Path of Exile

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2202 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,641 out of 2202
  2. Mixed: 258 out of 2202
  3. Negative: 303 out of 2202

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  1. sinproducer
    Oct 25, 2013
    7
    The fact that this gets a commercial rating of over 80 is baffling but also not surprising given the recent quality of games. I suppose we are desperate for something with depth and longevity that can be played without too many carrots, but this game is an awful lot of string and less carrot. If you are the type to want to grind forever looking for that perfect item, you'll enjoy it, butThe fact that this gets a commercial rating of over 80 is baffling but also not surprising given the recent quality of games. I suppose we are desperate for something with depth and longevity that can be played without too many carrots, but this game is an awful lot of string and less carrot. If you are the type to want to grind forever looking for that perfect item, you'll enjoy it, but you'll have to deal with desyncs and loss of xp as a result of lag killing you which drove me off entirely from playing Hardcore which is sad because I loved the challenge. After the 15th time it just got old. Each update added more desyncs and some skills are unusable in builds because it will just get you killed. Walk in a room and try to run away? Oh you are back in the room. Try to edge into a doorway to fight some monsters and didn't even enter the room? You in the middle of the room now even you've never been there. Constantly. Sad, because I could really excuse the overly pointless grinding for the sake of fun, if the game didn't have artificial ways of killing me. This isn't a 8 or 9.. It's a 7. It would have been a 9 in 1999, because that's where this game borrows most of it's uninspired gameplay from. It's 2013 and games need to be more technical this. Especially online ones that aren't stable and still want to encourage players to spend money to support it. If D3 had been successful, this game would have far less praise.… Expand
  2. LD9000
    Oct 31, 2013
    7
    Think diablo 2 clone with better graphics and more interesting skill system, and you get Path of Exile. Nothing more, nothing less. Free to play is a good model for this game, it's not pay to win.
  3. fl3shy
    Dec 13, 2013
    7
    Despite being free, it's better than Diablo 3. There are some interesting concepts here, the barter system, the skill tree and the weapon gem systems. Really though, this is a hack and slash game at its core and it does a good enough job.
  4. AkiTheConqueror
    Jul 18, 2014
    7
    I've logged about 200 hours with this game and gotten couple characters to final stages of merciless difficulty, and had mostly a good time.

    The game picks up slow at the start, but quickly gets going. You smash foes collect loot, and develop your character. The character development is unforgiving, forcing you to think what skills to pick, a glass cannon with massive dps might sound    I've logged about 200 hours with this game and gotten couple characters to final stages of merciless difficulty, and had mostly a good time.

    The game picks up slow at the start, but quickly gets going. You smash foes collect loot, and develop your character.

    The character development is unforgiving, forcing you to think what skills to pick, a glass cannon with massive dps might sound cool and it will even work on normal and up to cruel difficulty levels, but beyond that it will be very hard to be advancing with such a build, so if you want to go the distance you have to sacrifice dps in favour of survivability. This is all very good in my opinion and for new players there is no need to be afraid of the massive skill tree, you'll be navigating it in no time.

    The journey up to about mid merciless difficulty is a lot of fun, and can be done by most build with self gearing. At about lvl 65+ is where the grind starts to set it and the game becomes very much an elitist affair.

    Because there are so many mods on a given piece of equipment, a good combination of these is very rare, and you need good equipment to be doing merciless difficulty without too much frustration. So there really two choices, grind the same map over, and over and over again, in hopes that one of those rares that drop are actually worth anything, or sell your soul and trade for some gear with other players.

    I like steady progression with these kinds of games and there is literally an artificial block put in place in Path of Exile. One of my character is doing Piety and Dominus runs because they are the best bosses for low tear end game gear, but those are same bosses on the same maps populated by the same monsters. And after doing this for a week, with xp bar craaaaaawling slowly forward I must say the game got really boring.

    XP bar crawls forward a bit faster in maps, which are random areas with high lvl monsters, but even there, there is only so much to see and do. While Grindin Gear Games doesn't charge you to play the game, most other players at high levels will, for allowing you the privilege of joining them on a high lvl map run.

