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. Hatwox
    Feb 13, 2021
    0
    ITS ****
    ok. Its .. complete and utter **** People talk of it like its amazing and i wanted to **** barf cause is gameplay made me think " maybe bashing my skull in is considered fun in this age" cause **** THERE IS NO PINT TO IT. like why...an autoclicker would probably gain sentience just to say **** you im not playing this game"
    Its **** and **** the whole "Complete biggest skill    ITS ****
    ok. Its .. complete and utter **** People talk of it like its amazing and i wanted to **** barf cause is gameplay made me think " maybe bashing my skull in is considered fun in this age" cause **** THERE IS NO PINT TO IT. like why...an autoclicker would probably gain sentience just to say **** you im not playing this game"

    Its **** and **** the whole "Complete biggest skill tree" **** YOU.. it changes nothing. and i dont care who thinks im wrong or "OO YOU MISSED THIS RANDOM THING" **** you. games are not made to be this........ piece of ****

    they wanted to be a successor to diablo 2
    naturally i thought diablo 2 must be the rotten **** of this universe
    TURNS OUT.. :D :D Yea its kind aamazing.. for unknown reasons. Its.. just amazing.
    Yea.. they were trying to BE THAT? :D Pathetic.. go rot in hell

    Also the positive reviews "Deepest game ever" "Best game in all genres" who **** paid these people    … Expand
  2. SealedSouL
    Apr 17, 2021
    0
    DC que dc que DC que dc que DC que dc que DC que dc que DC que dc que DC que dc que
  3. Delator
    Apr 17, 2021
    0
    - privileges to streamers, it is not the same for everyone players
    - major problems start leagues
  4. TiredAlfred
    Jan 1, 2022
    8
    Path of Exile is an online Action RPG set in the dark fantasy world of Wraeclast. They're a small independ
  5. JaDm
    May 31, 2022
    8
    An interesting game with constant development. I return to the game from time to time. There are flaws in the game, but in its genre the best.
  6. Schmood
    Jan 30, 2022
    9
    This game is incredible! It is what Diablo never will be. You never get this much content in a Free to Play game!!
  7. hyrts
    Jun 4, 2022
    9
    One of the best diablo clones ever. The best thing? It's free! So have a fun weekend sometimes.
  8. Kwei
    Jun 14, 2022
    10
    In times like these be sure to give thanks to companies that still treat you with respect.
  9. jibletnave
    Jun 6, 2022
    10
    the best arpg ever made. period. diablo was the goat and has been dethroned. maybe diablo 4 can save what blizzard has straight up killed, but I dont think poe is going anywhere anytime soon. diablo immortal isnt a good sign for what is to come lmao
  10. PaintMaster
    Jun 18, 2022
    10
    Simply best ARPG on market by far.
    Pros:
    - Its free. - You might need to spend 20-30$ to play comfortably, not necessary for first few hundred hours, depends. - P2W doesnt exist. - Basically infine amount of possibilities to make your own unique build/character. - A LOT of all kinds of different content, tons of bosses and other stuff. - Most advanced crafting system ive ever seen    Simply best ARPG on market by far.
    Pros:
    - Its free.
    - You might need to spend 20-30$ to play comfortably, not necessary for first few hundred hours, depends.
    - P2W doesnt exist.
    - Basically infine amount of possibilities to make your own unique build/character.
    - A LOT of all kinds of different content, tons of bosses and other stuff.
    - Most advanced crafting system ive ever seen so far.
    - No gold, currency = crafting materials.
    - Very high replayability, because of whole new expansion every 3 months.
    Cons:
    - Addictive.
    - Trading is not that comfortable, you have to use trade website to do trading, no ingame market or auction.
    - Sometimes your screen is overloaded with all kinds of spells so you cant see anything, depends on your build totally.    … Expand
  11. 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
  12. weallone
    Aug 22, 2022
    2
    I really loved this game few years ago. Started from Essence and Breach. But more and more GGG artificially force you to spend more time in game. I'm not respect companies or people, who not respect my time! For me GGG now like EA or Blizzard( R.I.P.
  13. platikus
    Aug 25, 2022
    1
    As a player who has 1100 hours in this game, they successfully managed the kill POE at 08.20.2023 with 3.19 patch. RIP POE. You will be missed.
  14. MastermindJapan
    Aug 25, 2022
    0
    I've been a long term POE player (started in Beta). The game's going downhill with each patch, getting worst and worst. Developers are out of touch and do not understand what the players want, even after receiving feedback on changes time and time again. Would not recommend wasting your time on this game and move onto something different. This genre definitely needs a competitor who canI've been a long term POE player (started in Beta). The game's going downhill with each patch, getting worst and worst. Developers are out of touch and do not understand what the players want, even after receiving feedback on changes time and time again. Would not recommend wasting your time on this game and move onto something different. This genre definitely needs a competitor who can take things to the next level. POE has grown stagnant.… Expand
  15. NaturalBornChao
    Mar 7, 2016
    0
    As someone who has played the game for thousands of hours I can say that the Ascendancy expansion ruined an amazing game by gating content behind an unfun and **** labyrinth that you cannot even complete if you disconnect (and it happens often) because you only get one chance with it. Congratulations on ruining your game GGG and turning it into super mario wannabe...
  16. Diepferd
    Oct 17, 2013
    10
    Probably the best ARPG out there, and its FTP. With 6(soon 7) classes, an enormous skill tree, customization of skills beyond anything I have ever encountered( even though this is first noticeable late-game) and a world so intriguing this is worth every second of your playtime. With constant Patches, Yearly Expansions(they promised) and multiple leagues with different game modes andProbably the best ARPG out there, and its FTP. With 6(soon 7) classes, an enormous skill tree, customization of skills beyond anything I have ever encountered( even though this is first noticeable late-game) and a world so intriguing this is worth every second of your playtime. With constant Patches, Yearly Expansions(they promised) and multiple leagues with different game modes and lengths, this is a game that never gets boring, if you choose to explore it and what it has to offer. And if you just want to chill in the Standard League this is challenging in it self, because Path of Exile is not a game for the weak-minded, this is a hard, brutal game that will test you and punish you when you fail.
    Grinding Gear Gaming has shown the world how games should be made; with the pure intention to make an awesome game and they have succeeded. They listen to they community as most Indie game developers but they lash out a game so much better, challenging and interesting than most AAA+ games.    … Expand
  17. tuckc89
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    This is the true "Diablo 3". Brings back great memories of the way an ARPG should be. Geat loot system, AMAZING skill system, the MOST diverse skill tree you will ever see in a game. No two build will be exactly the same. Community is the best I have seen in any F2P game.
  18. shawnunkempt
    Oct 25, 2013
    6
    Path of Exile is a free to play ARPG. The appeal of the game is the depth and complexity that can go into creating your characters. The passive tree is a large web of skills, and crucial decisions to how your character will be play are made in here. Players are free to navigate the tree any way they want. The tree supports the skill gems that a character uses, which can be linked togetherPath of Exile is a free to play ARPG. The appeal of the game is the depth and complexity that can go into creating your characters. The passive tree is a large web of skills, and crucial decisions to how your character will be play are made in here. Players are free to navigate the tree any way they want. The tree supports the skill gems that a character uses, which can be linked together with support gems to change the way a certain skill will work. At first glance, this is all very complicated, but after a little experience it all clicks together and makes sense.

