Path of Exile Open Beta Review

Path of Exile (PoE) from Grinding Gear Games is one of the latest action RPG games available to gamers. The catch here is that PoE, when officially released, will be free to play on Windows-based PCs. To monetize the game they are selling different graphical effects or pets for your characters, nothing required to play the game. Even better, PoE is playable right now through an Open Beta.

Having completed and reviewed Diablo 3 previously here, I have a pretty good sense of what the current generation of action RPGs is like. PoE has a set of six characters to choose from to explore the world of Wraeclast.  You can choose from the Templar, Witch, Duelist, Ranger, Marauder and Shadow. Each of the characters share a common skill tree but start in their own special area of the skill tree so each is distinct in their specialties early in the game and aligned with one of the three main stats of Strength, Dexterity or Intelligence. More on the skill tree below. The story starts with you winding up stranded on Wraeclast, a “forsaken” land where exiled prisoners are dropped as punishment for their transgressions.

The world of Wraeclast being a land of outcasts has developed an economy based on items rather than money. Identify scrolls (Scrolls of Wisdom) are the coin of the realm in the start town along with a few other novel items. This means that trading items found (even the non-magical items that can be found most anywhere) is beneficial to you in the early game. When in town you will find other players as well as NPCs (non-player characters) you can trade with and quests to try.

At its heart, PoE is about exploring the world, killing monsters and getting loot. The graphics are well done and the attack, skill and spell effects look great. I am playing on an old Windows XP laptop running an AMD Athlon dual-core 2.1 GHz processor with 3GB of RAM and while I do experience hiccups and lag at times, the game is certainly playable. Unlike other games where each class may have specific spells or skills, PoE uses a common skill tree of passive abilities that modify your stats and capabilities with items and skill gems. These gems can be added to socketed items worn/used by your character to that provide your character with additional skills like lightning or fire traps. Items also can be modified using special orbs to add extra magical abilities or make a common item magical.

All of the usual aspects of an action RPG are here good visuals, quests, lots of item variety (normal, magic, rare, etc.). Some of the more novel bits are quite nice like the orbs and lack of a gold currency. Note that the game is still in beta despite all of the polish and hopefully will only get better. One thing that I have found annoying is the lack of being able to right click on an item in the inventory to move it to a vendor to sell it. If that is all I have to complain about in a game in beta, they must be doing something right. Since it’s free, go sign up for the Open Beta of Path of Exile now – it’s rated Four Mick Happies.

Here's an example of the Templar in action