    Well to make long story short the game stops being fun at later stages, but definitely worth playing though. Oh and if you are playing for any significant amount of time, remember the game is free, but devs definitely deserve a reward for making a good game, don't be a cheap skate, spend some cash in their "cosmetic stuff only" shop.    … Expand
  5. Claytality
    Dec 17, 2013
    7
    I've played an analyzed this past year's biggest ARPGs; D3, Torchlight 2, and Path of Exile. Torchlight 2 is the best, Path of Exile is next, while D3 is last. PoE is a good game, no denying that. Good combat mechanics and skills. Unfortunately this is combated by poor map exploration (due to map color; blank space indicates where you are while a line-pattern indicates the boundaries,I've played an analyzed this past year's biggest ARPGs; D3, Torchlight 2, and Path of Exile. Torchlight 2 is the best, Path of Exile is next, while D3 is last. PoE is a good game, no denying that. Good combat mechanics and skills. Unfortunately this is combated by poor map exploration (due to map color; blank space indicates where you are while a line-pattern indicates the boundaries, its confusing). The environments are bland without any real depth. The environments are also extremely bleak and depressing. The camera is zoomed in too far compared to D3 or Torchlight, and there is no option to zoom it out further. When I am trying to explore or being ambushed by a mob, it helps to have the extra vision.

    Overall, great game considering its free.    … Expand
  6. gracjanski
    May 3, 2018
    7
    In my view it is very helpful to implement something into a game, that is unique and complex, because you will have fun for a lot of time and discover more and more effectivity. And in PoE it is complex to build your character: You need to manage passive skills in a skill tree and active skills with gems. Both are free for all classes, so you need to choose intelligently. In addition thereIn my view it is very helpful to implement something into a game, that is unique and complex, because you will have fun for a lot of time and discover more and more effectivity. And in PoE it is complex to build your character: You need to manage passive skills in a skill tree and active skills with gems. Both are free for all classes, so you need to choose intelligently. In addition there are a lot of items to find and to choose. Forget Diablo 2 or even 3. Here are better game mechanics: you can have several active skills, in diablos 2 you took 2-3 and played with them. There is one gameplay mechanic, that kills my motivation for this game, it is the instance duration of 8-15 minutes. When you enter your own instance, get back to town for selling items after this duration and want to come back to your instance, it will not work, the instance is gone and you have to play the instance again -> grind. Big problem is, that you need many identification rolls and for that you need to sell a lot of items, so you need to return to the town and get back to your instance.
    There are more good things to write about this game. Nowadays it has 10 acts and finally you can play in various languages. The texts are not so easy to understand, so my english wouldn´t be enough. The localization should have been much earlier, but this is why I play all the games much later than after the release of the base game: they re ready then. You can see it here too, many negative reviews are old and from the beginning.
    The quests are bit more variable than in Diablo 2, that is of course fun too.
    Graphics and Sound are great. Especially I like to read the text in my language and to hear the voices in original language.
    The story sounds interesting, but the presentation is boring and this is the biggest weakness of the game: it lacks some videos or cinematics. In addition there is no manual, that helps you to get into the game world. There is a good wiki in internet, but it is only in english, russian and french. In the wiki there are too many information for the beginning and maybe spoilers.    … Expand
  7. mijxero
    Oct 2, 2017
    7
    POE is a game that has three things you must get past before you can git gud. Skill, gear, and build. POE had a very diverse skill tree allowing for interesting builds, interesting items and challenging bosses. It is a good challenging game. If you are new though, the gear can be an issue. It doesn't really progress as you level and without grinding a lot, you won't have the currencyPOE is a game that has three things you must get past before you can git gud. Skill, gear, and build. POE had a very diverse skill tree allowing for interesting builds, interesting items and challenging bosses. It is a good challenging game. If you are new though, the gear can be an issue. It doesn't really progress as you level and without grinding a lot, you won't have the currency to buy or change gear drops. Around 70 average gear is really no longer passable. Random mobs will have enchants like "strong crits" and will simply one-shot you if you don't have the right items/build. It takes research and creativity. It teeters between challenging and unfair. D3 can feel too easy and this can feel too hard, so the choice is yours. I can't give this a low score because I have really enjoyed the difficulty, the art, story, gameplay, but that difficulty can really be a gut-punch if you don't look up guides.… Expand
  8. neigenoire
    Jan 30, 2015
    7
    Pros:
    + Many ways to build a character
    + Tons of available skills and items to build around + Some very complex and deep game mechanics not seen in other popular RPG titles + The gameplay is fun and gambling with RNG can be very addictive + Regular updates with new content, races and cool prizes + Free to play Cons: - Graphics and effects can feel a bit dated compared to some    Pros:
    + Many ways to build a character
    + Tons of available skills and items to build around
    + Some very complex and deep game mechanics not seen in other popular RPG titles
    + The gameplay is fun and gambling with RNG can be very addictive
    + Regular updates with new content, races and cool prizes
    + Free to play

