Path of Exile - Preview @ Forbes

Here's a short preview on Path of Exile from Forbes:

It features instanced areas so that parties (or loners) can traverse and loot and quest on their own. So far, what few quests I’ve done have been interesting and fun. The combat is described as “visceral” on the website, and that’s a fitting description. There’s some similarities with other top-down hack-and-slash games but I found the combat to have that extra oomph that can make (or break) an action-RPG. The graphics are nothing to write home about, but they do the trick. The world is certainly a bleak and colorless one, much more reminiscent of Diablo II than Diablo III.

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I'm glad to see PoE getting some press. Very fun game with great combat, skill tree and fun gear options.

Saying the quests are fun and interesting, however, well that's just the opposite of my take on them. The quests in PoE serve the purpose of getting you back into combat and gear whoring They are about as interesting as watching paint dry. I couldn't care less as, for me, the real fun is the combat and skill system.

Is it true it has static levels? that'd give very little replay value….

Yep. Game is supposed to be perpetuated through 'end game' additions with map drops and new and exciting things happening on the very high level end so perhaps that will help. I've been away from it for a few weeks so haven't had the chance to check any of that out. Also I don't know if it's available to any but the hardest difficulty.

I'll see if I can get some hands on / specifics for you there as I'll be jumping in again really soon. Unless somebody around here already has that info…

What was remarkable about this game is the insane skill tree

Unfortunately, the gameplay videos look incredibly boring, it seems all you do is click on whack-a-mole monsters with your mouse like a tower defense browser game.

After playing a game like X3, looking at this actiony gameplay really makes you wonder…

"The insane skill tree" ? - - - no! - - - "the sane skill tree"

If indeed the gamer is faced with long bouts of repetitious mouse-click boredom, then it makes strategic sense to be able to stop for a breather now and then, to gaze in awe at the splendor of the mesmerizing skill tree while taking long deep breaths to recover ones sanity before diving back into the fray.

Originally Posted by Wulf
"The insane skill tree" ? - - - no! - - - "the sane skill tree"

If indeed the gamer is faced with long bouts of repetitious mouse-click boredom, then it makes strategic sense to be able to stop for a breather now and then, to gaze in awe at the splendor of the mesmerizing skill tree while taking long deep breaths to recover ones sanity before diving back into the fray.

I meant "insane" in the most positive way possible

Always a fan of more choices to ponder at level up. Unfortunately the gameplay looks like a Diablo or Torchlight type of game, which I find pretty boring, personally.

Originally Posted by GothicGothicness
Is it true it has static levels? that'd give very little replay value….

The dungeon and wilderness layouts are in fact randomized just like in Diablo, Torchlight, etc.

I played in the beta weekend a while back and found it very fun.

Originally Posted by Myrkrel
The dungeon and wilderness layouts are in fact randomized just like in Diablo, Torchlight, etc.

I played in the beta weekend a while back and found it very fun.

I have spent 30 or so hours in game and have not found this to be the case. The randomized part that is. The fun factor is up there…

The warden, the Siren, the ledge, the mud flats, the everything has been exactly the same every time I've played through.

Originally Posted by Cthulhufan
I have spent 30 or so hours in game and have not found this to be the case. The randomized part that is. The fun factor is up there…

The warden, the Siren, the ledge, the mud flats, the everything has been exactly the same every time I've played through.

Hmm very odd. Straight from their press release page it says:

Randomly generated levels and items for extreme replayability

And I found them randomizing during my play-throughs. Maybe it's a bug?

Perhaps. Maybe I'm just not paying that much attention as I go through and the levels are "semi-randomized" and I'm just not paying attention to the objective areas that much.

I don't think so though, I put 4 chars through to the end of ACT II and it was pretty much the same each trip through. Maybe there was a pillar or path different here or there.

Perhaps I was / am bugged. Perhaps I have a little different definition of "random". It is Beta…

From what I remember the randomness would be subtle at times, and often key locations and exits would be in the same general areas. So it's not as extensively random as something like Torchlight 2, from what I saw. And some areas seemed more random than others.

I imagine they are still tweaking things. Haven't had a chance to play recently so I'm not sure how it stands right now.

Thanks, Myrkrel, who can say, it's beta. Let me say it's very refreshing to have a disagreement with somebody that can end amicably.

CountChocula, if you don't get down on:

Unfortunately, the gameplay videos look incredibly boring, it seems all you do is click on whack-a-mole monsters with your mouse like a tower defense browser game.

Path of Exile is not for you. I'm guessing that Diablo and Torchlight are not either.

It is total action with some RPG side thoughts…

The question is whether it's better than D3 and Torchlight, and as good (or better) than Titan Quest and D2?

Originally Posted by Cthulhufan
Thanks, Myrkrel, who can say, it's beta. Let me say it's very refreshing to have a disagreement with somebody that can end amicably.

No problem! I had no intention of arguing, I just was puzzled by the differences in our observations and wanted to present the game info accurately to those who hadn't played yet.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
The question is whether it's better than D3 and Torchlight, and as good (or better) than Titan Quest and D2?

Well I played in both the D3 and Path of Exile betas and will say I'm much more drawn toward Path of Exile. Also played the Torchlight 2 beta and I'm equally interested in that. They are somewhat different approaches so which one is "better" is probably a matter of taste. Both PoE and TL2 seem like good quality games to me.