The one true juicy POE 2 review I know you've been dying to read

[Lagwalker]

After more than 20 hours I'm going to share my perception of the game and my opinion on the comments, mostly negative, from other users.

First we have to make clear what the central axis of this type of games is: Kill NPCs, get items, improve the character. Why? To kill more NPCs more efficiently, get more items to improve our character further. Why? To continue killing many more NPCs more quickly and efficiently, to increase the chances of getting more and better items, to improve our character further...

What can be noticed in POE 2 as opposed to POE 1 and other ARPGs?

The speed to put into practice this endless cycle of killing, looting, improving is affected by certain mechanics intentionally added to the game.

The main star, rolling to evade.

Far from being just another tool, and I would even say optional, in POE 2 it is mandatory and from the first steps onwards you have to constantly roll to avoid dying.

This puts a considerable brake on the sense of progression speed and is a strong penalty for builds that are not consistent with this style of play.

More time rolling, less time focused on attacking, slower farming of NPCs.

It is true that certain builds can obtain a certain synergy in this style of movement, but that significantly reduces the diversity that the game offers and reduces everything to a niche of few options.

Does this make the game hardcore?

Not necessarily, at least not from the traditional point of view.

Let's say that the hardcore aspect that could previously focus on the vast knowledge by the player of each interaction in the game mechanics to master them and obtain almost absolute control of combat situations now filtered more intensely to the sensory and motor aspect that the player must contribute to achieve good performance.

An aspect that was mostly based on knowledge and wisdom when applying it now constantly demands coordination and reflexes, almost perfect.

This can be motivating and attractive for a group of players, but it undoubtedly becomes an insurmountable wall for many others who may be deprived of finding a pleasant experience in what is usually a refuge or escape from reality as a form of recreation.

Is this good, is it bad?

It is simply that, a barrier that will determine who stays and who goes.

It is clearly an indicator of the type of public to which it is directed and from experience, it is clear that POE 2 does not seek to be a mass game but rather a niche one.

To the complexity of rolling, from the beginning, is added the blocking and pushing that the NPCs can exert on our character in situations that without the correct planning and preparation are a sure death sentence.

Can it be mitigated?

Yes, but this leads to a clear reduction in the speed of our character's progress, which depends on two large variables: luck before the RNG GOD to obtain the necessary items and the vast knowledge of the infinite number of passives to know which to assign and when.

One can be mastered through what some call preparation.

Studying, if you want, the immense amount of passives and their benefits related to the skills we are going to choose and the way in which we are going to enhance them.

The other no longer depends on one and can only be mitigated with repetition, something that, as we mentioned, is noticeably slowed down.

Added to this complex recipe is that in many cases, the effective or desired performance is found several steps down the road, it is not immediate and this makes it, for many, too much time of agony and very little satisfaction.

Again, is this wrong?

Not necessarily, it is part of the game's identity and makes it clear who it is trying to seduce, and who it is trying to push away.

That said, I'm going to reflect on general perceptions (yours and mine).

- Farming is slow and frustrating: It depends on the profile of each player. Those who enjoy the challenge and have the ability to do it will surely be pleased. Those who have a low level of resistance to frustration, get stressed easily in situations they can't handle or can't or don't want to invest a lot of time in preparation and adaptation are surely not at their best.

- Loot is mediocre: Personally, I think that something stands out from the rest when it is scarce or difficult to acquire. In essence, the axis of the game is based on that complex search. Of course, everything mentioned above makes that search for many become something discouraging. The only thing I can assure is that if something unique is frequent, its acquisition stops being interesting and takes away essence from the genre. From my experience I can't complain since in my journey I was able toI found what I needed to progress, I didn't run into any shortages of resources (gold, equipment, upgrade coins, etc.) and what I acquired allowed me to improve my character in a decent way. Of course, we must not forget about RNG when dismissing what others may experience and hence their conflicting opinions with ours. Tolerance and empathy, essential in a community.

- Having to roll in a mandatory way is a mistake: From my perspective, the impact is noticeable and not necessarily appreciated. It requires adopting an unexpected approach to play and like any adaptation, there are those who don't want to and those who can't. I think that this mechanic is not very attractive and they should look for a way to reduce its impact on the game or at least offer a more relaxed mode that allows a more general and not so niche audience to enjoy the game.

