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[Review] Path of Exile: The Hidden Gem of the Year
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Path of Exile is a game that has been very well-received by the action RPG community. Because of that reception, we took PoE out for a test drive and offer our official review of the game. See what we've got to say before discussing it in the comments.
The latest hack-and-slash contender to bow its head and enter the arena Blizzard built is Path of Exile. Choosing from one of a number of castaway heroes, you head out into the world to conquer and vanquish. Think Conan with less loin cloth and more megalomania, and you're somewhere near the mark.
Read more of Adam Tingle's Path of Exile: The Hidden Gem of the Year.
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Comments
Regarding your 'Value" comment. I gladly supported the game for much the same as I would have spent on a box, and don't begrudge them a penny of it. GGG has done a marvelous job and I only see this game continuing to consume hours in the future, unlike D3 and T2 that burned out in a month.
As to Innovation, sure the game play is very familiar, but have you reviewed the 'endgame' maps, their customization and such? Adds many many more layers of replayability and flavor. You can do the same map multiple time with different affixes for a radically different experience.
The game has plenty of other shortcomings. Lack of skills, trading being a horrible experience, clunky combat. Its a good game, and I would score it similarly, but only because its free for now.Yes, for now.
I think PoE deserves a higher score in innovation. PoE's currency system, flask system, crafting system, gem system, passive tree as well as the map system in endgame are certainly innovative as far as an ARPG goes.
Giving this game a lower longevity score than that other game is not right to be honest but not comparing to other games the review is fair and the game is very enjoyable.The game I was playing at 20-30 if very different to the game im playing at 50+ with the same character.
I didnt build all defense, or all health, going a more median route than whats recommended by the min/maxers. The thing is this: What ive lost in the skill tree I am currently making up for with gear, well supported gems and an adapted divide and conquer playstyle. It is more cautious than the smash, jump, smash I had gotten used to but for me its still an appealing game and early days in that characters development.
Once I get over 60 and start hitting these crafted maps it may all change again, but for now the fun hasnt worn off and nothing has been been beyond my ability to adapt to.
PoE felt like a Diablo expansion pack to me......It was fun until I felt like I was running more than playing and I disliked the camera.....I got invited into beta fairly early and jsut couldn't get into it, even for free.
The reviewer gave it a 6 for innovation based on the fact that it looks like Diablo, but didn't mention the skill gem system or the passive skill tree (which are both new additions to the hack n slash genre).
Whoever wrote this review is, frankly, not worth paying.
I see you did'nt mention the bug with the Creative Sound Cards, if you have one of these then expect to get a Blue Screen of Death every 60 minutes. This has not been resolved yet they have known about it for a very long time now.
Also the cash shop is open so i doubt they will wipe the servers again.
Still i think it is a nice game for a f2p model, also there are no pay2win items in the cashshop.
The game deserves a higher Innovation score than 6. It brought more new features to the table than D3 did, which you actually lost features going from D2 to D3. Sad.
This game is very fun, and although Defense builds are bit necessary right now, it's still beta, and there are still hundreds of viable builds to play as each character. I have remade my duelist 4 times now and each time has had a totally different playstyle but all of them except the first were viable into cruel difficulty.
Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
Have played: You name it
If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.
There are two mistakes overlooked by the editor. In the 4th paragraph, "Grind Gear Games" should be "Grinding Gear Games". In the 12th paragraph, "battered" should be "bartered".
Innovation score makes no mention of the race leagues which are phenomenal experiences I have yet to see in the genre. I would rate PoE closer to an 8.5 overall personally.
Im loving this game and the price is right. I felt so guilty about this game being f2p that I have bought 2 upgraded pack stashes. I figured I would gladly have paid 40$ for this game, so I added 12 customizable tabs for that price. Its nice being able to organize
The hidden gem? hardly. Here is a simple review of what PoE deserves:
Pros: Looks like Diablo
Cons: Its a direct clone of Diablo from last century
Summary: Don't waste your money supporting lazy devs that have no originality.
I've played all Diablo's/expansions as well as Torchlight. Yes, they're fun when I lack serious time to sit down and raid. However, it's SO LINEAR!!
