Path of Exile 2 – Day 8: Playing with a Migraine

Platform: PC
Controls: X-Input Controller
Class: Titan
Level: 39

Skills:
Rolling Slam L9 with Overpower and Splinter
Boneshatter L9 with Execute and Impact Shockwave and Magnified Effect
Volcanic Fissure L9 with Fire Infusion and Persistence
Shield Charge L9 with Stomping Ground and Second Wind
Armour Breaker L9 with Martial Tempo and Break Endurance
Infernal Cry L9 with Premeditation and Corrupting Cry
Perfect Strike L9 with Eternal Flame and Unbreakable
Sunder L9 with Brutality and Fist of War
Overwhelming Presence L9 with Precision and Vitality

Content: Jungle Ruins, Venom Crypts, Infested Barrens, and The Azak Bog

Another day where I didn't get to play to the extent I wanted. And there are plenty more of those to come! Today was particularly bad though. I'm always in some amount of pain, despite the treatments I'm on. But every so often I get really bad flare ups. These are especially common as I approach my treatment dates since the last one is wearing off. With one on Monday, I'm in a lot of pain right now.

So can I play Path of Exile 2 while at this level of pain? There's usually at least some content in PoE1 I can do like this, though I wouldn't try to run a pinnacle boss.
The answer is surprisingly yes! I definitely struggled with bosses and some rares, but I could mostly maintain the rhythm of clearing areas. Will it be this way in Cruel or Maps? We'll have to see!


What's Working for Me
The nostalgia is definitely still strong. In Diablo 2 you go from a medieval themed plains area, to an Arabic themed desert area, to a Central American themed jungle. Here we go from a medieval themed wooded area, to a central Asian themed desert area, to a Central American themed jungle . . . with some Haitian inspirations thrown in.

This is not to say this is entirely derivative. While we still have tribal warriors and shamans and mosquitoes and little guys with blow guns, there's also stuff returning from PoE1 and new stuff too. I got to travel through the above ground portion of a massive ant colony, for example. Also I don't think a bog has ever looked this fetid in a video game.

As drops improve, I'm continuing to have fun trying to tune my build and problem solve. I do want to second the idea of swapping Runes that many have asked for, but I think the number of Artificers are more of a problem than having a Rune stuck in my gear. Still, I feel like I'm always making progress towards the next improvement.


What I'm Struggling With
Mighty Silverfist was definitely a challenge! While the mechanics were simple, it's definitely one of those fights where if you lose the rhythm, you're not likely to survive the mistake. My main criticism here actually isn't his damage though. Getting slammed by a pillar to a death screen feels appropriate. It's actually his roll attack I have a problem with. It's another attack that I feel needs some more telegraphing for how much damage it deals.

And while this could be a luck issue, I'm feeling the lack of Jewelers now. I'm not getting any shortage of uncut support gems, but they're just going in the stash. I have the base supports I think I need for my skills right now. And since I've only got two sockets on all but one skill, there's no way to use the gems I'm getting.

Good thing I have gem tab!


What's Not Working
I was going to mention this during Act 2 but forgot. There is a lot of environmental assets in this game that block the camera. Doorways and passageways that are thick enough that you can't see what's in them. Trees and pillars and rock formations in the foreground frequently block the view of the action. While you can try to account for it during your engagements, it doesn't feel like a thematic or interesting challenge. Our character can see what's in front of them, we should be able to see it too.


That's it for now! I'm still pleasantly surprised at how much I can enjoy this game while at this level of pain. Keep up the good work!