    The complexity of the game only really applies to the character creation. The combat itself is lackluster, mainly because the monsters are unimaginative and lack any real challenge or AI. The only challenge at points are often only based on the quality of gear your character has managed to find. Having life and high resistances is nearly mandatory, however finding gear is rare and is completely random. Crafting is mainly just gambling, with no way to predetermine what you can roll on your gear.

    The funnest part is when your character begins to really come together. When your passive tree, skill gems and gear are synced up together your character starts to feel powerful. The only problem is getting to that point can take forever. At the upper levels, you will need to spend hours grinding areas for enough experience and gear to comfortably head into the next zone. Gaining enough experience starts to really slow down and the grind can become boring.

    I think this game is great on paper. In reality it's a decent game that has a lot of flaws. It can too often become a boring grind, with monsters that are just too vanilla. There are also a few technical issues that can really hurt the playing experience. The netcode will often cause your character to warp to a different spot and the graphical demands on your computer are too high for the actual graphical quality. The game requires a lot of patience from the player.    … Expand
  19. bamicee
    Apr 15, 2014
    8
    I absolutely love the skill tree aspect of the game which gives it incredible individuality, yet as i play more and more it feels lacking in attachment, that may just be me. Yet for someone looking for a game that is free to play and great for an RPG fix this is for you.
  20. Gadlajk
    Feb 23, 2020
    0
    I tried to get into this game but I failed many times, no doubt it this game had decent end game compared to other ARPGs but in one of those attempts I got to act 4, had no idea what was happening since story is delivered in boring way and probably the story itself is isn't good. That in combination with combat not feeling good due to animations, outdated engine and many other tiny detailsI tried to get into this game but I failed many times, no doubt it this game had decent end game compared to other ARPGs but in one of those attempts I got to act 4, had no idea what was happening since story is delivered in boring way and probably the story itself is isn't good. That in combination with combat not feeling good due to animations, outdated engine and many other tiny details made me so bored that my blood pressure dropped so low that I was barely able to keep my eyes open, never in my life I felt so sleepy without being sleep deprived. It's so sad that this is by many best ARPG, hopefully POE 2 is big step up.… Expand
  21. Destr0minate
    Oct 20, 2013
    10
    By far THE best ARPG game I have ever played! The game specializes in the utmost advanced character customization in any game I have ever played. The game has the best elements from practically every ARPG on the market today. The development team is 2nd to none, Grinding Gears Games out does themselves each and every day. Their community support and interaction is unbelievable. ThisBy far THE best ARPG game I have ever played! The game specializes in the utmost advanced character customization in any game I have ever played. The game has the best elements from practically every ARPG on the market today. The development team is 2nd to none, Grinding Gears Games out does themselves each and every day. Their community support and interaction is unbelievable. This game is a must play for anyone interested in a loot based ARPG that is willing to invest some time into learning the ropes. It can be a bit overwhelming for new players, but the community that plays is more than willing to help anyone get over the hurdles associated with beginning the game. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!… Expand
  22. Lambo442
    Dec 3, 2013
    10
    Three weeks has passed since I started playing POE and I'm still asking myself 'is this really free?' This is a slick, in depth title with hugely customizable characters that offer an endless amount of play styles. It really is everything you could ever want out of game of this genre, especially seeing as it's online and has a pretty good community of hardcore gamers. There are also a shedThree weeks has passed since I started playing POE and I'm still asking myself 'is this really free?' This is a slick, in depth title with hugely customizable characters that offer an endless amount of play styles. It really is everything you could ever want out of game of this genre, especially seeing as it's online and has a pretty good community of hardcore gamers. There are also a shed load of competitions and events which mean that playing online always easy and rewarding. I haven't played Diablo 3 yet but it's going to have a tough job beating this.… Expand
  23. Crimson
    Nov 3, 2013
    5
    A average game that despite some clever ideas, doesn't really play out well. In the end it becomes a very grindy hack'n'slash with poor, laggy, and uninspired combat.
  24. Gkanjim
    Jul 9, 2020
    0
    This game does not deserve its score, so ill be balancing it a bit.
    There are so many optimization problems, lag, bugs(there was one that happened to me where the tul’s boss got frozen and immortal and didn’t drop a single item and other that some monsters got stuck above the map’s walls, i couldn’t kill them...) and a lot more issues that other reviews are specifying.
  25. Timeofwoof
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    This is what Diablo 3 should have been, geared towards PC gamers, with fun upgrades and a dynamic skill tree. perfect for any one who still had LoD on the PC and is looking for something new to play.
  26. duyminh211
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    Game is holy good for D2 fans. If you like endless character customizations, uniques that actually mean something, actual pvp and a grueling, challenging gameplay, this game IS for you.
  27. Jerot
    Jun 6, 2014
    9
    With tons of ARPGs active these days it can be difficult to stand out, but Grinding Gear Games does a very good job in making a unique play experience.

    The Positive: A bartering currency system that doubles as a crafting system is a great idea. Vendors can be used to set a maximum/minimum value of currency exchange. (if you can vendor 1X for 2Y then Y isn't ever going to inflate higher    With tons of ARPGs active these days it can be difficult to stand out, but Grinding Gear Games does a very good job in making a unique play experience.

    The Positive:
    A bartering currency system that doubles as a crafting system is a great idea. Vendors can be used to set a maximum/minimum value of currency exchange. (if you can vendor 1X for 2Y then Y isn't ever going to inflate higher then X) I for one never really like the idea of digital "gold/platinum/credits/gems/etc", if you aren't a trader then you just need them to fill currency sinks and it can feel grind-y without adding anything to game play. Adding a value to the currency beyond what an NPC or Player will give you for it makes spending or using it a more meaningful interaction.

    New 4 month leagues with different rule sets for standard and hardcore always bring back players and keep things interesting. In addition to testing new features and additions to be added to permanent leagues.

    Races are a very unique and fun take on the traditional ladder system, often vastly changing the play experience and offering some nice rewards for people willing to put in the effort.

    The amount of customization for builds and skill choices is simply unrivaled. There are some builds that are more popular/easier to use and not everything is suited well to endgame content. But there is absolutely no one who has "done it all"

    The Negative:
    Due to the developers preference in game play mechanics the net code suffers a bit. Stuttering and de-syncing are common enough its not unusual for most players to use a /OOS (Out Of Sync) macro to make sure the play experience isn't interrupted by a disagreement between client and server, which could potentially endanger hundreds of hours of hard work on a hardcore character.

    Races as mentioned are a super fun experience I would recommend anyone who wishes to play this game try at some point, but sometimes are few and far between. Especially if you wish to participate in a particular rule set that doesn't make the rotation as often. Hopefully this will be alleviated somewhat when they introduce player run "paid" custom leagues.

