“Diablo” is one of those genre-defining games: action RPGs seen from above, where you click endlessly killing enemies on the hills, collecting better items and gaining new powers to kill even bigger monsters for much better items in a cycle without end. Many games that were inspired by Blizzard Entertainment’s success formula, but few have reached the same level of quality. This is the case of “Path of Exile”.
Originally released in 2013 for PC, “Path of Exile” is the best rival of “Diablo” and has now reached the Xbox One. Free and full of content, the game of Grinding Gear Games deserves the attention of every player who is a fan of the genus.
“Path of Exile” has a lot in common with “Diablo 2”: the dark ambiance, the many customization options and the different feel of playing with each class. The game is not as simple and intuitive as “Diablo 3” and part of its charm is in the “hardcore” appeal, with a sophisticated system of progression and many options to customize each character.
With this focus on the most enthusiastic gamers, the so-called “hardcore”, the plot of “Path of Exile” is presented gradually and indirectly – well in the style of a “Dark Souls” of life. The game world itself is full of details that you will only hear by listening to audio files and reading texts found in lost statues deep in forests and swarming crowds of monsters.
You choose an adventurer class (you can be a duelist, a marauder, a ranger or one of the seven classes available) and start your adventure in exile in a distant land full of dangers, paying the penalty for your crimes against the evil empire. At the beginning of the game, their missions involve only surviving while exploring the island and fighting against cannibals, the undead, demons and beasts emerging from the woods.
You gain new abilities and advantages as you level up, but the main powers and movements of the adventurer comes from weapons, armor and magical gems that are equipped. Just exchange one gem for another to get a new special blow. Did not you like it? Change back. Other stones allow you to upgrade equipment or exchange magical qualities. Personalization is one of the best parts of “Path of Exile”. Even playing with a simple character, like the duelist, you will hardly find another exactly the same.
Better than “Diablo”?
Although similar in genre and concepts, “Path of Exile” offers a very different experience from “Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls”. On consoles, the Blizzard game seeks to be as friendly as possible, giving players what it has the best: the fun of massacring dozens of monsters with friends. “Path of Exile” has more RPG elements and requires you to choose your evolutions and improvements well, changing equipment frequently to better massacre dozens of enemies.
The game does not have the same polishing level as “Diablo 3”, but it does not look ugly. Compared with other games of the genre, such as “Adventures of Van Helsing” or “Victor Vran”, for example, “Path of Exile” wins in both the visual and variety of locations and player involvement. The freedom to evolve the character in various ways ends up getting you closer to the adventurer you are controlling and that is essential in a good RPG.
In the end, “Path of Exile” is no better or worse than the main competitor, but it is an excellent alternative for fans of action RPGs and can be tried at no cost. How to refuse an invitation to adventure like this?
Free indeed?
An important aspect of “Path of Exile” is that the game is free, with real money shopping options within the game. But unlike some other free to play games available on the consoles, you are not required to buy items or pay to upgrade your character and make progress.
You are not even reminded all along that you can buy nice items to beautify your adventurer or get a pet to run alongside him. You can play from one end to the other without spending a penny.
For a free game, “Path of Exile” looks less mercenary than a lot of full-game. Micro transaction options do not bother you at all – much more troublesome is the need to always be online to play. The gamers can buy Path of Exile orbs from the online gaming house to arrange the necessary things to personalize the players and teams.