Path of Exile 2 redefines the action‑RPG loot hunt
Grinding Gear Games has packed the world with mysteries that keep you hunting for loot long after the campaign ends, making the game feel worth the time even in early access.
Path of Exile 2 feels like a new benchmark. Not only is it a worthy sequel, its latest update already earns the right to call it a "next‑generation action RPG." I've played obscene amounts of these games and haven't seen one so ambitious—especially one still in early access with an unfinished campaign. Grinding Gear Games says the campaign will be finished by the end of the year, and PoE 2 is already one of the best action RPGs I've played, worth the price of admission before it goes free‑to‑play for 1.0. It follows its campaign with an endgame loot grind that barely feels like a grind, blending Diablo 2's eerie worldbuilding and loot chase with Elden Ring's challenging combat. Encounters can be brutal—a giant gorilla can smash you to pieces and also drop an item that transforms your whole character. One class even specializes in taming monsters, which makes watching that gorilla turn on enemies especially cathartic. The game is full of ideas pushed further than other genre entries, but its staggering complexity—especially the sprawling skill tree—is the main roadblock. As someone who still has much to learn, I think it's worth diving into.
