While the players are just starting in Path of Exile 2, MeinMMO author Cedric Holmeier was able to try out the action RPG through a preview access. What makes Path of Exile 2 better and why it’s worth it for newcomers and returnees, you can find out here.
Path of Exile 2 is the successor to one of the most successful free-to-play games of the last 10 years. The action RPG offers many improvements that welcome newcomers, while veterans continue to be challenged.
I tested the action RPG for about two weeks, looking at how the new title feels for players who are not yet veterans. I played Path of Exile 1 back in the closed beta over 10 years ago and spent over 300 hours there in total. I have regularly checked in periodically.
Here you can see the cinematic intro of the game:
User-friendly for professionals and beginners
Those who have never played Path of Exile 2 and its predecessor will hardly be able to tell the games apart at first glance, but that is clearly intentional. With the second part of PoE, the developers want to consciously continue what has worked well so far.
The innovations, on the other hand, are meant to please both sides:
The fans of the first game, who have thousands of hours of playtime, and new players who are fresh to the game, with experience from competing games or with no experience at all.
Gold is less complex
Gold is a major new feature in the game. While you traded with a complex system of various currencies in Path of Exile, there is a gold system for trading with NPCs in Path of Exile 2.
This is comfortable for beginners, as they do not have to learn how currencies work at the beginning of the game. Gold will be used for various functions right away. All of these are more convenient than similar systems from the predecessor.
The easy trading with NPCs and also the random trader, who can bless you with the luck of rare items early in the game, are great innovations to quickly get into the game without even an explanation.
Skill tree remains complex, but respeccing will be easier
The massive passive skill tree of Path of Exile overwhelms every new player again in the second part. Countless skills are available. However, a crucial change affects both beginners and veterans alike.
In PoE 2, it’s much easier to respecc. If you want to change your character, you only need to go to the respective NPC, and for a bit of gold, you can redistribute the skill points.
In a preliminary conversation with Game Director Jonathan Roggers, he explained that the developers did not like the system from the predecessor. At the beginning, it should be inexpensive to change your skills, not later at the end of the game. This has now been put into practice as well.
Here you can see some impressions of the game:
But the active skills have also changed. In Path of Exile 2, you continuously receive new skill gems as drops from monsters. By right-clicking on them, you can easily select a skill. If you receive a higher skill gem, you can upgrade your ability or unlock a new one at that level.
Gradually, more abilities from all classes become available to you, which you can combine freely. The system works similarly for supporting skills. Here, you only get the skills that truly make your character strong later on, while at the beginning you are still somewhat rudimentary.
Thanks to these changes, I was able to fundamentally change my character three times in the early game without having to start over. In the predecessor, this would have been absolutely necessary. Especially when guides and builds are not available at the beginning, this innovation will likely save many players’ characters.
Flasks, Charms, and Resistances are greatly simplified
There are again resistances to various elements in Path of Exile 2. These are an essential part of the game to avoid enemies dealing too much damage.
While it was difficult for me as a beginner in the predecessor to always reach the necessary resistance values without trading with other players, the developers simplify this system at the beginning of the game.
Items in Path of Exile 2 can offer slots for runes. In our test, there were plenty of runes, and each of them had its own values, including resistances. By upgrading items with runes, it’s much easier to reach the necessary values for the next boss.
Another innovation is the so-called charms. These new equipment items are worn on the belt and activate automatically in the right situation. They replace part of the utility flasks by freeing you from one type of movement-restricting effects automatically or granting you resistances. For example, the charm that helps against cold damage offers a temporary bonus to cold resistance.
The flasks in Path of Exile 2 have been significantly simplified: Instead of five, there are now only two flasks, which improves the flow of the game and overwhelms beginners less. The flask piano has come to an end.
The developers have indeed decided to only offer two flasks: The life flask and the mana flask. Both flasks do what their name says and can provide better effects with a higher rarity of the item as usual.
In the test, I never had to rack my brain to come up with resistances for the next boss fight. A quick exchange of charms, and the character is adjusted. The panic of pressing the right flask never occurred.
Powerful character despite harder gameplay
Path of Exile 2 is generally a bit slower and tougher than its predecessor. Even at the beginning of the game, opponents can be a challenge, and the developers announced before the release: The goal is to make the fights more exciting (via www.sportskeeda.com).
The new dodge is probably the point that changes the game the most.
The dodge roll is essential for all battles in the game and expresses that it’s no longer about defeating as many enemies as possible in the shortest time, but rather overcoming challenges in more difficult battles.
Boss fights last longer in general, and it’s more about striking at the right moment and knowing when to dodge a skill. Needing a second or third attempt for a boss feels intentional.
The character becomes noticeably stronger
With everything that makes Path of Exile 2 easier for beginners, the progression of your character is something that will also please veterans. With each new item, new milestone on the passive skill tree, and each skill, the character feels stronger.
This fades slowly over the levels without real bosses until you receive another upgrade after defeating the next powerful enemy.
Changes have also been made to the progression. Trials, which hold important upgrades for the character, serve as an example. While they were quite boring in the predecessor, they have received a facelift in PoE 2 and now offer more variety and challenge, while the actual character progression behind it remains almost identical.
There are no real cuts in loot either. Since you now receive gold, enemies drop fewer of the items you use to upgrade items themselves, which were used as currency in the predecessor.
The progression systems in the game are gradually unlocked, allowing all players to learn simply through playing how to upgrade their character.
Path of Exile 2 starts at exactly the right point
The game is easier for beginners and just as complex for veterans as its predecessor. As a player, you spend less time in menus and more time fighting difficult opponents or learning boss mechanics.
The comfortable new features do not take away from what made the predecessor good. On the contrary: The progression in Path of Exile 2 is simply more pleasant without being less complex.
PoE 2 plays differently than its predecessor. The game places more emphasis on cool fights and interesting challenges while removing points where players constantly stumbled in the previous game.
For newcomers, returnees, or even players from competing games like Diablo 4, entering Path of Exile 2 will be much easier. Veterans, on the other hand, will also be able to focus more on the actual game due to the new comfort.
PoE2 has mastered the balancing act between an easier entry for new players and better fights for veterans by providing both sides with more comfort without sacrificing quality. Path of Exile 2 has just launched. All information about the server status and queues can be found in our live ticker: Path of Exile 2: Live ticker for Early Access – All info on server status & queues
