Path of Exile 2 is one of the most notoriously complicated games out there, with hundreds of systems layered on top of each other and so much information packed into it that it is nearly impossible to digest it all, especially for new players.
One of the best examples of this is Essences, special materials that can be massively helpful when it comes to crafting endgame gear. However, since they are abhorrently expensive to obtain from the market, a lot of players ignore them completely. Here is how Essences work and how to get them.
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How to Get Essences in PoE 2
Essences can be obtained in one of two ways:
- Essence trapped monsters in maps: Throughout the campaign and in the endgame, there will occasionally be monsters trapped in stone prisons. Some of these are Essence monsters that will drop a guaranteed Essence upon defeat. You can easily tell when you’ve encountered an Essence monster thanks to the context menu that pops up above their heads, detailing which Essence you will be able to get for defeating it.
- Currency Exchange: Essences can be bought through the Currency Exchange, which can be accessed by talking to Alva in the hideout.
Essence monsters can be found in the campaign and the endgame. However, they are relatively rare encounters, meaning players will not be able to amass a large number of Essences through regular gameplay.
The best way to farm for Essences is through the endgame unique map, Silent Cave, which houses multiple guaranteed Essence monsters as well as a boss that gets stronger the more Essence monsters you defeat. This allows players to take on as much risk as they can handle.
What Are Corrupted Essences in PoE 2
In addition to the regular Essences and Greater Essences, there are also four Corrupted Essences that can only be obtained by using a Vaal Orb on a Greater Essence monster (before freeing it). These offer unique ways to craft on gear, making them extremely valuable. They are:
- Essence of Hysteria: Upgrades a normal item to Magic with one Item Rarity modifier. Can only be used on Helmets, Rings or Amulets.
- Essence of Delirium: Upgrades a normal item to Magic or a Magic item to a Rare item with one random notable passive as a modifier. Can only be used on Body Armour.
- Essence of Insanity: Upgrades a normal item to Magic or a Magic item to a Rare item with one guaranteed property. Can only be used on Belts. On Corruption, Item gains two Enchantments.
- Essence of Horror: Upgrades a normal item to Magic or a Magic item to a Rare item with one guaranteed property. Can only be used on Gloves or Boots. 100% increased effect of Socketed Runes and Soul Cores
Corrupted Essence monsters have unique combat mechanics that make them even harder to defeat compared to regular Essence monsters.
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How to Use Essences in PoE 2
Other than Corrupted Essences, which are unique cases, there are two tiers of Essences:
- Essence: Used to upgrade a Normal item to a Magic Item with a modifier with a specific tag.
- Greater Essence: Used to upgrade a Magic item to a Rare Item with a modifier with a specific tag.
Every modifier in Path of Exile 2 has a specific tag or multiple tags associated with it. The #% increased Movement Speed modifier, for example, is only found on Boots and has the tag Speed. Since this is the only Speed tag that can be put on Boots, it means that when you use the Speed Essence ( 
Essence of Haste) on Normal Boots, it guarantees that it will roll the #% increased Movement Speed modifier and nothing else. This means if you want to get Boots with a movement speed roll on it, you can guarantee it via this Essence.
However, it’s not always this simple. If you’re aiming for a +#% to Lightning Resistance, for example, you want to use the Lightning Essence (Essence of Electricity), but when used on Normal Boot, there are two possibilities. Either it will roll a +#% to Lightning Resistance, or it will roll a #% reduced Shock duration on you, which is a modifier that also has the Lightning tag.
The best place to check the tags on a modifier, as well as all possible modifiers that any given item base can roll, is Craft of Exile. Simply search for the base you’re crafting here, and it will clearly show you all modifiers and their tags separated into prefixes and suffixes.
Greater Essences are used the exact same way as regular Essences, with the only difference being that they can convert Magic items into Rare items.
Path of Exile II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
- Developer(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
- Publisher(s)
- Grinding Gear Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
