Since the 1.0 release of Last Epoch, the new ARPG has been a huge hit on Steam and a real alternative to Diablo 4 for many fans. However, players coming from Blizzard’s hack-and-slash may feel overwhelmed quickly, as the systems in Last Epoch are more complex. But it’s not as bad as it seems—you just have to avoid being intimidated.
Last Epoch is currently the hottest tip for all ARPG fans. It has over 250,000 players on Steam and is regarded among players as “better than Diablo 4, not as difficult as Path of Exile“. Accordingly, the interest is very high.
The indie game has even attracted some of the most well-known figures from Diablo 4, though probably not permanently. Because despite the many criticisms of Diablo 4, the game is the quintessential casual ARPG: You log in, smash demons, loot, and level up. It’s hard to unleash dopamine more easily, and everyone can manage it.
However, there is a problem here: Diablo 4 is very easy to understand and is fun. Last Epoch is a bit more complex, though not by much. So if you’re coming from Diablo 4, there are a few things you should pay attention to.
Skills may look complicated, but they are not
In Last Epoch, the skill tree of a single skill is almost as detailed as that of the entire class in Diablo 4. You have countless options to customize, modify, and improve a skill. And you use 5 of them at the same time.
In addition, there are passive skills for your class and your masteries, which also need to fit your build in some way. At first glance, all of this may seem like advanced mathematics, but it can be grasped quite easily.
The easiest way is to think of two or three attributes you like, such as: Poison, Bleed, physical damage, minions… All these “keywords” can be filtered by each skill. So simply take the talents that match the attribute.
Note: The skill filters only currently work with the English terms.
Alternatively, you can find some of the current top builds in our Tier List for the best classes in Last Epoch. However, it is advisable to see these more as sources of inspiration at the beginning and to build something yourself. Without understanding the class, almost nothing will work here.
Important: Unlike in Diablo 4, you don’t simply get your skill points refunded directly. If you respec, you lose your points up to a certain value and must level them up again – each skill individually. Leveling skills works independently from the character.
Despite the strong start, there is criticism of Last Epoch – also due to its lack of clarity:
Crafting is easier than you think and you need it
In Last Epoch, you can not only find items, but also customize them almost completely. This is where the crafting system comes in (default key “F” or at the forge in some cities). Here, you may feel overwhelmed again because:
- there are dozens of affixes you can apply when crafting
- runes and glyphs further modify crafting
- and what the hell is crafting potential?!
You will need a bit longer to grasp everything here, but even in crafting, it holds true: it’s easier than it looks. A few tips:
- Prefixes are usually offensive, suffixes defensive.
- You should start using defensive affixes by level 30, especially on armors.
- Upgrades usually cost a random amount of crafting potential. You cannot craft more than the item offers.
- Affixes can be exchanged for chaos glyphs, but only randomly.
- If you want to reclaim affixes, you can smash the item with a rune – but you won’t necessarily get every affix shard back!
The best way to learn the system is to use it. Upgrade a few affixes, you’ll constantly find most shards anyway. And if something goes wrong – just take the next item. Until about level 70, it is virtually impossible to destroy something irretrievably valuable.
If you feel too weak, usually the solution is that you haven’t customized your items properly. Experiment a bit with crafting, you can’t lose anything. Information about the crafting system can be found in the game guide in the game itself (directly in the menu).
Loot is the same chaos as in Diablo 4 – Despite filters
What might seem familiar to you from Diablo 4 is the amount of (useless) loot. You constantly find stuff, and most of it is of no use to you at all. This will remain the case for most of the game.
While Last Epoch has loot filters, even when set up correctly, you’ll often find items that don’t look better than what you’re currently wearing. Here it holds true: even single affixes can be useful. Adjust an item via crafting to suit your needs.
Pay special attention to the top attributes of an item directly under the name. These represent the “Item Base,” meaning the base item, and are linked to the item. This is the quickest way to identify whether an item is a potential upgrade or not. Still, you will spend a lot of time reading and comparing.
The loot itself is more like in Diablo 2 than in Diablo 4: you find virtually EVERYTHING. There is no strictly class-bound loot for your character. For example, as a ranger, you can find set items or affixes that only benefit druids and vice versa. Even items that you can’t wear at all can drop. If you still aren’t sure which class you want to play, or if you don’t like the current one, you’ll find the 3 best classes to start in Last Epoch.