    New players are often overwhelmed with decisions on how to build their character. The community has done a lot to alleviate this with build forums, dedicated build websites, and even GGG having a build of the week segment. Ultimately though, this isn't a game you can fully enjoy as a fresh player by sitting down and throwing skill points around willy-nilly. You have to be willing to sacrifice several characters of trial and error to see what is viable or put in the time to research a build before hand (Which I would recommend)

    A lot of people experience burn out after creating many characters and playing through the story several times. It isn't an issue for everybody, I had experienced this somewhat after rolling nearly 30 characters and getting some into map content (endgame). I will say that new content like in Ambush with strongboxes guarded by more enemies but containing valuable loot (some times) and Invasion with its increased mob variety and extra hard additional bosses on every map certainly did a lot to fix that issue for me. They also had a charity race which included both and many people actually had so much fun doing it the regular game became boring when it ended and they are waiting for the new 4 month leagues to start.    … Expand
  28. miektwo
    Oct 25, 2013
    10
    Pros
    Free to play with no pay to win
    game will keep you entertained for months, with weekly added features
    Devs are very vocal to the community
    Great immersion and depth

    Cons :
    Legacy items have ruined standard/hardcore forever
    Devs dont listen to the overwhelming feedback of certain things (see above)
    Desync lag on certain skills
    Takes all your life

    Great game regardless
  29. SantyproxD
    May 4, 2014
    10
    La verdad no soy un amante de los rpg pero este juego me a gustado muchisimo Unos graficos bastante buenos una jugabilidad tambien muy buena personalizacion de personajes y ese pequeño toque de mundo abierto que tiene lo hace muy bueno Ami me gusto mucho.
  30. night4
    Sep 18, 2017
    4
    Other red reviews have covered the specifics very well, but I'll restate the important ones:

    -Trading is AIDS
    -The community is half AIDS
    -The lag is AIDS
  31. kyzcreig
    Oct 24, 2013
    10
    At first glance, this is the Mecca of ARPGs, with its dark, sombre mood and unforgiving game systems. You will almost certainly have a good time leveling up with your friends. Then you reach endgame.

    PoE's map system, which is supposed to reduce the apparent repetitiveness of running the same high-end area over and over again (as in most other ARPGs), is prohibitively costly in terms of    At first glance, this is the Mecca of ARPGs, with its dark, sombre mood and unforgiving game systems. You will almost certainly have a good time leveling up with your friends. Then you reach endgame.

    PoE's map system, which is supposed to reduce the apparent repetitiveness of running the same high-end area over and over again (as in most other ARPGs), is prohibitively costly in terms of in-game currency for anyone but the most dedicated mapping groups. Solo players sadly get completely shafted and are forced to run the same story areas over and over again. Why they couldn't have a less rewarding, free tier of soloing maps is beyond me.

    The worst however, is the combat. It is complex, but almost entirely passive; once your skill-tree (or skill-forest as it is more widely known) is in order, the game is little more than a mindless click-fest. This is actually probably a good thing because the game's netcode is so egregious that anything requiring the tiniest bit of finesse can send you into a rage: there's nothing quite like getting one-shot by a boss's mace half a screen away. The developers claim that the problematic netcode is a result of their commitment to minimize the effects of bots and other undesirables, which is laudable, but one has to wonder if in the end it was worth it.

    You may also get turned off by the extreme reliance on trading that is a consequence of the frustratingly unrewarding item drops and PoE's annoyingly random orb system (they function as a sort of consumable currency, as there is no gold in this game).

    I award the game 6 points because it is pleasant enough to play through the story once. It is remarkably bug-free for a game with such complex systems and, save for the wonky netcode, you shouldn't have any headaches. It's free, so there is no reason not to give it a try if you're not bandwidth-capped.    … Expand
  32. mastercard
    Oct 23, 2013
    10
    Absolutely smashing game. I will play many hours of PoE.
    OE is the deepest aRPG slasher ever made. It uses some tested ideas while introducing highly innovative systems and end-game mechanics. To put it straight
    Path of Exile is AAA+ game FREE of charge. No pay to win. Grind to win!
  33. Tridus
    Oct 23, 2013
    8
    Game is fun, the skill systems are highly interesting, and they even did free to play right, without any of the pay to win BS. Definitely worth playing.
  34. chrisstorrer
    Oct 23, 2013
    10
    Path of Exile is the first ARPG/Hack n' Slash I have loved since Diablo II. The game is free, which is in-frakkin-credible once you realize you've been playing for 7 months straight. I played it in beta and saw it change over time and I am in love with the final product! Thank you Grinding Gear! If you're looking for a game to tide you over until the D3 expansion, play this POE and you'llPath of Exile is the first ARPG/Hack n' Slash I have loved since Diablo II. The game is free, which is in-frakkin-credible once you realize you've been playing for 7 months straight. I played it in beta and saw it change over time and I am in love with the final product! Thank you Grinding Gear! If you're looking for a game to tide you over until the D3 expansion, play this POE and you'll be like, "Diablo-who?"… Expand
  35. Shauncenlos
    Oct 23, 2013
    10
    If you liked D2, you will love Path of Exile! It's free to play, it's NOT possible to buy gameplay advantages, it has no ingame currency (it's all about farming, crafting modifying, trading), and the skill system is extremely unique and extensive (passive skill tree with ~1350 skills, lots of skill gems and support gems that works together). This game gives you quite no limits to yourIf you liked D2, you will love Path of Exile! It's free to play, it's NOT possible to buy gameplay advantages, it has no ingame currency (it's all about farming, crafting modifying, trading), and the skill system is extremely unique and extensive (passive skill tree with ~1350 skills, lots of skill gems and support gems that works together). This game gives you quite no limits to your creativity for interesting builds and therefore guarantees exciting gameplay. 10/10… Expand
  36. 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.
  37. 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
  38. FNBosquim
    Oct 15, 2017
    9
    Nota: 9/10

    Este jogo me surpreendeu, baixei o Path of Exile só pq era grátis, mas fui jogando e gostei. O que chamou a atenção, além das habilidades muito bem ambientadas, foi a forma de poderes (ataques e defesas) que não tinha visto em nenhum outro RPG. O jogo possui muito mais que aparenta. Eu precisei estudar tutorias para conhecer forma de criar itens, drops e até técnicas para    Nota: 9/10

    Este jogo me surpreendeu, baixei o Path of Exile só pq era grátis, mas fui jogando e gostei.
    O que chamou a atenção, além das habilidades muito bem ambientadas, foi a forma de poderes (ataques e defesas) que não tinha visto em nenhum outro RPG. O jogo possui muito mais que aparenta. Eu precisei estudar tutorias para conhecer forma de criar itens, drops e até técnicas para cada ocasião. vale a pena conferir e game.

    Contra:
    Conseguir um SET (armadura / equipamentos) é muito difícil, não só pelos atributos, mas precisa ter os encaixes certos para colocar os benditos poderes que tinha comentado logo acima. Quando nós acha um item bom, aqueles itens que se encontra 1 só por dia, nós se depara que tal item não vai servir para o personagem, podendo guardá-lo para usar em outro personagem ou jogar fora... isso mesmo, joga fora pois trocar algo é muito complicado. A falta de um mercado é a reclamação mais expressiva.
    Outra coisa que quero comentar é o preço de itens e customização de jogo vendido que são absurdamente caras. Queria comprar espaço no baú, para guardar mais coisas, mas para isso eu precisa desembolsar R$ 150,00... o_O. Nem vou falar o preço para comprar um set completo no jogo.    … Expand
  39. ugura
    Mar 1, 2016
    10
    best free to play game, better of all diablo 3 clones, and diablo 3 worster then this game.