    Cons:
    - Graphics and effects can feel a bit dated compared to some other RPGs
    - Don't expect a breathtaking storyline with interesting dialogues and character development. This game is about building a character and hacking through piles of brainless monsters as efficiently as possible.
    - Playing the same character gets boring after a while - once you acquire your end-game gear and level all your skills gems, there is not much left to do but farm maps and try to acquire more wealth.
    - The level of micro-management and skill that is required in the combat is comparatively low (exceptions are a few end-game bosses).
    - The RNG of drops or crafting luck can sometimes feel unfair
    - Desync problems can be very punishing for some people

    The pros in my opinion outweigh the cons. Definitely a game you should try if you like old school hack and slash RPGs such as Diablo 2 and its various clones. For me it took 2 years of playing to finally get bored and move on to something else.    … Expand
  9. kavinh
    Dec 19, 2013
    7
    Quite a good diabloish title with its own unique twist on the genre. The game itself has an enormous amount of depth and due to the way the gem system is implemented it's possible to use any skill in the game on a separate character allowing players to level a character and bring over their skills should they ever want to do so.
    The game also allows a ridiculous amount of customization    Quite a good diabloish title with its own unique twist on the genre. The game itself has an enormous amount of depth and due to the way the gem system is implemented it's possible to use any skill in the game on a separate character allowing players to level a character and bring over their skills should they ever want to do so.
    The game also allows a ridiculous amount of customization when it comes to character builds to the point where it's viable to use a ranger to create a 2 handed charging swordsman due to their increased dexterity.
    Unfortunately this game also has some problems firstly it's really hard to understand and get into the game from the start. the passive tree is a huge mess for newcomers which means most likely the first and second character may become throw aways due to bad point distribution and while there are refund orbs it's generally faster and easier to simply recreate a charecter then purchasing enough to reset an entire tree.
    Second the game has no auction house and currency instead it uses different orbs that each have a use in improving equipment as tradable currency this makes it very hard for newbies to effectively trade for what they want without getting scammed or being clueless on the matter as well as making it very difficult for players who don't use fanwebsites to purchase items.    … Expand
  10. Strxex
    Nov 28, 2014
    7
    This game is very complex and customizable, which requires good planning and strategy. The more you play the more you find it enjoyable. You can play however you like, there is little to no restrictions your personal style, if you wan't to play an archer Witch, you can. If you want to make personal build, why not? A lots of new content updated every month. The developers of this game isThis game is very complex and customizable, which requires good planning and strategy. The more you play the more you find it enjoyable. You can play however you like, there is little to no restrictions your personal style, if you wan't to play an archer Witch, you can. If you want to make personal build, why not? A lots of new content updated every month. The developers of this game is very friendly and listens to the community closely. Do not let the learning curve/game mechanics hold you down!… Expand
  11. Mochito
    Dec 6, 2013
    7
    I have played this game since March 2013. I rate this game a 75/100 overall. I am not a Fan-boy, or a hater. I do like playing it overall. I am not going into the numerous minor likes, and dislikes. Try to stay on the major points.

