Playing it could feel like giving someone made entirely of elbows a hug.
Path of Exile 1 is over a decade old; it’s time for something new.
A decade of success has turned its predecessor from being a nobody to a title contender.
Will Path of Exile 2 compete?
Nevertheless, this is far from a sketchy early access release.
Environments and characters are rich with detail, and the animation is superb.
Similarly, bosses are tough and uncompromising.
One boss ran away from me, which I didn’t expect and it made me laugh.
Then when I chased them down, they transformed, we fought, and they ran away again!
There’s charm even in the rote enemies who shamble around the in-between parts of the game.
I can feel the effort involved as they drag it across the grassy lawn, churning up the earth.
- I’ve grown genuinely intrigued by the characters I’ve met in the game.
They’re unassuming and gently handled so as not to interrupt you or grandstand you with exposition.
For a theorycrafter such as I like to think I am, it’s heaven.
There’s no waste, so to speak, no superfluous thing.
This is a long way of saying that initially, I’m very impressed.
A copy of Path of Exile 2 was provided for review by developer Grinding Gear Games.
