Just as Blizzard is facing backlash following the release of Diablo 4 Season 1, developer Grinding Gear Games has revealed new gameplay and the closed beta date for its upcoming action-RPG Path of Exile 2. But despite the frosty reception to the new season, it seems Diablo 4 fans haven't been won over by the Path of Exile sequel just yet.
In a post over on the Diablo subreddit, user ChornLane argues that Path of Exile's complexity is what is putting off fans of Blizzard's action-RPG. "If Diablo 4 had as many features as PoE, most of its playerbase would quit," they write. The player goes on to describe their own experience of Path of Exile, saying, "By the time I get to maps, my stash and inventory is filled with so many baubles and curios that I simply get overwhelmed. I look one of them up and see that I need three other pieces that require other pieces to access those pieces."
This is echoed by another player in a separate post comparing the two games. "PoE looks fun to me, but after trying to play it several times over the years and watching hours of YouTube content, I still don't know what the actual fuck I'm supposed to be doing at any point in that game". Similarly, user quozy1990 says that, despite several attempts, they can't get into Path of Exile. "I am hoping PoE2 lowers the entry barrier in some way," they write, adding, "If they succeed in doing that I can imagine a lot of Diablo players will go to PoE."
- Path of Exile 2's latest patch is "build-destroying," and action RPG fans are now stuck with heavy nerfs thanks to astronomical respec costs
- Diablo creator rips into modern ARPGs for being all about "killing screen-fulls of things instantly," says Diablo 2's pacing "is great" and "that’s one of the reasons it’s endured"
Path of Exile's elaborate nature isn't the only thing holding Diablo 4 fans back. "Watching 5 min of POE gameplay has convinced me Blizz made the right decision with the mini-map," says one user on the Diablo 4 subreddit. "The overlay looks terrible and covers most of the screen. You can barely see what's going on."
Of course, there are also many who greatly admire what Grinding Gear Games is doing with Path of Exile 2 and wish that Diablo 4 would follow suit. "Even if I'm not necessarily looking for the same depth as POE 2 on Diablo 4, is it possible to have a game of such quality?" user fixmeforall writes in another post. "Is it possible to have real seasons? With lots of new features? And the possibility of playing any build in a pleasant and reliable way?"
While Path of Exile 2 may not be winning over the Diablo 4 crowd at present, it might have a shot at FromSoftware's fanbase. In an interview, director Jonathan Rogers revealed that the sequel will go in an "Elden Ring sort of direction" rather than the "MMO path" of Diablo 4.
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