Path of Exile 2 Shakes Up the ARPG Formula, But What Do Early Access Players Think?

Path of Exile 2 entered early access in December 2024 and shook up the ARPG formula, putting action and skill expression ahead of the traditional power fantasy. Many players compare it to souls-likes, citing its demanding combat and strategic depth.

This analysis covers 20,000+ Steam reviews written in the first month of early access. For each topic, we compare how often players bring it up against our cross-game benchmark, and how positive those mentions are.

Summary

Differentiation: WASD movement and souls-like combat set the game apart, though some veterans see it as a move away from the series’ ARPG identity.
Progression: Build diversity is praised, but RNG-heavy crafting and the ascendancy trials frustrate players.
Approachability: Players note improvements over the first game, but it remains overwhelming for newcomers, with a steep learning curve and heavy reliance on external guides.
Pacing: Slow movement, large maps with little reward and long, punishing boss fights draw criticism, though some players welcome the change.
Outlook: Players are optimistic about future content and balance fixes, and trust the developer to respond.

Differentiation

Mentioned 4x as often as our benchmark, 84% positive and 14% negative.

Path of Exile 2 stands out with its souls-like combat and an appeal that is modern and nostalgic at the same time.

WASD movement and dodge rolls are frequently praised for making combat more dynamic.
Souls-like combat, with challenging bosses and tactical encounters, demands precise positioning and rewards skill expression.
Diablo 2 nostalgia, combined with modern, polished mechanics, resonates with players.
The move away from traditional ARPG identity draws criticism from some veterans, who feel the changes undercut the essence of Path of Exile and the genre’s power fantasy.

Expectation satisfaction tells the other side. It comes up slightly less often than our benchmark (0.9x), but 63% of those mentions are negative. Unmet expectations center on the gameplay changes and over-tuned difficulty, especially for a smaller group who wanted a refined version of the first game.

Progression

Mentioned 3.5x as often as our benchmark, 52% positive and 47% negative.

Progression defines the genre, and here it polarizes players: they praise build diversity but criticize the loot systems.

Build diversity allows deep customization through skills, support gems and passives.
Loot drops feel underwhelming, with few meaningful upgrades and little reward after challenging encounters.
RNG-heavy crafting makes progression feel inconsistent.
Ascendancy trials feel punishing, relying too much on luck rather than skill.

Approachability

Mentioned 3x as often as our benchmark, 31% positive and 66% negative.

Path of Exile 2 introduces more accessible systems and clearer tutorials, but the steep learning curve remains a barrier for new players.

The complexity is overwhelming. The passive skill tree, crafting and trading are dense, with little in-game explanation.
Players rely on external resources, frequently mentioning YouTube guides and wikis just to understand the basics.
The learning curve is steep and combat is punishing. Many compare it to Dark Souls, pointing to difficulty spikes, one-shot deaths and high execution demands.
Accessibility has improved. WASD movement, controller support, streamlined systems and better tutorials make it more beginner-friendly than the first game.

Pacing

Mentioned 2x as often as our benchmark, 30% positive and 70% negative.

The slower, more strategic pacing divides players. Some find it immersive and rewarding, others find it tedious. The main issue seems to be how the systems are tuned, such as the lack of meaningful rewards and long boss fights, rather than the systems themselves.

Large maps, slow movement and few meaningful rewards make exploration feel sluggish.
Boss fights are long and punishing, and bosses are often described as damage sponges.
Some players welcome the slower pace, finding it more rewarding, more immersive and distinct from the “zoom-zoom” style of other ARPGs.

Immersion comes up less often than our benchmark (0.7x), but it is overwhelmingly positive, at 99%. Players love the atmospheric world, the visual design and the narrative, and single out boss fights as storytelling highlights.

Outlook

Mentioned 2x as often as our benchmark, 80% positive and 14% negative.

Many players are confident in the game’s long-term success, pointing to its strong foundation and Grinding Gear Games’ track record of responsiveness. Developer trust is 61% positive.

Players are excited for future updates, including new classes, endgame expansions and quality-of-life changes.
Many trust the developers to address the issues.
Balance and pacing remain concerns, with players hoping difficulty and progression get fine-tuned over time.

Final thoughts

Path of Exile 2’s bold shift toward more action-based, skill-driven combat has been generally well received. The main challenge is system tuning, which is a promising position for an early access game.