    Pros 1. Endless character creation ability 2. Free game to start 3. Constant biweekly updates, and real fast emergency patches to fix major bugs 4.    I have played this game since March 2013. I rate this game a 75/100 overall. I am not a Fan-boy, or a hater. I do like playing it overall. I am not going into the numerous minor likes, and dislikes. Try to stay on the major points.

    Pros
    1. Endless character creation ability
    2. Free game to start
    3. Constant biweekly updates, and real fast emergency patches to fix major bugs
    4. Overall good graphics, and improving with each patch.
    5. Massive passive skill tree- It has over 1450 in it. Many are not needed for your particular build, but it's there for you to choose.
    6. Guild system

    Neutral

    1. You eventually need to buy micro-transactions for stash slots, not free in the end-run.
    2. Drop/crafting system have way to much RNG layers. Need to reduce the RNG v.s. toying with the magic find quality, and rarity. Hard, but not impossible to get anywere with the current structure.
    3. Map system is the end-game. Due to RNG again it's hard to progress in this area. Just as likely to run out of maps and be totally stuck. This last point is being addressed currently.

    Con's
    1. Horrible Trade system- Needs massive changes. Right now it's run by 24/7 players who have the time. It can take hours, or even days to find what you want to buy. And finding a buyer who will sell it without trying to rip you off. The sell side is no better. You must learn to use poe.xyz/ poe.explorer, or your never going to figure out anything. Of-site websites dealing with availability/ prices for buy/sell.
    1A- In-game spam trading is the pits, worse thing I have ever seen, no way to even filiter it, it's just endless fast scroll. RMT sites start spamming you too for next 20 minutes.

    2. Desync- Major problem in this game with several of the melee builds like cyclone. Lesser of a problem for casters/ranged.

    3. Lag issues- Dropping, I suspect over the next several months this will be a thing of the past.

    4. No real PVP system for those who care, for those who don't..... no negaitive here.

    I do believe that if they fix the trade system, get the drop/craft RNG lessened, and fix desync/lag this game currently has the potential to be the WOW of the ARPG market. However it will only be a niche game (50.000 players) if they don't correct these areas over the next few months. Only time will tell now.

    Again overall score 75/100 with potential to be 97/100    … Expand
  12. xtrmsnpr
    Dec 11, 2013
    7
    a good diablo 3 clone.
    Nice scene,a nice rpg,gameplay feels better than other arpgs.Overall it has all the things that diablo 3 was missing.Although the grind,it is addictive without noticing too much of it.
  13. whatever523
    Feb 5, 2022
    7
    Update:

    I appreciate the effort they put into updates, but the game gets worse with every patch. Instead of enjoying new content, you have to rebuild all your characters and relearn basic mechanics to even be able to play the game. It's very tiresome. There is no continuity and it seems the developers have no idea where they want to go with the game. GOOD + Very complex skill    Update:

    I appreciate the effort they put into updates, but the game gets worse with every patch. Instead of enjoying new content, you have to rebuild all your characters and relearn basic mechanics to even be able to play the game. It's very tiresome. There is no continuity and it seems the developers have no idea where they want to go with the game.

    GOOD

    + Very complex skill system with endless build possibilities.
    + Fluid combat and good controls.
    + Brings back the Diablo 2 atmosphere and gameplay.
    + Ladder system and fun challenges.
    + Good content updates.
    + Some super nice mini games.
    + Free to play, but not pay to win.
    + Great community.

    BAD

    - Game mechanics are not explained very well.
    - The skill tree is often changed and reset. I don't wanna spend so much time thinking of a new build and re-allocating all the skills after every patch, on all my characters. The skill system is too complex for that. Suggestion: Mark the skills the player had before the reset to make it easier.
    - The UI is still bad after all these years. Quests take up half the screen and can only be disabled for all characters etc. The chat has also never been improved.
    - The endgame mapping Atlas system is too complex and too much effort goes into map and watchstone management.
    - Many unfair boss mechanics. Too many invulnerability phases that are not obvious at all, so you never know when you can do damage and when you can't. Too much instant kill crap even when you build your char kinda tanky.
    - Needs endgame content that is entirely unrelated to maps.