    realy free, blood and gore, and nice music and story, im not disapointed
  40. plasticc
    Apr 15, 2023
    1
    I'd love to give this game a 9 or 10. Until someone buys the company making this game and makes even one good decision, the game will remain a 1. Terrible story presentation, and nobody knows it. Bland music. Weak visuals. Early gameplay is so bad it almost certainly makes everyone who tries this game quit immediately. Endgame has potential and a wealth of content, but you are forced intoI'd love to give this game a 9 or 10. Until someone buys the company making this game and makes even one good decision, the game will remain a 1. Terrible story presentation, and nobody knows it. Bland music. Weak visuals. Early gameplay is so bad it almost certainly makes everyone who tries this game quit immediately. Endgame has potential and a wealth of content, but you are forced into exactly one thing to be any good at it, but to do all of the content in the game, you must do all of it. The solution is to trade, and this game is designed to REQUIRE you to trade. Don't bother playing whatever content you enjoy, because you'll be needing to look up guides. Guides on everything from how anything in the game works, because the game won't explain it to you, to optimal farming strategies so you can afford to buy your gear from other players, and then you go finish the game. If that sounds like it entirely defeats the purpose of an ARPG, you just figured out why I'm giving this a 1/10.… Expand
  41. Tenarus
    Jul 25, 2021
    1
    I've always loved games like diablo. And compared to diablo path of exile offers a much deeper character progression, items, that impact the gameplay far more, better designed bosses.
    All in all path of exile is a great game - without any payment needed (which these days is not that common for a free to play game).
    Edit: The most recent balance patch completely ruined the game. The    I've always loved games like diablo. And compared to diablo path of exile offers a much deeper character progression, items, that impact the gameplay far more, better designed bosses.
    All in all path of exile is a great game - without any payment needed (which these days is not that common for a free to play game).

    Edit: The most recent balance patch completely ruined the game. The devs stated, they wanted to reduce the damage dealt by around 20% - what in of itself already seemed horrible. In reality the damage got nerfed around 60-80%. After calculating and testing ingame, I went ahead and uninstalled the game. Its no fun anymore. Went from a 10/10 to a 1/10. I am going back to d3.    … Expand
  42. LittleBigTruth
    Feb 23, 2021
    2
    I have no idea why people like this game. I tried starting it 5 times and all I saw was dull boring story, boring spells, the whole vibe of the game is desperation and depression.
    No thanks, I'd rather play something as outdated as Diablo 3 than this crap
  43. whoami1
    Feb 5, 2022
    2
    This is one of the best and worst games ever created. It's great because of its interesting logic and flexibility. But you forget all good emotions at the end of the game. The end-game dynamics get exponentially and excessively hard. The biggest issues are
    - diminishing experience gain with each level and
    - big experience penalty of 10% on death You can purchase the most expensive    This is one of the best and worst games ever created. It's great because of its interesting logic and flexibility. But you forget all good emotions at the end of the game. The end-game dynamics get exponentially and excessively hard. The biggest issues are
    - diminishing experience gain with each level and
    - big experience penalty of 10% on death

    You can purchase the most expensive build and you will still die once in a while. Combined with quickly diminishing experience gain you end up with very long and tedious experience farming just to erase all day work with a few quick deaths. You have to play slow and be very careful, which is not fun. Or you must find a party and grind the same Beachhead Harbinger Map over and over again, which gets boring.

    As soon you get to love this game because of all the intricacies, the whole experience is ruined by poorly balanced experience dynamics.

    Developers should at least halve the death penalty or considerably increase experience gain. I thought the idea of the game is experiment with more builds, so there is no problem making dynamics to reach level 100 a bit easier.    … Expand
  44. fredhacker4
    Oct 4, 2013
    10
    If you like anything that you enjoy, you probably want to give Path of Exile a try.

    It's free to play so there's nothing to lose, and there are countless hours of engaging gameplay. It's in the ARPG genre, and many call it the "spiritual successor" of Diablo 2 (I'm one of them). It really does well the things that Blizzard did well with the first two Diablo games, and expands on it in    If you like anything that you enjoy, you probably want to give Path of Exile a try.

    It's free to play so there's nothing to lose, and there are countless hours of engaging gameplay. It's in the ARPG genre, and many call it the "spiritual successor" of Diablo 2 (I'm one of them). It really does well the things that Blizzard did well with the first two Diablo games, and expands on it in its own unique way. The gameplay is just as addicting as other ARPGs, but because of the itemization, economy and skill system it's ultimately more rewarding. In Diablo 3 for example the gameplay was wonderfully engaging but ultimately not rewarding enough on account of the itemization system and level cap. In PoE the gameplay is just as fun (if not more) and the excitement of the loot explosion and the level ding NEVER get old.

    My only advise would be this: if you do try it out (and you should) don't make any final judgments before you hit level 20. That's where you start getting out of the basics of the game and start building your character.    … Expand
  45. krapulito
    Oct 22, 2013
    10
    Path of Exile is a stunning game, one of the most accomplished entirely free game out there.
    It might seemed a little complex at first, but once you understand the mechanism and the complexity of the gameplay it is a tremendous experience.
    The nice POE community will always be here to help refine your build or answer your questions if you have troubles. There are updates on a weekly    Path of Exile is a stunning game, one of the most accomplished entirely free game out there.
    It might seemed a little complex at first, but once you understand the mechanism and the complexity of the gameplay it is a tremendous experience.
    The nice POE community will always be here to help refine your build or answer your questions if you have troubles.
    There are updates on a weekly basis adding legendaries, skills and correcting bugs.
    And then there are the races with ladder and prices (150 races of all kind/season), the 4month league, the maps (endgame content), so much to do that even 1000 hours couldn't be enough to do it all!

    Path of Exile is awesome, don't miss it!    … Expand
  46. LordHawks
    Nov 16, 2015
    10
    If you're a fan of ARPGs like me then you'll really enjoy this game. The game mechanics, leveling system, passive tree, and gem system is a huge breath of fresh air. The only thing I'm still getting used to is the currency system, but that comes with time, and a couple of YouTube videos, I guess. I'm glad the story has a gap (film term) because I really feel like I've been exiled and IIf you're a fan of ARPGs like me then you'll really enjoy this game. The game mechanics, leveling system, passive tree, and gem system is a huge breath of fresh air. The only thing I'm still getting used to is the currency system, but that comes with time, and a couple of YouTube videos, I guess. I'm glad the story has a gap (film term) because I really feel like I've been exiled and I have no idea what's going on. The story is not predictable for me. Graphics and music are awesome - diggin' the grittiness. Also, I think this is the only free to play I've actually enjoyed. I feel bad this is free because it's really good.… Expand
  47. mthomas768
    Oct 30, 2013
    4
    I really want to like PoE. Really. It's heart is in the right ARPG place, but the troublesome details kill the experience.

    The game has always been plagued with network problems, and launch has not improved things on that front. I get that creating a secure online experience is tough, but massive desync issues really suck the fun out of the game. The gem skill system is an excellent    I really want to like PoE. Really. It's heart is in the right ARPG place, but the troublesome details kill the experience.

    The game has always been plagued with network problems, and launch has not improved things on that front. I get that creating a secure online experience is tough, but massive desync issues really suck the fun out of the game. The gem skill system is an excellent idea, but the fun there is countered by an overly complex and mind-numbing passive skill tree with hundreds of nodes.

