Path of Exile: A New Hope

First, let me start by saying I am still releasing a video observation of Path of Exile as well as debuting it on a newly create Youtube channel. I’m sure like two people got excited.

But let’s talk about Path of Exile and something that means a little bit more than the game itself. Path of Exile is developed by Grinding Gear Games and developed this game because they think that the recent releases of Action RPG games are absolute garbage. It’s hard to disagree with that sentiment and it’s that passion. Resident Evil, as an example, was birthed by this same exact sentiment in the survival horror genre. However, Path of Exile is interesting on a larger scale of the game industry and gives out a glimpse of hope for us as players.

So imagine this: you’re waiting playing this awesome game that your friends also play called Diablo 2. It’s this fantastic loot fest of a game that you can pour hours into and not think anything of it. However, time goes on and other games gain your interest, but you always kept that sweet spot of Diablo in your heart…that deep dark crevice of your heart that loves that dark and desolate hellish world. There are rumors of another entry coming out, but it dies out, then you hear about it again, then it goes away, then again. But this time, you got concrete evidence. A decade it may have been, but you can forgive the developer. It’s worth it for a game that should have endless amounts of content and polish. But you were too narrow-minded.

Suddenly, this game gives you basically a shitty MMORPG launch problem with DRM protection that won’t allow you to play the game unless you are 100% connected to the internet at all times. You play through the game, and it’s alright. But that’s it. Tons of content? Nope. PvP? Nope. Oh, but there’s an economy…and you can buy stuff with real money…yay?

Suffice it to say, Diablo 3 pissed a lot of people off. And at that, the graphic art style moved completely away from the original dark and creepy dungeons of Diablo and Diablo 2. Instead, the game seems more like WoW: The Action RPG You Never Wanted! Let’s be honest, Blizzard along with their butt buddies Activision fucked this up and shot themselves in the foot, and it didn’t surprise me. No one believed me when it was not worth the price of admission, which is overpriced for any PC game at $60.

So that brings us to Path of Exile. Price of admission? Free. Don’t believe me? Go download it and see for yourself. But it must have an item shop or some other cash shop right? Cosmetics only. Don’t believe me? Go download it and see for yourself. Well it’s free so the graphics must suck right? It has very well done visuals with an innovative art style that is dark and evil reminiscent of Diablo and Diablo 2. Don’t believe me? Go download it and see for yourself.

Or you can just look at this image. Do you see the difference here? Notice a different tone here?

Now, I’m not going to get into my observation of Path of Exile thus far, that will be in the video, but I want to talk about what this means for the video game industry and how this is a positive step for us as players. Action RPGs like this will no appeal to everyone. I’ve already talked to those that either just don’t get the fun in the genre and never really gave it a chance or whatever their opinion may be for not liking the game. And that’s fine, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and I get that every game isn’t for everyone.

But what we have are developers who understand mechanics that make the game fun. This is a great example that developers are still game lovers as well and will game of passion and not just to suck money out of our pockets. These guys at Grinding Gear Games identified a problem plaguing a genre that they themselves loved and decided to take it in the right direction.

It also just goes to show you that you don’t need to force players to buy your game or buy items to make their character viable to even have fun. The recent surge in free-to-play competitive games like Planetside 2 and Hawken has really revitalized my faith in developers, but I still like cash shops are sometimes the only way to get on par with other people who have “progressed” through the game. This is evident in games like League of Legends where you can say how “fair” it is and if you put the time in, you can buy any character with points in game, but it takes for fucking ever. Sorry to say. And even then, if that one character is the only character you really enjoyed playing during that week’s free line-up and you want to keep playing it, then you better start grinding your way to get him or her. Or, you can put $10 in the game and just get the character you want and maybe a costume. I don’t approve of these kinds of money traps for something I’m not going to ever physically hold in my hands, sorry. Path of Exile focuses on just the cosmetics. There’s no currency in game, so there’s no item farmers. Trading with players and NPCs is based on a barter system, and it actually works.

It seems Path of Exile focused on the important thing and that is playing a dungeon loot crawler with randomized maps. There’s no worrying or grinding for that epic loot drop to try and sell in on the auction house for money. The sad thing is, this seems revolutionary, but it really isn’t. It’s just something game developers don’t get, for some reason.

Path of Exile is worth everyone’s support. Even if you don’t like the genre or even the game, just know that somewhere out there a developer cares about you. They care that you hate the games that saturate your favorite genre with garbage.