    - "Microtransactions" are way too expensive. 15$ for a skin or stash tab is mental and getting just the essentials that you need to enjoy the game will actually cost you more than a full price game.

    VERY BAD

    -- The camera is far too close. Especially when in a party and in boss fights it really hinders the gameplay.
    -- Only the host makes progress from mapping mechanics. I can't even begin to get my head around how deeply stupid this is.
    -- Way too many effects on screen, especially in parties. It's difficult to see what's actually going on under all the loot (even with filter) and explosions.
    -- Bad optimization. FPS drop considerably when there are many effects on screen, even with high end hardware.
    -- Lag issues when playing in a party. Anything above 100 ping is pretty much unplayable due to rubberbanding in this game.
    -- Trading is an important part of the game and it really needs an ingame auction house or something like that. Trading through websites and manually texting people is extremely tedious.

    -- They are clearly creating collectors items with the intention of selling more overpriced stash tabs. The gameplay is suffering from all the collection crap. It's too much.

    = VERDICT =

    Path of Exile is a good ARPG. If you like planning crazy builds, theory crafting, and you want a single player game with a trade function that requires a high time investment to progress beyond a certain point, PoE is for you.

    If you are a social person who likes to play in parties or you want to enjoy a game even when you don't play that often, PoE is not for you.

    Playing in a party is strongly discouraged, both for technical and gameplay reasons - and that's sad, because the community in this game is great and more co-op play would go a long way.

    The endgame needs too much planning to be enjoyable for casual play. ARPGs should be games that you can play daily even when you only have half an hour, but that will get you absolutely nowhere in PoE, because you'll spend most of that time finding the right map to play to be able to progress, moving around watchstones etc.

    Personally, I'm absolutely torn apart. I really enjoy the character building aspects in PoE and most of the gameplay, but I don't like how much the game is focussed on playing alone. 8/10 despite all this criticism should tell you how good the rest of game is though and if it got only some of the other stuff right, it would be out of reach for any other game in the genre.    … Expand
  14. Pr8Dator
    Mar 20, 2014
    7
    If you are a Diablo fan, this is your holy grail. If you are after more of an RPG, this is your grave. This is a standard ARPG (which I pretty rather like to call as "Character Building Game" instead) with one of the deepest character building system ever. That's just about where all the fun is. There is next to no story, no choice but a linear world through which you senselessly killIf you are a Diablo fan, this is your holy grail. If you are after more of an RPG, this is your grave. This is a standard ARPG (which I pretty rather like to call as "Character Building Game" instead) with one of the deepest character building system ever. That's just about where all the fun is. There is next to no story, no choice but a linear world through which you senselessly kill everything that moves regardless of what it actually is and how it actually fights. All monsters are really just hollow graphics that are nothing more than target practise for your character and your character is just another souless look-alike with no customizable face so everyone of the same class looks the same... clones everywhere. I would like to give it a 6 rather than a 7 but the fact that it is a good representation of a arpg, I won't pull it down that much. All in all, they should have given such a deep character building game more soul.… Expand
  15. justanhonestguy
    Feb 25, 2017
    7
    love/hate. Very good game that can be quite frustrating if one encounters connection problems that cripple the buzz. High quality and enjoyable game with painful pitfalls . i die only to lag or outright stupidity on my part, but way more due to lag. i have countless hours of fun with this game. painful lately to to nagging connection problems.
  16. rscl
    Jul 19, 2014
    7
    Path of Exile along with DotA 2 are the best F2P games I've ever played. Content-wise there's really nothing to complain about.
    As an ARPG, it isn't as fluid and beautiful as Diablo 3 - but it has that oldschool feeling and gameplay that facilitates user interaction, very similar to Diablo 2.
    The complaints I have about this game would be that it's somewhat rigid, unstable difficulty    Path of Exile along with DotA 2 are the best F2P games I've ever played. Content-wise there's really nothing to complain about.
    As an ARPG, it isn't as fluid and beautiful as Diablo 3 - but it has that oldschool feeling and gameplay that facilitates user interaction, very similar to Diablo 2.