    There are also some implementation details that could be easily addressed but stick around despite the touted seven years in development. Random sized item stacks, inventory stash items that don't auto-stack, and requiring 40 mouse-clicks to fully upgrade and item's quality (seriously guys, 40 frickin' clicks?)

    I'll keep watching the game, but right now the launch woes (random disconnects on a regular basis, killer lag spikes), coupled with ongoing design and game-play issues make it a so-so game at best right now.    … Expand
  48. ConorHat
    Nov 19, 2013
    1
    I gave it a shot and really didn't find it fun. If your idea of fun involves a skinner box with bland colors and monotonous gameplay, you're in luck: this game is free to play and requires you to do nothing more than spam click your mouse for hours on end. Enjoy!
  49. JLK88
    Oct 2, 2014
    10
    There have been ARPGs that charge a full retail price of $40 that don't come close to the quality of Path of Exile. If you like Diablo and other Hack n Slashers, look no further. I honestly would vote this as the closest competitor to Diablo since Diablo's release.
  50. BadluckBeast
    May 30, 2014
    9
    Great, deep action RPG marred by netcode issues. Pure free to play without any pay to win elements, and race and league events serve both as a testing ground for new features and a way to keep the game fresh. Well worth checking out.
  51. Ananisapta
    Dec 23, 2013
    5
    You get what you pay for! In this case, that amounts to an entertaining side-scroller that's free and easy to learn. User forums and support are generally friendly and helpful. An asset is the ability to develop your alter in any number of directions with the vast talent tree. I have trouble getting immersed due to the fixed, high-angle perspective. Also game-play gets very repetitious atYou get what you pay for! In this case, that amounts to an entertaining side-scroller that's free and easy to learn. User forums and support are generally friendly and helpful. An asset is the ability to develop your alter in any number of directions with the vast talent tree. I have trouble getting immersed due to the fixed, high-angle perspective. Also game-play gets very repetitious at times. Although you mainly play in an instance by yourself, save points are few and far between. It strives for an open-world feel but you may feel severely constrained and numbed by the milieu. I haven't ventured into the PvP part of this game, and that's not my forte anyhow. The game seems solo-able and I haven't found much in the way of fellowship opportunities. For fantasy role-playing fans, Skyrim and Guild Wars 2 seem much superior experiences, or you can wait a few months of Elder Scrolls Online.… Expand
  52. 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
  53. gwkleong
    Jan 29, 2014
    5
    This is a great game (similar to Diablo gameplay) but what's with the region locked!!!??? I was playing from Australia and need to travel out of country to work for months. After I have updated my Steam Client, it has locked me out from continuing. Please update the system to trace the user profile and not the network IP!!!!!

    I also agreed with some comments on the chat system - the    This is a great game (similar to Diablo gameplay) but what's with the region locked!!!??? I was playing from Australia and need to travel out of country to work for months. After I have updated my Steam Client, it has locked me out from continuing. Please update the system to trace the user profile and not the network IP!!!!!

    I also agreed with some comments on the chat system - the chat screen is way too big which block a big area of your screen.....    … Expand
  54. tyrannic
    Jul 19, 2023
    2
    Lots of content as long as you follow the meta. If you want to have fun with a homecooked build you're probably gonna stall out in yellow maps or red maps, which is essentially like heroic dungeons in terms of end game progression.
  55. 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
  56. Ignatius_Reilly
    Oct 25, 2013
    6
    Path of Exile is a game with a lot of good ideas damaged by some poor execution. The world is fittingly dark for people who enjoy that (most of the ARPG audience I suspect) but it is too afraid to get away from that, and most of your time staring at the same grey, brown, gloom over and over. For people who can't get enough of that, that's fine, but some variety wouldn't go amiss. Act 3 hasPath of Exile is a game with a lot of good ideas damaged by some poor execution. The world is fittingly dark for people who enjoy that (most of the ARPG audience I suspect) but it is too afraid to get away from that, and most of your time staring at the same grey, brown, gloom over and over. For people who can't get enough of that, that's fine, but some variety wouldn't go amiss. Act 3 has a few areas of contrast, but you're soon back into the gloom, it just gets kind of repetitive.

    The passive tree is neat, but it does more to offer players ways to screw up their character than ways to customize. The keystones are neat, and allow real ways to modify your character in meaningful ways, but the path to get there is very boring with lots of +10 stat nodes, and often, if you take the wrong path, you could find yourself getting one shot before you've even completed the second difficulty.

    Because regardless of how you build your character, you need a lot of HP to survive, or you'll find your health globe yo-yoing all over the place. Considering there are no easy re-specs, you could find yourself trudging through the aforementioned boring gloomy areas just so you can slightly tweak your character to be able to take a hit or two.

    I think it's a good game for something that's free, but if I had to pay for it, I wouldn't recommend it.    … Expand
  57. smilzoboboz
    Nov 3, 2014
    8
    This game has average graphic, average sound quite bad story and GODLY gameplay.
    By that I mean that the gameplay is SO good that you forget anything about story, graphic or anything else.
    The game takes diablo 2 key features and expands them creating a unique gameplay with almost infinite possibilities. The setting (world, skill, characters) is dark and scary and this, combined with    This game has average graphic, average sound quite bad story and GODLY gameplay.
    By that I mean that the gameplay is SO good that you forget anything about story, graphic or anything else.

    The game takes diablo 2 key features and expands them creating a unique gameplay with almost infinite possibilities. The setting (world, skill, characters) is dark and scary and this, combined with the actual fear of dying, gives a unique experience.

    Sadly desync is "part of the game", you have to take desync in consideration while slashing mob hordes because if you don't, you probably end up dead.
    Graphic is not an eye candy like most commercial games but I won't say there's any impact on enjoyment.
    About game's music I have to say only a few background music themes are good, most of them are not really enjoyable (unlike Diablo II for example). I wrote myself an utility that replaces most game's musics with Diablo I / Diablo II ones and it was awesome, almost another game.

    Finally, the game is free to play and not pay to win, there are no boost microtransactions, only visual effects. Game support is fast and precise.

    So, just be careful, this game is addicting, a lot.    … Expand
  58. theedee
    Sep 21, 2014
    5
    Purely luck based.

    POE is the "unofficial successor" to the eminently respectable Diablo 2. And while it has inherited some good points it also inherited all the bad things. To bring it to the point: This game is completely luck based. Player Skill and the skilling itself (called passives here) are more or less irrelevant compared to the items. In this game you have to find the right    Purely luck based.

    POE is the "unofficial successor" to the eminently respectable Diablo 2. And while it has inherited some good points it also inherited all the bad things. To bring it to the point: This game is completely luck based. Player Skill and the skilling itself (called passives here) are more or less irrelevant compared to the items. In this game you have to find the right items, the right number of sockets in these items, the right color of sockets, the right skills and so on. If you run out of luck on just one of these you hit a wall at lvl 50 that you cant pass.
    Of course in order to give the player a chance you can use "orbs" to change the properties of an item, but that is also purely luck based. You can use one orb to get the desired result, or you can use 1000. I wanted to change the number of sockets on one item in order to use a skill with the needed amount of linked support skills. For that I used up ALL orbs I found in the game so far (like 50 hours) and I didnt get one step closer to the needed amount of sockets (wanted to change it from 3 to at least 4, never got more than 3 even though up to 6 are possible).
    Like in Diablo 2 the good items are only possible to find in areas where you wont be able to get without having luck in the first place, which turns this game into a stupid grind game (half of the party lobbies are farming lobbies with people running around in the same area for hours cause they cant continue the real game without a lucky drop). that may have been ok 12 years ago (in Diablo 2), but today thats just bad. Therefore this game is only for die hard fans of Diablo 2, who want to get the same game with better graphics. Those who want to play a game thats "up to date" should play Torchlight II instead.    … Expand
  59. APCY
    Aug 15, 2014
    10
    One of the best games I ever played. This have has everything that diablo 3 didn't have. Starting from huge passive tree there you can build your character in any way you want , interesting and unique currency system and finishing with end game content which is by the way most awsome thing I ever seen.
  60. cidian
    Oct 28, 2013
    6
    This game brings interesting currency and skill systems. The action skills themselves are hit or miss, better than TL2, but not as polished or satisfying as D3. All the currencies may seem daunting at first, but combined with the loot system, they give a good balance and longevity.

