PoE 2: Why the Current Design is Holding Back the Fun

Update for 0.1.1:

The recent 0.1.1 patch notes have failed to address the fundamental issues that keep me from returning to the game. More concerning, several critical problems have emerged in recent weeks that raise serious questions about the game's integrity:

The widespread presence of bots and real money trading (RMT) has significantly impacted the game's economy. Adding to these concerns are the ongoing exploitation of duplication glitches and a disturbing wave of account compromises. The game directors' recent interview was particularly troubling - their admission that they don't fully comprehend the source of the account security breaches, coupled with their vague assurance that the issue is resolved, does little to inspire confidence.

What I found even more concerning in that interview was Jonathan's apparent unfamiliarity with core game mechanics. For a game director to display such uncertainty about fundamental aspects of their own creation is, frankly, unprecedented in my experience with ARPGs.

The endgame design choices are equally puzzling, particularly the one-death-per-map restriction. I've intentionally avoided engaging with the endgame content thus far, and these reports only reinforce that decision. Such punitive mechanics seem at odds with creating an enjoyable player experience.

Claims of this being "the best ARPG of all time" now ring hollow. The current state of the game suggests a project that would benefit from more experienced leadership and development practices. Most telling is that Path of Exile 1 continues to provide a superior gaming experience, a sentiment increasingly reflected in Steam user reviews.

Unless significant changes are made to both the game's direction and development approach, I fear this sequel risks undermining the franchise's previously stellar reputation.

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Original post:


After extensively testing the first two acts with all classes over 40+ hours, I decided to pause the game after the Act 2 boss. The current gameplay experience feels more frustrating than enjoyable. More like a job than a game. However, there are positive aspects and great potential that could be realized with targeted adjustments.

Positive Aspects
- Graphics and Artwork: The visual design is excellent and creates an immersive atmosphere.
- Variety of Bosses: The numerous boss fights provide diversity and some challenges.
- Music and Sound Design: The high-quality audio enhances the overall experience by a lot.
- Performance: PoE 2 runs very well on my RTX3070 Laptop.

Negative Aspects with Suggestions for Improvement

1. PC Controls
- The controls often feel imprecise and laggy, significantly impacting the gameplay experience.
Suggestion: The control system from Path of Exile 1 should be ported back into Path of Exile 2. It was more precise and featured proven mechanics essential for an ARPG.

2. Loot System
- Loot is nearly nonexistent, and many rewards feel trivial. Vendors currently provide the best items, undermining the core appeal of looting in an ARPG.
Suggestion: The drop rate, particularly for currency, should be significantly increased to enhance crafting. Rewards should feel meaningful and rewarding to boost player motivation.

3. Crafting
- Crafting feels like an extended item identification system. Without sufficient currency drops, there is little incentive to engage with it.
Suggestion: In addition to increasing drop rates, deterministic crafting options should be introduced, reducing reliance on random outcomes. Systems in games like Last Epoch or Monster Hunter, where players can farm specific resources for targeted upgrades, could serve as inspiration.

4. Storyline and Map Navigation
- The storyline and interface are often confusing. Players rarely receive clear indications of what they need to do next.
Suggestion: Improving map navigation and quest guidance through markers or clearer visual indicators, as seen in Grim Dawn or Torchlight, could help alleviate this issue.

5. Movement and Movement Skills
- The character doesn’t just feel slow—it is objectively slow.
Suggestion: The base movement speed should be increased to create a more dynamic gameplay experience. Additionally, access to movement skills could enhance the sense of agility without compromising balance.

6. Ascension System
- The Sanctum system feels entirely out of place and disconnected from the core progression of the game. The current Honor system, in particular, has nothing to do with character development and detracts from the overall experience.
Suggestion: This system should either be completely reworked, or even better, removed. Alternatively, it could be presented as an optional challenge that does not interfere with character progression.

7. Build Diversity
- Classes and skill gems are very unbalanced, with certain builds clearly favored.
Suggestion: A systematic overhaul of balancing is essential. Importantly, avoid the mistake seen in Path of Exile 1, where adjustments were made primarily for the endgame, leaving many skills useless or frustrating in the early game. A holistic approach covering all phases of the game is crucial.

8. Support Gems
- Support gems can only be used once in the entire skill setup, and there are no options for upgrading them. This significantly limits player creativity and flexibility in building characters.
Suggestion: Introduce a system that allows support gems to be upgraded. Additionally, allow support gems to be used across multiple skills to encourage build diversity.