    The complaints I have about this game would be that it's somewhat rigid, unstable difficulty scaling and that the current desync problems make it a game unfit for Hardcore or certain builds.    … Expand
  17. PrincessRose
    Oct 16, 2014
    7
    Quite a good, enjoyable game. Fun for a while. But like with usual hack and slash games, I got bored with it after a while, just feels a bit too repetitive and only about loot and not much else.
  18. jimbobslimbob
    Nov 24, 2014
    7
    Path of Exile is clearly a labour of love. It's a wonderful game with some fresh ideas and good mechanics that breaths some more life into the traditional ARPG format.

    It is similar to Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 and Titan Quest in general gameplay. All your standard things such as levelling up, loot, random levels and monster slaying are here. Where it differs from the aforementioned games    Path of Exile is clearly a labour of love. It's a wonderful game with some fresh ideas and good mechanics that breaths some more life into the traditional ARPG format.

    It is similar to Diablo 3, Torchlight 2 and Titan Quest in general gameplay. All your standard things such as levelling up, loot, random levels and monster slaying are here. Where it differs from the aforementioned games is the skill and level-up system, which is an interesting change. As you level up, you gain passive skill points to spend on things such as damage, armour, critical chance etc.

    You gain your active skills from a variety of different gems, which can be freely plopped into items you find - and taken out without a fuss. This allows you to quickly swap skills in and out - completely changing your play-style in a matter of seconds. These gems also level-up with you and become more powerful. You can create powerful combos by linking support gems with active skills to augment your favourites.

    This balance between "permanent" passive skills and changeable active skills is actually really good and works well together. You can still build a character to exactly what you want - and the passive skill "tree" is absolutely huge.

    Different classes start the game at different points in the skill tree, meaning they can gain access to abilities that suit them best earlier than other classes, but it also means, with a bit of work, you can turn pretty much any class in the game to do something different. It's unique and very well rounded.

    As a free-to-play game, it's a must try for anyone that likes the format. It's a great game, made even better by being free to play. At no point does it feel like you *have* to pay to get the most out of it, like some other FTP games I have tried in the past.

    Go on, give it a whirl, it's free!

    Jimbo Rating: 7/10    … Expand
  19. retkimuna
    Jun 12, 2015
    7
    i think this game is good but i found one big problem. early game is too boring i don't know why but i didn't like it and i don't like that wtf skill tree. but it's no't pay to win game and after start game is fun.
  20. misancho
    Oct 3, 2021
    7
    ARPG estilo Diablo 2, free to play y con muchísimas horas de contenido. El sistema de habilidades es bastante profundo y permite mediante el uso de gemas que cada clase pueda tener cualquier tipo de habilidad y equiparse con cualquier arma y armaduras, si se elije el camino apropiado en el árbol de habilidades (que es gigante). Muchísimas horas de diversión detrás de este juego, si teARPG estilo Diablo 2, free to play y con muchísimas horas de contenido. El sistema de habilidades es bastante profundo y permite mediante el uso de gemas que cada clase pueda tener cualquier tipo de habilidad y equiparse con cualquier arma y armaduras, si se elije el camino apropiado en el árbol de habilidades (que es gigante). Muchísimas horas de diversión detrás de este juego, si te gustan los ARPG isométricos, vale la pena probarlo (aún en 2021 sigue recibiendo actualizaciones)… Expand
  21. Kekkone
    Dec 11, 2020
    7
    As a long-time hardcore Diablo II fan I was very disappointed with Diablo III. My friends told me to try PoE, and it was surely better than Diablo III, but I still didn't get too excited.

    PoE looks nice but is overcrowded with visual effects to my taste. Playing some classes is just like looking at constant fireworks, and it's quite difficult to actually realize what is happening on the    As a long-time hardcore Diablo II fan I was very disappointed with Diablo III. My friends told me to try PoE, and it was surely better than Diablo III, but I still didn't get too excited.