    The world is gloomy and gritty, which is refreshing to see after all the cartoony that most games seem to    This game brings interesting currency and skill systems. The action skills themselves are hit or miss, better than TL2, but not as polished or satisfying as D3. All the currencies may seem daunting at first, but combined with the loot system, they give a good balance and longevity.

    The world is gloomy and gritty, which is refreshing to see after all the cartoony that most games seem to push. However, I find the world and its characters entirely impersonal and forgettable. This takes away from the immersion and really exposes the game for what it is an endless grind.

    Lack of passive skill respecs is a major drawback for this game. I imagine this is blasphemy to those that enjoy POE, but "fun through restriction and repetition" is a concept that i never found enjoyable. Tried to level a Summoner Witch but hit a brick wall? Tough luck, go reroll.

    This could be a fun game if you have 100s of hours to invest in it, but in this day an age with so many options out there it would have to be truly exceptional. Which I don't think this game is.    … Expand
  61. Simbosan
    Nov 30, 2013
    5
    There is a semi decent game, but I can't put up with only being able to see about a 10 foot square of it. The view is TINY tiny tiny. Crazy, can't see how it gets such good scores.
  62. Necrotaur
    Nov 4, 2013
    5
    Take away the F2P and you have a very, very average ARPG. The skill tree that looks so amazing at first glance is entirely passive, so you will spend all your points increasing health by X% or damage by Y%. The graphics are good, but overall the world felt uninspired. The trading and economy could have been done better, and there being no gold or money really annoys me for some reason.Take away the F2P and you have a very, very average ARPG. The skill tree that looks so amazing at first glance is entirely passive, so you will spend all your points increasing health by X% or damage by Y%. The graphics are good, but overall the world felt uninspired. The trading and economy could have been done better, and there being no gold or money really annoys me for some reason. Netcode is very spotty, and endgame is extremely grindy, though to be fair most ARPGs are like that. I think if I had spent money on this I would have walked away feeling disappointed.… Expand
  63. MONSTERPOWER
    Jan 28, 2014
    5
    I will give this game a 5 out of 10. Why you ask? Well, 5 points for a fun game. Minus 5 points for not being able to trade in global chat. I tried to sell my end game gear in global chat and was warned by the moderators not to post them in global chat. Well, suck my motherfu*king co*k! So, that is why I gave the game a 5 out of 10.
  64. dontlikeit
    Jun 8, 2023
    0
    I tryied to play few times but imo its a worst H&S game in my life ( pretty long life)
  65. Hellion
    Mar 10, 2016
    0
    Frankly I'm bored of these free to play games. Path of Boredom. Might as well play the classic Diablo 2 if I want to live in the past. Not to mention takes all the fun out when you have to buy the "cool" stuff. Can't believe it got game of the year over at Gamespot. Too many immature annoying people nowadays in multiplayer. Go and buy Pillars of Eternity instead and support a fun singleFrankly I'm bored of these free to play games. Path of Boredom. Might as well play the classic Diablo 2 if I want to live in the past. Not to mention takes all the fun out when you have to buy the "cool" stuff. Can't believe it got game of the year over at Gamespot. Too many immature annoying people nowadays in multiplayer. Go and buy Pillars of Eternity instead and support a fun single player experience.… Expand
  66. Rakim84
    Sep 13, 2014
    10
    Probably the best free game ever produced, definitely the best free game I've played. It is also in the top-tier as far as Action-RPG or Hack n Slash titles go along with the Diablo franchise, Torchlight, and Sacred.
  67. Brodde
    Sep 17, 2014
    9
    Great game. Fresh new ideas for the ARPG genre, lots of game play. Grinding gear Games seems to listen to the player community, and the development is very active. Racing and season rewards are great.

    Its too good for a F2P game. But it is not completely perfect. There are some lag and desync issues still.
  68. MarcMrine
    Nov 8, 2014
    8
    BEST ARPG ever made:
    1. Insane character development, can start with a witch ending with whatever you want according the path you decide trough a configurable active skills, support, and... look at that passive skill tree! Is a damned constellation!
    2. Cleaver economy based on barter in which there is no such thing as inflation like the "gold base " economy in most games, you trade with    BEST ARPG ever made:
    1. Insane character development, can start with a witch ending with whatever you want according the path you decide trough a configurable active skills, support, and... look at that passive skill tree! Is a damned constellation!
    2. Cleaver economy based on barter in which there is no such thing as inflation like the "gold base " economy in most games, you trade with currency that are useful to most things in game, so currency preserves it value.
    3. Useful craft: one of the few online games in which crafting is useful! Yes, you will be at maximum level and still using that nice armor you've crafted at very low level (that is what makes currency be worth).
    4. Useful common drops, same as described above: crafting made yellow items almost as useful as legendary even at higher levels.
    5. A fair learning difficulty curve that forces you to be constantly developing your character to progress. Even with high level characters "carrying you", can't beat the game without an idea of your goals.
    6. Not Pay 2 Win. Unlike most "so called F2P" games, this is 100% free and 24 characters per account. With micro transactions you'll be able to buy only aesthetical complements or more space to inventory.
    7. The deeper environment in the straight line with Diablo 2. You will feel fear in one occasion, guaranteed.

    Except for one point:
    8. The only whim I have is that is only online. This game would be awesome offline to play without lag and even better to have mods...

    So this game is ALMOST perfect, only the unfair "DRM online MMO system" is why I can't give it a 10, I cannot fully enjoy a game that I don't own, for example, servers of Sacred, Dungeon Siege or Titan Quest was shutdown long ago but I still playing those incredibly ARPGs and with mods! I don't know how much this game would be available and that bothers me in direct proportion to what I like it...    … Expand
  69. Slipper
    Nov 28, 2013
    9
    Played for some time and loved it all the way. This free game is a must play for everyone. Invite your friends and start slashing. Very complex skill upgrade, many ways to upgrade your character, not very hardware demanding i even played on single processor core machine Thumbs up My score 9 why not 10. Well, sometimes is very repetitive.
  70. Pheo112
    Sep 9, 2014
    8
    This game is a better successor to D2 than D3 was.

    Pros: The bartering-currency system, interesting skill tree, free to play, not pay to win, lots of new content every ~6 months.
    Cons: Horrible desyncing issues, poorly optimized
  71. kirstu
    Nov 14, 2014
    9
    I wish I could dish out 10's, but I can't.