9. Unique Items
- The unique items seen so far are unappealing and uninspired.
Suggestion: Instead of simple stat sticks, unique items should feature build-defining properties, as in Path of Exile 1.

10. Trading System
- External tools and websites are still necessary for trading after 10+ Years...
Suggestion: Implement an integrated auction house, similar to World of Warcraft, to make trading more accessible for all players.

11. Map Layouts
- Maps are often too large, requiring excessive backtracking.
Suggestion: More concise map layouts and additional fast-travel points, as seen in Last Epoch or Torchlight 2, could enhance the player experience.

General Comments
- Difficulty Level: The difficulty level is hard to evaluate at this stage, since the issues mentioned above either leave players stuck during the campaign or trivialize some content when they happen to get lucky at a vendor. Both outcomes are objectively bad. Adjusting the loot and progression systems to create a more consistent challenge could help balance the learning curve.

- Skill Interactions: While simplified skill interactions are a welcome change, the late availability of critical skill gems hampers meaningful character development in the early game.
Suggestion: Ensure the early availability of essential skill gems and allow players to define their builds early on. Alternatively, buff the available skills from levels 1-41 to make them more impactful, until the build-defining skills are unlocked. This would help maintain player engagement and provide a more rewarding progression path.

This feedback is intended as constructive criticism to help improve Path of Exile 2 and make it more engaging for players in the long term. The suggestions are inspired by best practices from successful ARPGs and aim to enhance the overall player experience.

It's crazy because after getting 1 char to mid maps on this account, 1 char to mid maps on a 2nd account, and collecting all feedback from my guildies and friends who are in maps and lvl 80+, we think that the current design isnt holding back the fun, it's just slight tweaks.

People writing off the game by Act TWO on multiple classes and wanting GGG to change it to be a PoE1 reskin is just a damn shame.

I get where you're coming from, but it's hard to ignore that some of the current design choices are definitely impacting the enjoyment for a lot of players, especially early on. Sure, it's still early, and some tweaks can improve things, but the technically poorly implemented control system, loot progression, and skill access issues are more than just minor bumps. It's not about making it a PoE1 reskin, but rather addressing key aspects that make the experience smoother and more rewarding for everyone.

If you're not seeing this, it sure is easy to stay in your guild bubble, but for others it’s important to broaden your view and consider the wider player experience.

If these things aren’t fixed early on, many players will check out before they get to see the full potential of the game. It’s a balance between keeping the challenge and ensuring that the core gameplay is engaging from the start.

"

Kaboinglefop#0955 wrote:

It's crazy because after getting 1 char to mid maps on this account, 1 char to mid maps on a 2nd account, and collecting all feedback from my guildies and friends who are in maps and lvl 80+, we think that the current design isnt holding back the fun, it's just slight tweaks.

People writing off the game by Act TWO on multiple classes and wanting GGG to change it to be a PoE1 reskin is just a damn shame.

You are on a feedback forum complaining about ppl giving feedback oposite to your opinion. Childish.


+1 to OP

Updated original post to reflect the latest changes through 0.1.0d Hotfix 1. I’ll likely revisit and test campaign progression with each 0.1 release increment, to keep the initial post up to date.

The recent 0.1.1 patch notes have failed to address the fundamental issues that keep me from returning to the game. More concerning, several critical problems have emerged in recent weeks that raise serious questions about the game's integrity:

The widespread presence of bots and real money trading (RMT) has significantly impacted the game's economy. Adding to these concerns are the ongoing exploitation of duplication glitches and a disturbing wave of account compromises. The game directors' recent interview was particularly troubling - their admission that they don't fully comprehend the source of the account security breaches, coupled with their vague assurance that the issue is resolved, does little to inspire confidence.

What I found even more concerning in that interview was Jonathan's apparent unfamiliarity with core game mechanics. For a game director to display such uncertainty about fundamental aspects of their own creation is, frankly, unprecedented in my experience with ARPGs.

The endgame design choices are equally puzzling, particularly the one-death-per-map restriction. I've intentionally avoided engaging with the endgame content thus far, and these reports only reinforce that decision. Such punitive mechanics seem at odds with creating an enjoyable player experience.

Claims of this being "the best ARPG of all time" now ring hollow. The current state of the game suggests a project that would benefit from more experienced leadership and development practices. Most telling is that Path of Exile 1 continues to provide a superior gaming experience, a sentiment increasingly reflected in Steam user reviews.

Unless significant changes are made to both the game's direction and development approach, I fear this sequel risks undermining the franchise's previously stellar reputation.