- Bosses are unnecessarily difficult: Difficulty is measured by how long it takes to overcome it. For certain types of players it may not be obvious and they may even be aggressive with those who express frustration. The difficulty of the bosses lies in a single axis, rolling. Obviously, for those who find this type of approach unpleasant or even impossible (for various reasons that are not relevant here) the reality is that they are placed before an insurmountable barrier. I don't know if it is the best decision to sow this type of experience in such low-level encounters where the majority is still not familiar with the complexity of making a good build, correcting errors is very penalizing or is in its testing stage regarding what feelings the game awakens in them.

- The management and limitations of the inventory are terrible: Well, this is the case in the genre. Limited inventory, countless trips to the city to sell, disenchant, deconstruct, store, etc. It is part of the essence of these games and changing it, well, would be playing something else.

- Healing and mana potions are scarce: Again, it's the genre and its style. Having scarce resources leads to preparation and drives the search for improvement. It also puts a brake or limit on the progress of those who, according to the guidelines of the game, are not yet ready to continue down that path. A clear indication that it is time to take a couple of steps back and come back stronger when the time comes. Yes, it is understandable that it is not to the liking of many and does not fit with their style of play or expectations, but it is a hallmark of the genre and removing it would distort part of its essence.

- Re-specialization should be easier: I understand it, in fact, at times I can even wish for it. But that level of penalty is a clear message of welcome. Do not advance without being sure, learn from your mistakes and pay the price for making them, improve your knowledge and you will be rewarded. Removing this or lightening it would dilute a fundamental part of the genre's identity. It's not a punishment, it's a lesson, it's up to you to learn it or put it aside.

- I feel cheated for buying this game: Well, well, well... Something that shouldn't be explained, but here we go. Nobody, absolutely nobody, forces us to buy blindly, a game that is clearly published as early access, which the developers clearly invite those who want to be part of its development, which has no content available to evaluate in its entirety and which we access voluntarily after agreeing to make a payment to be able to do so. Any exposition or argument is pure and simple unbiased speculation and lacks self-criticism. In any case, the lesson should be, next time I have to learn to wait, inform myself well about what I'm about to buy, not get carried away by the desire to be one of the first to participate and in that way I will avoid paying for something that I don't really like.

In short, I think that POE 2 has a lot of potential but needs time to mature into its best version.

The final destiny of the game and how it will be remembered depends on the decisions the developers make along this path of evolution.

What is clear at this point is that POE 2 is not a simple sequel to POE 1 nor does it try to be just another one of the genre. I think the developers' intention is to give it their own style and stand out from the rest. The end of this path will tell if they were right or if they made a big mistake.

[Grimmx]

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Its a good game that will turn into a really good game for people that like this kind of game.
I'm having a good time, but i am considering shelving it for a while, and let them sort out this "beta".
I'm 100% sure this game will be great in 6-12 months time.
Its an early access with lots of unbalances.

[Lagwalker]

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Its a good game that will turn into a really good game for people that like this kind of game.
I'm having a good time, but i am considering shelving it for a while, and let them sort out this "beta".
I'm 100% sure this game will be great in 6-12 months time.
Its an early access with lots of unbalances.

Personally, I don't dislike it. The change they made with the progression speed compared to POE 1 in the first acts was very evident (not to mention Diablo, Grim Dawn, etc.) and I'm certainly not a fan of having to roll all the time, but it's not something that's going to keep me from playing the game for the moment.

They have a lot to polish and it certainly wasn't what I expected compared to what they had announced or the little that could be seen.

At the moment I feel that it's playable but it could be much better.

We'll see how it evolves.

[Vespertellino]

A well thought-out and a well-written/edited review! I tip my hat to you, even though I may disagree in parts

[Vespertellino]

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Imagine being instantly hostile to anyone who disagrees with you, no matter the situation

[Nextactus]

My only real gripe (if you really want to call it that) with your review is the Dodge roll argument. I honestly don't need to dodge roll that much. I only roll to get out of the way of telegraphed AOE's and in a few other instances that are honestly usually my own fault for getting into that situation in the first place. When it comes to fighting trash mobs just normal movement has been enough for me. I honestly like that fact that positioning matters in this game. Most other ARPG's positioning doesn't matter because of blinks or other movement skills. I just think everyone is relying too much on the roll instead of thinking about position.

on bosses I do agree that the First act bosses up to the act boss could be overwhelming for newer players to the genre. I think some of them definitely need to be toned down a bit. BUT from the act 1 boss on, they should remain to be difficult. You use act one to learn the game and then the rest of the game playing it. Personally that is the point of being a boss, if its not a hard challenge that tests not only your gear but your skill then what is the point.

