Blame Lag

So recently, I heard a lot of buzz around the game Path of Exile (a point and click action RPG similar to Diablo 2) and decided to try it out. It was designed to be a free-to-play title with micro-transactions to help sustain it. At first I was skeptical, especially when I heard the micro-transaction model being implemented but after trying it out, I instantly became addicted and saw not only the hard work the developers (Grinding Gear Games) have put behind the title, but also agreed with the direction they had in mind. I’ve spent a good portion of time playing the game and have several titles similar to it (including the Diablo 3 beta) and I think that the game stands out and will be worth any action RPG enthusiast’s time.

Path of Exile (Official Website)

At the basic level, Path of Exile combines some previously “tried-and-true” game mechanics with some fresh new ideas into what I believe is a successful end result. The game runs on a 3D engine that locks you into an isometric view, leaving the graphics looking similar to many other games in the action RPG genre. The interface will be largely familiar to many and so will the controls. Here, users will be able to left click to move and to attack with the option of holding the left mouse button to continue attacking. Users can hold the shift key to attack without moving here as well. You can right click to use a skill and press the alt key to highlight objects on the ground (which there will be many of). For those of you who have played point and click action RPGs in the past, you’ll feel right at home.

The reason Path of Exile stands out from the competition in the genre is its unique take on intricate details within the game. An example of this would be the way the class / ability system works in the game. There will be six playable classes in the game (with five of them being currently released and one in the works): The Duelist, The Marauder, The Ranger, The Templar, and The Witch. Here, there aren’t any restrictions on your character – what I mean by that is – a Marauder doesn’t necessarily focus on melee attacks and/or tanking only, they can also try and pick up some spells along the way if they wish to (although this may not be the most effective route). Choosing a class in PoE just sets the starting ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence) along with some of your quest rewards, and your starting position on the passive skills board (which is quite massive).

When talking about skills, we quickly reach another area that makes PoE unique, as active skills only appear on gems (which you find as you play the game). Upon finding the gems, you have to socket them into your equipment to use them, meaning that when you look for equipment; you’ll have to pay attention to the sockets in the items as well as the stats to make sure you can use all the skills you want. Here, there is another layer of intricacy as there are also support gems, which improve any skill gems that they’re connected to on an item. An example of this would be a gem that adds additional melee damage to any skills that they’re connected to, making it worthwhile to find equipment with as many sockets so you can add additional melee damage to as many of your skills as possible. The sockets of course are all color coded for different skills to support different gems as well (ie. Strength skills being red, Dexterity skills being green, and Intelligence skills being blue). Furthermore, the gems gain experience as you do (to a maximum level of 7) adding further to the complexity of the game.

Another thing regarding the skills is the large amount of passive skills in the game, all of which are arranged on a large board that may seem very intimidating and confusing at first. As mentioned before, your class will determine the starting position on the skill tree but the rest is up to you, giving you the option to move and spec in any direction you want. It may be a good idea to look over the different skills carefully and have an idea of what you would want to obtain before just randomly spending your points because the option of respeccing is up for debate at the moment. As of right now, it is a feature that is not allowed and from what I understand is not being taken into consideration. This may sound like a downside to some but I personally think it’s a smarter move for several reasons. It really helps you grow and understand the different mechanics of the game along with making the game a bit more appealing to the hardcore crowd (which is what I would consider myself). It’s also nice to know that some idiot can’t just go messing around on a character then respec quickly to some strong build, the game asks and requires for more finesse for the bigger benefits – something I agree with.

Another feature that I found very appealing was the plan of action the developers took to prevent gold farmers in the game. Path of Exile doesn’t include any sort of in-game money. Instead the game offers fragments of scrolls or shards of orbs whenever you try and sell your items. As of right now, you can only receive one type of scroll this way, Scrolls of Wisdom (used to identify items that are labeled unidentified) but there are a variety of orb shards, including Orb of Alchemy, Orb of Regret, Orb of Fusing, and many more. These orbs give the player the option to adjust stats, sockets, and the rarity of items found in the game. The payout from the vendors is somewhat similar to the Horadric Cube recipes from Diablo II, which means you’ll have to pay attention to min/max your character and probably use the equipment stashing in each town.

The flow of the rest of the game isn’t as unique but still great. Examples of what I am talking about would include the fact that the world is divided into acts, with each act featuring a hub town where you can do some shopping and pick up some quests. The quests are fairly linear (ie. Find and kill someone) and exploring is usually running around in distinct map areas, where the theme and level of each area is fixed (but the layout and the enemies are random). After every few map areas, you’ll find a waypoint that allows you to return to town. Upon exploring the map areas and finishing the quests for one difficulty, you can repeat the process at a higher difficulty setting that provides better rewards (something heavily inspired by Diablo II).

Equipment isn’t an innovative feature either but one that works and is familiar and rewarding at the same time. Items come in four different flavors:  Normal (basic items), Magic (Slight Bonuses), Rare (Several Bonuses), and Unique. The item drops are always random and the bonuses are for things that help enhance different attributes (some even give you the chance to find better items). As of right now, there aren’t any sets but the rest is roughly the same system found in several RPGs. One thing that IS unique regarding items is how the developers decided to manage potions. Unlike the Diablo franchise, instead of collecting and stacking potions or gathering health and/or mana replenishing buffs on the ground, they have implemented a flask system. Flasks can either contain health, mana, or stats that fill up as you fight enemies. This means you don’t need to constantly stock up on or replace flasks, as they end up becoming a part of your equipment. Much like items, the flasks also come in different flavors and in some cases offer resistances or even dispel certain debuffs.

In its current state, Path of Exile is online only, requiring an internet connection. You don’t necessarily have to group with other players if you don’t wish to (think instanced zones similar to those found in Guild Wars). If you do decide to group up with players, the enemies increase in difficulty and the loot becomes more rewarding. Items just drop on the ground allowing any player to pick them up, which can make grouping an iffy decision sometimes (imagine losing an item to someone who wants to just trade it off or use it for an alternate toon of theirs). The towns in the game end up becoming world zones and players get to mingle together, causing these areas to become more similar to an MMO. There are also different leagues in Path of Exile, which add more flavor to the game. There is a Default league where most users are friendly and cooperative but in other leagues you might be allowed to attack and kill other players or you might even be rewarded for reaching a certain goal first. For you hardcore fans, rest assured, there is a hardcore league where you can only die once as well.

The last thing I wanted to touch upon was the micro-transactions which at first worried me. I was never a fan of the thought of any game being a buy-to-win type and the developers seemed to have assured the community they aren’t either (great news!). As of right now, micro-transactions will be aesthetic allowing those who worked hard to achieve something entitled to reap the benefits (which is exactly how I feel games should be).

Most action RPGs have left me skeptical and I thought that Path of Exile would do the same but after playing it for a while, I’m able to say I was quite impressed. Grinding Gear Games was clearly influenced heavily by Diablo II, but let’s be honest, which game in the genre isn’t? The company managed to offer enough complexity and unique options to make the game attractive to action RPG enthusiasts and that is enough for me. I wouldn’t say the game is for everyone as it isn’t as noob-friendly, but once you get past the initial learning curve, there is a lot to look forward to. It should be noted again that the game is in closed beta and there is still a lot more to come. Devs have even announced their hopes of adding additional content later down the line, adding more replay value than expected at first glance. The game isn’t polished and refined but such is the case with most new games coming from independent developers – that being said though, don’t get me wrong – it isn’t clunky, the devs seem to know how to please action RPG enthusiasts and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more and more features implemented over time. If you are interested in action RPGs, I would definitely recommend trying Path of Exile out – you won’t be disappointed.