    In a perfect world I would be totally content with the content of this game. Of course I am not. But hey. Bluntly. There is no 10. People play a lot of games and they either enjoy them a great deal, or they do not. I have enjoyed this game for a better portion of a thousand hours. Path of Exile is, in all honesty, the Diablo 3 we were    I wish I could dish out 10's, but I can't.

    In a perfect world I would be totally content with the content of this game. Of course I am not.

    But hey. Bluntly. There is no 10. People play a lot of games and they either enjoy them a great deal, or they do not. I have enjoyed this game for a better portion of a thousand hours.

    Path of Exile is, in all honesty, the Diablo 3 we were waiting for. It reinvigorates the whole genre by introducing a plethora, almost sickeningly a though through set, of game mechanics that will suck the player in to the wicked and, oh so twisted, world of Wraeclast.

    The game introduces a marvelous blend of old and new, in a way that you would really expect on the basis of an older game such as Diablo 2.

    However, the game is quite complicated to say the least, and it can prove to be fatal to a newcomer. But still we would not have it any other way. It is simply worth the time investment. The more you learn, the more you get into the gist of it.

    I really cannot recall a day in the last two years where I did not at some point contemplate some cool build that I would really want to try out.

    Do watch out. It is addictive and good.

    One word: Bravo.    … Expand
  72. 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
  73. ThunderArs
    Jul 17, 2023
    2
    uninteresting story, unremarkable style and graphics, boring gameplay, overcomplicated, little fun
  74. 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.
  75. KoosKing
    Nov 6, 2013
    1
    This really is the best game ever! I can't recommend it enough. It's got beaches and caves and stuff. Also monsters and loot. Even weapons and magic. Awesome.
  76. Qban
    Sep 10, 2022
    0
    0 cause absoluetly disrespect to players, 0 optimisation, only nerfs everthyng in the game, for beginners this game is true hell,for players who play this game long time at this moment just nothing to do in this game,cause game get nerfed at all, developers want only donations and everthing they do is made battlepass and cosmetic donate items,but how about game?What about0 cause absoluetly disrespect to players, 0 optimisation, only nerfs everthyng in the game, for beginners this game is true hell,for players who play this game long time at this moment just nothing to do in this game,cause game get nerfed at all, developers want only donations and everthing they do is made battlepass and cosmetic donate items,but how about game?What about content,economy,mechanics?Why you nerfing everthing and make game difficulty so hard?For what?Seems like GGG want absolutley hardcore game at all,they absolutley dont know what to do with game now.Lake of Kalandra most garbage league of all time RIP POE.… Expand
  77. Vamrem
    Dec 10, 2014
    10
    Path of Exile is just how Diablo 3 would be if its original team would made it, accepting the lack of the offline mode and all what it implies (since play whenever you want to have mods), but neither Diablo 3 have it, right? The fact is that this game is best than Diablo 3 in each feature: dark gothic ambient with realistic adult graphics; a fair rewarding loot system; bigger and randomlyPath of Exile is just how Diablo 3 would be if its original team would made it, accepting the lack of the offline mode and all what it implies (since play whenever you want to have mods), but neither Diablo 3 have it, right? The fact is that this game is best than Diablo 3 in each feature: dark gothic ambient with realistic adult graphics; a fair rewarding loot system; bigger and randomly generated maps; 7 epic characters absurdly customizable by an endless constellation of passives and exchangeable actives; a worthy crafting system leading barter as the only economic system in which there is no money! To resume, each feature feels as the real evolution of Diablo 2 in straight opposite way from Diablo 3, all of this in a true free game... Are you still reading? Go for this masterpiece and if you like it buy some stupid cosmetic to contribute to a well thought ARPG!… Expand
  78. Vidicus
    Nov 8, 2014
    9
    A true isometric RPG. Fans of the Diablo series will find much to like in Path of Exile (PoE). A vast skill tree, unique armors and weapons, a great gem system, and the ability to play without paying.... all combine to make this a great game. Stop reading this review and go download PoE now.
  79. PeteyB
    Nov 25, 2014
    8
    This is... a stunning game! Really. Great climate, fantastic graphic (yep, for me it is, cause it fits AWESOME this title) and a lot of stuff to learn, discover. The truly Diablo's 2 child. But with more complex skill tree, more complex items system... more complex everything! And with the same dark climate. Even darker than Diablo's one. I felt in love with this game and can't stop playing.
  80. 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
  81. WOWisthebest
    Nov 25, 2020
    0
    Very, very trash game only low iq players like it. Even TESO or Diablo 3 is better.Worst Diablo clone ever. Easy and stupid mehanics. Bad animations. I recommend you World of Warcraft the Greatest game what ever made.
  82. 21grams
    Dec 14, 2014
    9
    I spent with this game probably nearly 1000hours already and I must say it's best in genre right now. So short review:

    Cons: - Server-client communication is one of the worst I've seen, there is desync issue and it's the first thing you need to learn, how to play around it and minimize it. Pros: - fair f2p (only cosmetic microtransactions) - advanced mechanics with huge passive tree    I spent with this game probably nearly 1000hours already and I must say it's best in genre right now. So short review:

    Cons: - Server-client communication is one of the worst I've seen, there is desync issue and it's the first thing you need to learn, how to play around it and minimize it.

    Pros: - fair f2p (only cosmetic microtransactions) - advanced mechanics with huge passive tree and skill gems with altering gems (called support gems) bring lots of builds and combinations so you always can play something new
    - a gameplay with learning curve, where you have to adapt to certain mobs and bosses by knowing mechanincs. Each mob has unique abilities as well as randomly added mods, so you can never be sure what you will encounter, you see mods of a mob - you need to instantly react accordingly.
    - end-game randomized difficulty zones (called maps with mods which increase difficulty, but also reward)
    - good seasons system (leagues and races)
    - frequent content updates (zones, events, skills, unique items)
    - interesting itemization, especially unique items which are very build defining in most cases.
    - interesting currency system (barter system) - it's currency and crafting tool at the same time
    - good crafting system after recent addition of forsaken masters.