    PoE looks nice but is overcrowded with visual effects to my taste. Playing some classes is just like looking at constant fireworks, and it's quite difficult to actually realize what is happening on the screen. Also I'm not that big fan of the crafting system. Is it really necessary to have hundreds of different ingredients? I think not. The character development is also very complicated. Of course it's a great to have lots of options, but you practically have to google your build to not go horribly wrong (well, same issue exists in most hack&slash shallow RPGs, but still...)

    Anyway, worth a play through especially because it's a free game. However I don't feel the same need to grind thousand hours for gear as I did with Diablo II, so something is still missing to make this game actually addictive. Maybe I'm just too old.    … Expand
  22. Shimmeywill
    Mar 17, 2020
    7
    A solid free to play game with strong visuals and satisfying gameplay. Starting characters limited in design.
  23. jmpessanha
    Feb 4, 2020
    7
    The game play is excellent and all game content can be enjoyed for free. The big downside of the game is optimization. It is one of the games with the worst optimization in the world. In addition to latency problems.
  24. S3XU4LH34L1NG
    May 29, 2021
    7
    Context: I've put in quite some hours and about 15$ over the course of 5 years or so. I'd say im pretty skilled in terms of mechanics, economics and game knowledge. I've played HC / SSF / trade leagues and cleared more or less the whole game multiple times. I'd say im a PoE veteran.

    + theory craft potential + depth + story and world building + new content every league (every 4 months    Context: I've put in quite some hours and about 15$ over the course of 5 years or so. I'd say im pretty skilled in terms of mechanics, economics and game knowledge. I've played HC / SSF / trade leagues and cleared more or less the whole game multiple times. I'd say im a PoE veteran.

    + theory craft potential
    + depth
    + story and world building
    + new content every league (every 4 months or so)
    + decent endgame
    + currency system is innovative and pretty great in theory
    + there's plenty of distinct ways for people to play the game (trader, aura bot, party, solo, SFF, mapper, farmer, bosser, delver, ...)
    - graphics are kinda meh
    - currency system can get frustrating and annoying and kinda feeds back on the paid elements of the game
    - not really F2P even though it's marketed as such (you will more or less need TAB'S etc.)
    - new content gets abandoned in the next league and therefore lacks polish
    - Trading is horrible go play SSF
    - SSF is the way to play but sadly restrics build diversity and requires way more hours then trade leagues
    - ALWAYS ONLINE / wants to be an MMO pretty badly
    - build diversity is rather low and depends on patch, if you wanna clear the game without no lifeing
    - developer went from great indie pal to big corpo with all the pro's and con's
    - pretty annoying developer defender fanbase

