Did you enjoy Diablo and the other hack n slash dungeon crawls that it spawned? Did you love the multiplayer aspect of Diablo? If your answer was yes to either question, you may be very interested in checking out Path of Exile, a great MMO that is very reminiscent of Diablo with some modern spins and features.
With a barter-based economy, decent PVP and multiplayer competitions, a completely awesome game engine and lots of customization choices as the base, Path of Exile offers fast paced combat and flashy magic along with a moving soundtrack as frosting on the cake.
There’s a small installation package (followed by a larger download the first time you run the game) and you’ll need to register with an email address but other than that there’s little required to get started. You won’t have to buy anything and won’t ever be forced into upgrading your account. Even micro purchases for bonuses are limited so you won’t be forced into a ‘pay to win’ situation for a ‘free’ game. This one is truly balanced the way a free game should be.
There are Leagues (clans, guilds, etc) as well as live Events for the players to take part in as well as leaderboard style ladders and ‘tourney’ like competitions, along with the PVE experience.
Currently in Open Beta (at the time of this posting), Path of Exile is already a robust and exciting online gaming and action experience. There are six full featured ‘classes’ to choose from and of course each has its own unique pros and cons. The gameplay is highly action oriented, but with some differences than what you may have expected in this kind of online game. Instead of built in skills or spells, for example, you will use skill gems (that are actually items affecting skills, not vice versa) as well as talent trees for more passive skills. Items themselves are the big thing in this game and will be what you’re striving for most of the time to advance your powers, if not your stats and levels.
Players of some of the older games that inspired this one will feel right at home immediately with the red and blue orbs on the screen and the point n click interface. Those who are not familiar will quickly become so, and comfortable. This is RPG goodness at the most basic and satisfying level, so it offers a challenge but doesn’t require you to read three hundred pages of tips and instructions before you begin to understand how it works. They’ve really gotten a good handle on the learning curve, which is a big deal when you consider how badly many of the most popular games of this kind have messed up the learning process and tutorial system.
The world that Path of Exile takes place in is richly details and well thought out by the creative minds behind the game. Around every corner you will find gorgeous graphics showcasing this world brought to life from the imagination and there’s always something new to interest and excite the player. Special effects are superb, really putting one in mind of what a lightning strike might seem like to those on the ground, etc.
The game play itself is well-paced so you feel you’re progressing without being held back and without being pushed forward. It’s rather like the Goldilocks of gaming; just right. Once you have gotten through the initial screens and begin following the plotlines you will find yourself quickly immersed in the story and looking forward to each new development just as much as each new combat. This is one of those rare gems of a game that deserves far more publicity and praise than it has gotten but since it is free I think we will see plenty of players rolling in each new day. Until next time, my friends!
[Thanks go to reader Panzer for the tip about this game]
- Check out Path of Exile here.
