Path of Exile

Path of Exile is a free-to-play Action-RPG MMO available for the Windows OS on Steam, developed by Grinding Gear Games, and man is it a lot of fun. 

The first ARPG I ever played was Torchlight after my friend Mark introduced it to me. From there I played Torchlight II and Diablo II and those games only cemented my appreciation for the ARPG genre. Path of Exile is a good throwback to the olden days featuring tried-and-true game mechanics that have been polished and reinvigorated, all very gorgeously presented through its breathtaking visuals and soundtracks.

One of the most interesting things about Path of Exile is the way it handles character progress and leveling: through active skill gems and a MASSIVE, universal skill tree. You can play as six different classes, each focusing on one or two of the major attributes: Strength, Intelligence, and Dexterity. 

Active skills are granted through "skill gems" that level up just as you do whereas passive skills are allocated on a sprawling web of all kinds of skills ranging from +3% more health all the way to keystone skills that change the play-style of a character all together. The player starts off at different areas of the massive skill tree depending on the type of class the character is; Strength classes will tend to have melee and life nodes close by whereas casters may have mana and energy shield bonuses nearby.

A level of mastery arises from being able to carefully plan out routes along the passive skill tree into a specific character build that suits your play style. Don't worry if you allocated a skill point into somewhere and decided to change your mind later; Path of Exile boasts a forgiving respec option, allowing you to save up "Refund" points as you progress.

Skill gems allow you to virtually create your own spells. You have a fireball spell but want it do something more? How about adding a support gem that makes it shoot 3 fireballs? Make it bounce off the walls? Make it bounce off the walls and EXPLODE? Make it bounce of the walls, explode, and have it shower more fireballs around? The possibilities are endless! Melee skills are no different. How about adding a chain lightning effect to everyone you smite? How about making the chain lightning longer? Make the chain lightning blow up things around you? Really, you can do anything.

Another interesting point to note is that Path of Exile doesn't have a baseline currency "gold". Path of Exile is all about the loot: the armor and weapons. There are currency items that allows players to re-roll stats, improve armor, or change it's rarities. Those items that allow you to change your existing gear is what's sought after. The end result is a robust player-driven barter economy.

Path of Exile also has great attention to detail. I was overjoyed the first time I played a Ranger and shot an arrow into a zombie, only to see that the arrows actually stuck in various parts of the zombie. The particles and lighting, combined with a fresh, unforgiving universe and great sound effects give Path of Exile a whole, complete feeling. Everything Grinding Gear Games did is carefully done and a lot of work and effort went into it.

The game also features an extremely competitive race mode that I have yet to try, but that only tells me that Path of Exile caters to a wide variety of gamers, from casual to hardcore.

However, I do wish that I had more graphical options to play around with, mostly the number of particles and decals. I do play the game on an older laptop and usually run at a smooth 40 - 50 frames per second, but can dip during times of intense combat where spells and swords just get flung around all over the screen. I run things at a very nice medium settings and am still impressed with the game.

Do I recommend this game? Absolutely. The game is free and the developers themselves stated: 

"There is no catch at all, once you download the client you are free to play for as long as you like, with no charge. The purchasable perks do not convey any gameplay benefit, but help you create a unique look for your character and its fighting style."

Even if you were never a fan of ARPG's, Path of Exile is a great way to start. The game offers a wide range of difficulties and challenges that will please newcomers and casual gamers as well as long-time ARPG aficionados and veterans of the genre. 

From a development team in New Zealand with great passion for gaming, Path of Exile offers a great refresher in the ARGP genre.