Last Epoch is considered a new safe harbor for all those disappointed by Diablo 4 and who find Path of Exile too complex. Since February 21, it has been playable in version 1.0 on Steam – in theory. Because connectivity issues are causing trouble. So much trouble that the reviews are suffering significantly.
What is Last Epoch?
- The action RPG Last Epoch is currently considered the biggest competitor to Diablo 4 in the genre alongside Path of Exile. It offers similar gameplay but has as many as 15 classes (5 base classes with 3 “masteries” each).
- The game has been in development for many years, but has been playable in version 1.0 for PC on Steam since February 21. The first player feedback is clear: Better than Diablo, easier than Path of Exile.
- Unlike in Diablo, you fight not against the forces of hell but against various monsters in different times, as you are somewhat of a time traveler.
This is how Last Epoch stands now: The 1.0 release has made a significant impact. Last Epoch has seen an increase of over +1,000% in players. At launch, up to 258,000 people played simultaneously. This makes it one of the currently largest games on Steam (via steamcharts).
The reviews were also quite strong at the beginning: 77% right at the 1.0 release; previously, it was even temporarily over 84%. Even leading Diablo experts, for example on Twitch, have now dedicated themselves to Last Epoch for the time being.
However, the reviews have significantly declined since the release. Currently, the score is only 59% positive in recent reviews (via Steam), with a downward trend. This is mainly because many fans cannot really play at the moment; the servers are down.
In our overview, you will find everything about the release, classes, and prices of Last Epoch. You can see more about the game in the trailer:
“Playing with my wife after work is currently not possible”
The biggest criticism that is often mentioned is the connectivity issues. Since the release, there have been various problems at peak times, such as:
- Login queues or simply the impossibility of getting into the game at all.
- The error LE-61, which prevents new areas from loading.
- Endless loading times when logging in or switching maps, and even disconnects at times.
On Steam, there are complaints that Last Epoch is currently unplayable. Especially working people seem to be affected – they can only play when everyone has time, and you can notice it in the connection.
Although Last Epoch has a pure offline mode, it comes with restrictions. For example, you cannot use cosmetics and cannot play the character online afterwards. Thus, playing with friends is not possible. The developers are already working on a solution.
My colleague Peter Bathge from GameStar has written an interesting piece about this: Too few new games rely on an offline mode, and it’s a shame that we have to beg for it
However, connectivity is not the only criticism. There are complaints about too difficult bosses, mediocre graphics, and confusing systems such as crafting and the loss of skill points when respecing.
Last Epoch is not necessarily complex in some respects, but it is not sufficiently explained. While this clears up within a few hours, pure casuals can be quickly deterred by such systems. At least starting with the right class is a bit easier – Here you will find the 3 best classes for beginners in Last Epoch.
