Path of Exile 2 early access review-in-progress – coming for Diablo 4's lunch in style
As much as Path of Exile 1 was lauded for its seemingly bottomless character customisation and its ability to keep voracious action role-playing game players fed, mentally, for months on end, there was no denying it could be a pain to get into. Playing it could feel like giving someone made entirely of elbows a hug. You’d get used to it in time – you’d even come to find the feeling comforting – but there’s no question the series could use an update. Path of Exile 1 is over a decade old; it’s time for something new.
Path of Exile 2 early access review-in-progressDeveloper: Grinding Gear GamesPublisher: Grinding Gear GamesPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out now in Early Access on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X
That something – Path of Exile 2 – is finally here, at least in early access, and understandably there’s tremendous excitement for it. A decade of success has turned its predecessor from being a nobody to a title contender. But where there’s increased excitement, there’s also increased expectations, and the sequel will be measured by a different yardstick – a Diablo 4 yardstick, perhaps. Say what you will about Diablo’s merits, but its production values and new player onboarding are second to none. Will Path of Exile 2 compete?
Spoiler, yes, but a quick caveat: this an early access release so Path of Exile 2 isn’t finished, and Grinding Gear Games has said it will take at least six more months of development to finish it, if not more (these things usually end up taking longer than expected). Nevertheless, this is far from a sketchy early access release. The experience I’ve had, albeit on quiet, press-intended pre-release servers – which have now been wiped as Grinding Gear prepares for the public early access stampede – has been rock solid. There were a couple of inexplicable quits-to-desktop, but they were tiny hiccups in what has otherwise been a smooth and sturdy experience (though we’ll have to wait and see how the public servers fare over the weekend to see if this sentiment holds true).
Those elbows of Path of Exile 1 are broadly gone – or they’re so soft now it’s more like hugging a lumpy duvet than an elbowy… goblin. The game plays much more like you’d expect a modern game to: you move with WASD keys and mouse-around to aim, and there’s full controller support, though it’s still not seamless switching between the two – you still need to quit out to the main menu to alternate. Similarly, the game’s more unusual systems remain, such as the way abilities belong to equipment rather than the character. But they’re much better organised now so it’s clearer how they work and what you’ve got to do. The onboarding is smoother, too, and while I’m sure there’s another onboarding pass to do before the game’s full release, it’s already welcoming enough should you be intrigued to give it a go (we have some Path of Exile 2 tips to help you if you do).