    There's a great game hidden beneath all the always online / F2P market filth. In an alternate universe this could be the best ARPG of all time, but the way it is now i cant rank it higher then classics such as Titan Quest, Diablo 2 etc.    … Expand
  25. imtheSkywalker
    May 22, 2021
    7
    I think Path of Exile is a successful game in many ways but if you are going as a new player you must understand you will going into google for many times. Because game is not teaching and it is a bit complicated. It's currency is different; some type of items which you get it from creatures. There are no skills usual there is a gem system. Map designs are cool for a free to play game. ButI think Path of Exile is a successful game in many ways but if you are going as a new player you must understand you will going into google for many times. Because game is not teaching and it is a bit complicated. It's currency is different; some type of items which you get it from creatures. There are no skills usual there is a gem system. Map designs are cool for a free to play game. But its repetitive while you levelling which if you don't like repetitive you may choose to look another game. And one more thing i played without searching in google and i played 37 hours and i enjoyed it. After 51 level and 37 hours it was not possible to progress with the current character some reason i didin't know.… Expand
  26. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    7
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 7.
  27. Tyrant103xx
    Jul 14, 2022
    7
    For me, this was once the pinnacle of ARPG design and one of my most played games of all time with over 2,000 hours primarily between the 2.0 and 3.0 releases. The depth and complexity, the freedom to create and test a seemingly infinite number of skill, gear, and passive combos, the joy of seeing a personally theory crafted build come to life...I have wonderful memories of this game.For me, this was once the pinnacle of ARPG design and one of my most played games of all time with over 2,000 hours primarily between the 2.0 and 3.0 releases. The depth and complexity, the freedom to create and test a seemingly infinite number of skill, gear, and passive combos, the joy of seeing a personally theory crafted build come to life...I have wonderful memories of this game.
    Unfortunately the game has just evolved faster than I can keep up. I'm a gamer who likes to play many games across many genres. Path of Exile is a game for people who like to play only Path of Exile. When I take extended breaks, I find coming back more and more difficult. The new mechanics, passive tree additions, crafting systems, end game progression, and skill balances are just too much for me to keep up with anymore. The game is too complex for me to casually enjoy, and its getting harder to go back all the time.
    The complexity of Path of Exile is one of its greatest strengths, but unfortunately, it has left this casual behind in the dust. I can no longer recommend this game with the caveat that hardcore, dedicated gamers can find a lot to love here if they have the desire to stick with it and really dig deep.    … Expand
  28. Menaga
    Aug 14, 2022
    7
    Recommended
    2844.7 hrs at review time
    Hardcore mode only
    Gameplay 8/10
    Music and sound 7/10
    Screenplay 5/10
    Technical 4/10
  29. Thyrvi
    Oct 13, 2022
    7
    Clearly the best action RPG.
    And that for free. OMG
    Someone who has sunk a lot of his free time in D2 , a really dream.
    I farm me to death nostalgic, the non plus ultra.
  30. Bloodworks3
    Aug 6, 2023
    7
    Reasons I quit.
    Console needs all of the PC features. Additionally, CONSOLE ISSUES IGNORED by Devs even at EXILECON! Zero love for console players!
    1. No party finder (lonely) and buy/sell doesn't have enough filters (major issue). They should offer mods other than loot filter. No battle Royale either. 2. Endgame: crafting, maps, builds, delves, and the weird mini games are incredibly    Reasons I quit.
    Console needs all of the PC features. Additionally, CONSOLE ISSUES IGNORED by Devs even at EXILECON! Zero love for console players!

    1. No party finder (lonely) and buy/sell doesn't have enough filters (major issue). They should offer mods other than loot filter. No battle Royale either.
    2. Endgame: crafting, maps, builds, delves, and the weird mini games are incredibly confusing for new players especially if on console.
    3. Too easy to "brick" your character. Propper socketing is a nightmare. Respec too expensive. Console economy too expensive with low active player base & currency/item farmers. Unable to trade for build dependent items at reasonable prices (unlike PC). This makes farming kind of pointless & crafting exponentially more difficult.
    4. Too easy to get one shotted by random mobs and not know why.
    5. Video build guides entirely for PC and not console.
    6. Not new player friendly. Even after 350 hours I kept feeling lost.

    I hope POE 2 addresses these issues. Overall, game is far superior to Diablo 4.

    Try playing POE on console. Lack of players & gold/loot farmers makes many trades cost prohibitive. Which kinda ruins farming & requires way more ctafting. No group finder. No mods (except loot finder), limited build possibilities due to crap economy & controller. No Battle Royale. It sucks ballz.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

20
#20 Best PC Game of 2013
18
#18 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
14
#14 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. RPGamer
    May 9, 2014
    100
    Grinding Gear Games has created something special here, and given it gratis to the world.
    Read full review
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Mar 11, 2014
    88
    Hack & slash games are addictive because they follow a simple formula: kill, kill and kill some more. Path of Exile is no different in this regard. During your quest in the perilous continent of Wraeclast you need to slay thousands and thousands of monsters but it never gets boring because there are a plenty of fresh ideas like the very vast skill system and barter-based economy that differentiate it from other similar games. But it's not a perfect game. The story is weak and the difficulty level is too low in the beginning. [Dec 2013]
  3. PC Gamer
    Jan 13, 2014
    84
    An exceptionally generous free-to-play action-rPG. What it lacks in punch it makes up for in depth and value for money.
    Read full review
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