If this were an open world without, go to the next zone now, it would be really nice. I wasn't crazy about the monetary system, like the writer I wanted MONEY.
Overall, it's a great game and the fact that it's free makes it all the better.
If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand.
How about you don't waste bandwidth with dimwitted/Blizzboy spunk bubble posts?
To everyone with 2 (or more) functioning neurons: Path of Exile looks like Diablo, has a more serious atmosphere than Diablo 2 and is basically what Diablo 3 should've been if Blizzard wasn't busy sucking itself off. No innovation? It's polished the ARPG dungeon crawler/hack'n'slash to a mirror finish with many streamlining features (such as the flask system), the bartering system which makes amassing vast wealth difficult and space consuming, the progression and class customization system is unique as far as ARPGs come and yet people still call it a Diablo clone?... christ sake the story isn't even remotely similar and the basic gameplay mechanics are so ubiquitous of the genre itself everything can be called a clone of everything else if you take it at that level.
Awesome game that i advice to any ARPG fan.
Shame that after one year im sick of it
Beta tester maniac
This nearly made me ruin a keyboard with coffee, especially the first sentence. Just ignore Czanrei, he hates video games, puppies, kittens, and anything fun.
Most of the cons he lists in the review and on peoples posts are actually pros for most people. Such as no money for RMAH style activities. That's not a "missing feature" that's shit no one wanted in D3 which is why it's a ghost town even after selling all the copies it did. Don't believe me? Log in and check public games, good luck finding more than 10 people.
Currently Playing: ESO and FFXIV
Have played: You name it
If you mention rose tinted glasses, you better be referring to Mitch Hedberg.
Review seems pretty accurate to me.
I think they are being too generous with their business model. Giving away the entire game for free might be ok for the moment while they are in beta, but to be sustainable and fund development long term they surely have to put in some restrictions for the wont ever pay anything crowd.
If you enjoy a challenge avoid reading any builds and work out the passive tree for yourself. Some of the skills at the edge of the tree are quite game changing.
My main gripe with the game is the one-to-one trading which to me makes buying and selling items for cash too easy. I would scrap that and put in place some sort of AH instead, but thats just a personal preference that I know many would hate.
I agree for the most part with the review but I'm sorry, in response to the "lack if innovation" and others who try to call it a "diablo clone" the combination of:
Unlimited passive skill tree customization ability + unlimited skill customization not only by being able to use any skill you want but also customize each skill with up to 5 different support gems + orbs/scrolls for creating and customizing all your own gear + an actual endgame system with maps that have stats and quality that can also be customized and crafted?
Thats more than enough new features never seen before in the genre to make it innovated and far from a clone in any way in my eyes... The endgame map system alone is enough for me. No more grinding your way through all the same content on every difficulty only to finally reach the end and then have nothing left to do but go back and farm the very same content you just leveled through for cool rare loot..
I have been playing POE for a pretty long time. I started well before the open beta began.
I am still playing POE to this day and thoroughly enjoying it. On that alone I would give it more than an 8 rating.
I can't say that about too many games. Actually, I can count on one hand the games I have played for many months. I just keep going back to POE. It is a bubble gum for the brain game no doubt. As linear as it gets and certainly not an MMO. For what ever reason, it is my type of game.
The one bitch I have is the actual cost of the items in the store. The game is free to play and the items in the store are vanity items only, but, damn the prices are outrageous. I have spent all my pre-open beta money on stash tabs because I just can't justify anything else.
A few additional comment I have:
Aesthetically speaking .... I love the art style, graphics and capability of the engine. No cartoon looking graphics to rub me the wrong way.
Innovation wise .... Tough call, in the big scheme of things I have seen carbon copies of WoW get higher scores than a 6/10 in innovation. They added several new things mainly surrounding your character build. It did copy many of the things that made Diablo 2 a great game. Not a bad thing, but, not very innovative I have to admit.
Polish ..... I have had zero problems with the game outside of the frequent disconnect at the start of open beta. I am fairly certain the cause was the shear volume of players they got. Prior to the open beta I had little to no problems with disconnects.
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