinds of players with its generally difficult (but extremely rewarding) gameplay.


• Gem Sockets - Players can change their ability through the gear they equip. Whilst players have their base abilities, the majority of what they will be capable of in battle is based on their gear, more specifically the gems that they socket into it. A Marauder might be able to use a Double Strike on an opponent and quip a gem to make it a fire attack, or a vampiric attack to absorb hitpoints, or even both! Each gear item comes with a number of sockets, some even linking together to further enhance certain aspects of a Gem making it even more powerful. With the combination of passive skill tree nodes and available Gems players can have true customization with their characters and make them unique, where gear is more than a stat increase and each item can change the characters playstyle completely.


• No Pay-to-Win - A business model to be proud of. Path of Exile is still extremely successful and so we can only nod with approval when a game manages to reach such a state without financially screwing over its member asking for money for constant DLC, or pay to win items that imbalance the game forcing other players to buy them if they want to stay competitive. The store focuses on aesthetic items such as spell effects, clothing, skins, pets, character effects, pets and decorations for hideouts, as well as a couple of account feature options such as more character slots and extra inventory space.

So that’s what we love with Path of Exile, but more importantly what are some of your favourite things? What do you think could/should be added to our list that makes the game great? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 at 3:10 pm and is filed under Articles, MMO News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.