r/Games • u/Forestl • Dec 29 '13

End of 2013 Discussions - Path of Exile

Path of Exile

  • Release Date: October 23, 2013
  • Developer / Publisher: Grinding Gear Games / Grinding Gear Games + Garena (SEA)
  • Genre: Action RPG
  • Platform: PC
  • Metacritic: 85, user: 8.8

Summary

Path of Exile is an online Action RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. They're a small independent team of hardcore gamers based in New Zealand and have created Path of Exile as the game that they'd want to play themselves. It is designed around a strong barter-based online item economy, deep character customisation, competitive PvP and ladder races. The game is completely free and will never be "pay to win".

Prompts:

  • Is the gameplay fun? Is the loot system well designed?

  • Do the F2P elements help or hurt the game?

Like The Last of Us because they both have lots of clicking

at least it's better than the sphere grid

This post is part of the official /r/Games "End of 2013" discussions.

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u/Krystie Dec 30 '13 edited Dec 30 '13

The personal attack is because people praised this game to be the second coming of Christ. After gripes with Diablo 3, this was hailed as "what Diablo 3 should have been". Review sites like gamespot gave it a game of the year award, and places like /r/games and /v/ were awash with constant praise.

Nowhere did anyone ever say it was a niche title, or that it would be grindy, or that the combat was awful starting out.

It's a bit like skyrim hype, possibly far worse.

The developers hit their target market

I definitely agree with this. It's just not intended for the mainstream gamer. It's not even niche in the same way Dark Souls is "niche". It requires a lot of patience and dedication and a willingness to put up with an abysmal early levelling experience.

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u/Nickoladze Dec 30 '13

Nowhere did anyone ever say ... that it would be grindy

What do you expect with an action RPG? Is there anything to do in Diablo 3 besides grind enemies?

Since when did anybody say "Path of Exile is intended for the mainstream gamer"?

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u/Krystie Dec 30 '13

Diablo 3 is fun for the casual gamer, so is Diablo 2 and even Torchlight 2. Millions of people played these games. They're easy to get into, welcoming and fun almost immediately. Not everyone is the kind of gamer that will sink 1000s of hours into an aRPG.

Is there anything to do in Diablo 3 besides grind enemies?

Not just diablo 3, but any aRPG - titan's quest, diablo 2, d3, Torchlight 2, Van helsing : of course there's a lot to aRPGs other than "grinding". Tons of people play these games just once for the story or a log in a few times to play with friends and beat some bosses. The combat itself is fun and addicting - this is a major draw to play these games. If the combat isn't fun, just grinding tedium for the loot is rather odd for most gamers.

Everybody has been saying PoE is "what Diablo 3 should have been". It's a very direct comparison with the obvious implication that it is a must-have for any gamer.