    Overall, desync is the only real issue, but can learn how to reduce it and make less frequent and you can enjoy depth of this game    … Expand
  83. 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
  84. sh4dow
    Nov 17, 2013
    6
    When I first played the game in closed beta about TWO years ago, I thought the visuals looked pretty promising although I expected they would still be a bit improved, the animations (both character and vegetation) looked a bit stiff, there was quite a bit of clipping while walking around, there were issues with footsteps being heard even though no enemies were around and possibly more. IWhen I first played the game in closed beta about TWO years ago, I thought the visuals looked pretty promising although I expected they would still be a bit improved, the animations (both character and vegetation) looked a bit stiff, there was quite a bit of clipping while walking around, there were issues with footsteps being heard even though no enemies were around and possibly more. I felt that the gameplay was great and now they just had to work on the presentation.
    But over those two years, not ONE of the things I just mentioned was fixed (there is also no sound via SPDIF something I've never experienced before and an issue that was reported to them a long time ago). It seems to me they only worked on more and more content. And apparently, that's what people enjoy. Good for them. But not for me. Personally, I don't care about one playthrough taking 100 hours (or whatever I haven't actually finished the game and possibly never will). I'd rather have 20 hours of a game that is all-around polished. And if you happen to feel like that too, try The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing instead. That felt a lot more like a top notch ARPG, despite having its own minor flaws.    … Expand
  85. 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.
  86. Andresitooo
    Dec 22, 2013
    6
    Pretty fun hack and slash with decent story. Played game about 60 to 70 hours total game time playing 3 different class types until i realized how frustratingly complex this game is. Even with the 15 plus hours i went through guides, builds, understanding different moves etc. this game just drained me. I think this is good for people that have no life because it is soooo time consuming inPretty fun hack and slash with decent story. Played game about 60 to 70 hours total game time playing 3 different class types until i realized how frustratingly complex this game is. Even with the 15 plus hours i went through guides, builds, understanding different moves etc. this game just drained me. I think this is good for people that have no life because it is soooo time consuming in order for it to be effective. I think game could be sooo much better if re-spec was so much easier. The fact you get through the game and realize you should've gone a different rout, your better off re-rolling a new character which sucks.… Expand
  87. 1ManAndHisDroid
    Nov 27, 2013
    6
    What's not to like? It's free.. it looks good.. it's a damned site more impressive than Diablo 3 (just for variety of skills, etc.)
    You've got nothing to lose by trying it I was pleasantly surprised!
    :)
  88. 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.
  89. Freaksy
    May 23, 2014
    6
    This game is focused on too much to be like D2 in artstyle and character builds, it just lacks fun.
    Embeding skills into gear is just a ridiculous idea.
    Giant skill tree seems good at first but lose your way in midway and you have to go get some help from community at some point. There are no ragdoll physics or anything, and animations are a little bit rough around the edges. But it's    This game is focused on too much to be like D2 in artstyle and character builds, it just lacks fun.
    Embeding skills into gear is just a ridiculous idea.
    Giant skill tree seems good at first but lose your way in midway and you have to go get some help from community at some point.
    There are no ragdoll physics or anything, and animations are a little bit rough around the edges. But it's acceptable for a f2p game I guess.

    I couldn't finish the game, it just got too boring.    … Expand
  90. 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
  91. aGriO
    May 22, 2015
    10
    This is one of the best "Diablo like" games. Even better than Diablo III. Is just an incredible experience, and a really deep game. and for sure... its FREE TO PLAY. Nice work GGG!
  92. ofarukkalkan
    Jul 18, 2015
    10
    A-RPG oyun türünün en iyi örneklerinden birisi... Rakiplerinden (Torchlight-Titan Quest - ... ) önde olduğu taraf, ücretsiz online olması ve Diablo`nun tarzına çok yakın olması.
    Bazıları oyunda bağlantı sorunları var diye eleştiriyorlar ama PvP veya PvE esnasında oynanabilirliği etkileyecek bir sorun yok. Bu şekilde eleştiren gitsin Blizzard`ı da eleştirsin o zaman... Tamamen ücretsiz bir    A-RPG oyun türünün en iyi örneklerinden birisi... Rakiplerinden (Torchlight-Titan Quest - ... ) önde olduğu taraf, ücretsiz online olması ve Diablo`nun tarzına çok yakın olması.
    Bazıları oyunda bağlantı sorunları var diye eleştiriyorlar ama PvP veya PvE esnasında oynanabilirliği etkileyecek bir sorun yok. Bu şekilde eleştiren gitsin Blizzard`ı da eleştirsin o zaman... Tamamen ücretsiz bir oyun ve hiç bir şekilde "pay to win" olmayacak. Bu yüzden bile küçük sorunlarına katlanılabilir.    … Expand
  93. b4l4cps
    Oct 3, 2020
    5
    ok first of all.. i really like the game and enjoy it, this game could be 10/10 without some issues... for me the main issue is the currency/items drop rate... lets say a new season begins and u want to play .. a good 6link chest or weapon is avg 1-8 EX also clusters and others stuff u expend 10-20 ex on most of the builds to make it work properly (U CANT DO THE END GAME WITH BUDGET BUILDSok first of all.. i really like the game and enjoy it, this game could be 10/10 without some issues... for me the main issue is the currency/items drop rate... lets say a new season begins and u want to play .. a good 6link chest or weapon is avg 1-8 EX also clusters and others stuff u expend 10-20 ex on most of the builds to make it work properly (U CANT DO THE END GAME WITH BUDGET BUILDS , TRUST ME, 5-10EX).. u will need to sit ur ass at least 10-12 hours per day to enjoy a good build with expensive items... this is nutS!!!

    i think if they work on this and make thinks a litle bit easier to drop.. like increase 10-15% stuff to drop a lot of ppl who doesnt play or have stoped playng it will come back to the game..i know a lot of friends who think the same and some of them work and have wife and children.. so they play other games that u dont need to stay 24/7 on to enjoy it.. if u know what i mean    … Expand
  94. 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
  95. MadWinning
    Aug 9, 2022
    6
    Just maps, mobs and items with different modifiers. Not rewarding. POE isn't as complex as you would think after seeing those passive trees. The game is just inflated.
  96. O3liveon
    Nov 9, 2022
    6
    I had pretty good time with this one. Good graphics, no technical issues for me. Some what interesting world, and creative mechanics that add it's own flair. Not gonna go too in depth but it's free so of course I recommend it. It just didn't hold me in its world for as long as I was hoping. There are better types of games like this, or maybe not necessarily better, but other games in whichI had pretty good time with this one. Good graphics, no technical issues for me. Some what interesting world, and creative mechanics that add it's own flair. Not gonna go too in depth but it's free so of course I recommend it. It just didn't hold me in its world for as long as I was hoping. There are better types of games like this, or maybe not necessarily better, but other games in which their world hooked me more. Like Undecember and Grim Dawn. Give those other two a shot first, but this is free so you minds as well go into it with the expectation that you'll have fun!… Expand
  97. Juli01223
    Apr 28, 2021
    9
    Gostei mais que diablo 3.PoE é um excelente RPG muito complexo e cheio de opções pra fazer sua build.Sempre recebendo novas atualizações e novo conteúdo,Com quase 200 horas posso dizer q sei quase o necessário,ainda tenho muito a aprender sobre quais itens são realmente valiosos,gemas e etc,pois o jogo é muito complexo.

    Prós: Jogabilidade boa Trilha sonora boa Totalmente grátis    Gostei mais que diablo 3.PoE é um excelente RPG muito complexo e cheio de opções pra fazer sua build.Sempre recebendo novas atualizações e novo conteúdo,Com quase 200 horas posso dizer q sei quase o necessário,ainda tenho muito a aprender sobre quais itens são realmente valiosos,gemas e etc,pois o jogo é muito complexo.

    Prós:
    Jogabilidade boa
    Trilha sonora boa
    Totalmente grátis
    Comunidade boa

    Contras:
    Quedas de fps em algumas partes dos mapas mesmo tendo um hardware muito superior ao dos requisitos mínimos,melhorou bastante depois da ultima atualização,mas ainda vejo gente reclamando.

    Path of exile é com certeza um dos rpgs que eu mais gostei.    … Expand
  98. elefsar
    May 6, 2021
    9
    Çok iyi oyun. arpg'nin yeni standartlarını oluşturmuş. Ben çok geç başladım ama güzel sardı.
  99. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    7
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 7.
  100. dchrist2
    Sep 29, 2022
    4
    Was once good. Put developer is putting their head in the sand and trying to squeeze players for more time and money. Just not fun anymore.
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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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