Other than that it's you honest opinion and should be taken as such. Do i agree with it all? not at all. But that's the joyous thing about opinions, we don't have to agree on them.

[Nextactus]

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Imagine being instantly hostile to anyone who disagrees with you, no matter the situation

yea statements like that have no purpose and are meant only to try to stir up crap. I know my opinions are different from a lot of people on this board but flaming gets you no where

[Grimmx]

Originally posted by Lagwalker:

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Its a good game that will turn into a really good game for people that like this kind of game.
I'm having a good time, but i am considering shelving it for a while, and let them sort out this "beta".
I'm 100% sure this game will be great in 6-12 months time.
Its an early access with lots of unbalances.

Personally, I don't dislike it. The change they made with the progression speed compared to POE 1 in the first acts was very evident (not to mention Diablo, Grim Dawn, etc.) and I'm certainly not a fan of having to roll all the time, but it's not something that's going to keep me from playing the game for the moment.

They have a lot to polish and it certainly wasn't what I expected compared to what they had announced or the little that could be seen.

At the moment I feel that it's playable but it could be much better.

We'll see how it evolves.

I'm undecided about the rolling so far, because my last 2 builds have been Shield Melee, and 2h Bonk Melee, and i don't roll much, except for bosses offcourse.
I'm just saying you can build around it, somewhat.

Both these builds felt pretty strong. Sure you need to manage resists with a few bosses, bot otherwise enjoyable.
I started out with Minion build, and it was just weak. (to my surprise)
So i guess that gets people complaining, when they pick a weak build and get a bad experience.
My advice, just reroll sooner rather than later.
I figure its just unbalance atm, they will collect data then balance the game.

That said, i have enjoyed it, i just don't want to overplay it before they balance it.

[Grimmx]

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Another player that jumped on the hype train without even considering the game wasn't for him.

Imagine being instantly hostile to anyone who disagrees with you, no matter the situation

Originally posted by Nextactus:

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Imagine being instantly hostile to anyone who disagrees with you, no matter the situation

yea statements like that have no purpose and are meant only to try to stir up crap. I know my opinions are different from a lot of people on this board but flaming gets you no where

I wrote nothing that isnt true.
I really think alot of the complaining on this forum comes from people that really never should have bought the game in the first place.

Sorry if i hurt your feelings guys. Ill do better next time. Promise.

[Vespertellino]

Originally posted by Grimmx:

I wrote nothing that isnt true.

You don't have to say wrong things to be hostile
Being hostile IS the wrong thing, unless it's warranted of course

Once you get out of kindergarten you'll understand

[Vespertellino]

Originally posted by Grimmx:

I really think alot of the complaining on this forum comes from people that really never should have bought the game in the first place.

For example this is a much better explanation of your opinion without the added layer of snarkiness and hostility on top

[Grimmx]

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Originally posted by Grimmx:

I wrote nothing that isnt true.

You don't have to say wrong things to be hostile
Being hostile IS the wrong thing

Once you get out of kindergarten you'll udnerstand

Are you for real?

[Vespertellino]

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Once you get out of kindergarten you'll understand

And this is an intentionally snarky response that will get you on people's bad side instantly

[JZilla]

Originally posted by Lagwalker:

The end of this path will tell if they were right or if they made a big mistake.

i told them racing was a big mistake during closed beta of poe 1.

POE2 Big Mistakes:
1. getting pinned
2. loot drops
3. requirement of constant movement in fights
4. still have unclear skill nodes and lack of clarity there

If they get rid of these 4 issues and POE2 could be the best game of all time.
Keep these 4 issues and POE2 will be a fart in the wind.

[Vespertellino]

Originally posted by Grimmx:

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

You don't have to say wrong things to be hostile
Being hostile IS the wrong thing

Once you get out of kindergarten you'll udnerstand

Are you for real?

As I said
You might not understand it now, but once you grow up - you might

[Grimmx]

Originally posted by Le Toucan:

Originally posted by Grimmx:

I really think alot of the complaining on this forum comes from people that really never should have bought the game in the first place.

For example this is a much better explanation of your opinion without the added layer of snarkiness and hostility on top

Keep it up and i will block you.
I mean, you cant be serious?
I hardy said anything that on modern forums would be regarded as hostile?
And you are talking about Kindergarden?
What?

Seriously. Get a grip Son.