Summary
- Path of Exile 2's player numbers and success are evident from the 450k-500k daily players on Steam.
- Ascendancy classes are a crucial decision in PoE 2, but unlike the first game, they are permanent.
- The inability to change Ascendancy classes in PoE 2 may lead to frustration and promote character rerolls.
Path of Exile 2 has been out for a little over two weeks in early access now, and it is arguably a huge success if player numbers on Steam are any indication, with 450,000 to 500,000 daily players since launch and an all-time peak of over 578,000 players. GGG's new action RPG is a standalone sequel that was initially meant to be an addition to the base game, and this change of plans means that Path of Exile 2 handles its gameplay features differently in many ways. With six classes in Path of Exile 2's early access and six more on the way, as well as two Ascendancies for each class, it may seem strange that the game dropped a huge feature from its predecessor.
There are many ways to build characters in Path of Exile 2 even before picking an Ascendancy class, and that's thanks to the deep and complex passive tree as well as the many skills that combo with one another. Ascendancy classes can take things to the next level by allowing players to specialize in some playstyles or even damage types, and picking the right Ascendancy is one of the biggest decisions in the game. Unlike the first game, Path of Exile 2 unfortunately makes this decision final.
Diablo 4 Still Has One Major Advantage Over Path of Exile 2 for Now
While Path of Exile 2 might be making an impressive stand against Diablo 4, the latter still has one major advantage over the former for now.
Path of Exile 2 May Be Shooting Itself in the Foot Without Ascendancy Changes
In Path of Exile, players are required to complete a full run of The Lord's Labyrinth to unlock their Ascendancy class, and then complete the same activity three more times in various stages of the game to get all eight Ascendancy points. This process can be more convoluted for the last two points, as players are tasked with finding all six smaller trials in endgame maps to then unlock the final version of the Labyrinth. Still, Path of Exile's Ascendancy classes can be changed by respeccing all points and running the first version of the Labyrinth again.
Path of Exile 2's Ascendancy Choice Being Final is a Strange Decision
The sequel doesn't allow such luxury for its players, and all Path of Exile 2's Ascendancy classes are final once chosen. This decision can seem particularly strange considering that the first game allowed players to change their Ascendancy, and in a game like Path of Exile 2 that launched in early access and information about what the classes might do, this can be all the weirder. Another problem is that this decision further consolidates the idea that Path of Exile 2 promotes rerolling a character over making changes to it.
For example, Path of Exile 2 doesn't have a free respec item like Diablo 4's Scroll of Amnesia, and a full respec can be quite expensive in gold in the endgame. However, as much as GGG wants to limit full respecs, which is probably why the game doesn't allow for Ascendancy changes, it is part of the ARPG experience to make even drastic changes to one character and try new items and builds. With the Ascendancy class locked after picking it, players may be frustrated once they reach the endgame and find their character is not performing as they hoped, and if they want to specialize in a different class, the only option is to start over.
Why Starting Over in Path of Exile 2 to Change Ascendancy is Frustrating
Starting over is very much something that ARPGs do, especially with the seasonal model and changes being made to the skills and builds that perform too well and those that are underperforming. Still, one could argue that Path of Exile 2's endgame is very different from the campaign, and the choice for the Ascendancy comes as early as Act 2.
As such, it would only make sense for Path of Exile 2 to give players the option to either test Ascendancies before committing to them, or better yet, to simply allow them to change their Ascendancy class by refunding all Ascendancy points and repeating PoE 2's Trial of the Sehkemas. It remains to be seen whether GGG changes its mind about this decision, given that the game is in early access, but for now, players should be wary that this big decision can't be walked back if they change their mind.
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
Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.
Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.
Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Path of Exile
- Early Access Release
- December 6, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
