Path of exile (POE) has released its biggest expansion yet, The Fall of Oriath which they have labeled as Path of Exile 3.0. Now a lot of POE fans are excited about this update. Before we can decide whether or not POE 3.0 is worth playing, let’s take a peek at some of the features that have been included in this new update.
The new update comes with acts, a new story progression, the new “Pantheon” system and of course lots of new skills. The gaming experience has been streamlined to remove difficulties from three down to one. The new acts are numbered 5 to 10 and are split in tow, Part I and Part II. In addition to the changes in the storyline progression and the acts, POE also made some changes to the gameplay. They include:
–Damage over time has been reworked. Bleeding and poisoning are now classified as ailments.
–Energy shield values have also been reworked. This is a huge change as it will impact the future and even the current status of a lot of builds.
-Ghost Reaver, Pierce and Vaal pact have also been reworked.
–New skill gems and unique items have also included in the update.
–The addition of graphic effects, optimization of gameplay and a lot of welcome graphical improvements to make the game run more smoothly.
Another huge addition to the game is the Pantheon system. You get to go head to head with some gods as the level boss. Killing them earns you different types of bonus depending on the god you just faced.
So now we’ve seen a few of the updates that come with Path of Exile 3.0. If you want the complete update list, you can always check out Wikis or the POE official site.Let’s look at a couple of pros and cons of POE 3.0
Pros
The first one is the fact that this is still a free to play role-playing action game (ARPG). So if you’re looking for something similar to Diablo or Grim dawn, then you can just pick up. There are two available versions, the Steam version, and the version that’s downloadable from the path of exile official site. Both versions have the same feature and run on the same servers, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on a feature.
Most games today seem to have turned their cash shops into pay to win centers. The good thing about POE is that the cash shop is mostly for cosmetic upgrades and some pets that don’t add any significant boost to your character.
One of the features that have made the path of exile so popular over the years is the challenge leagues that occur. Challenge leagues give the game a fresh new twist and difficulty and last for several months. The challenge leagues give players a reason to keep coming back.
One of the things players complained about with Diablo 3 was the limited location and monsters that are available. Path of exile has a large monster variety and a broad location range and with the new “pantheon system” there are a lot more battles to be fought.
Cons
If you’re new to the path of exile, you may find this game to be a bit complex. Veterans may not consider this an issue and may even come back because of its complexity. But for the beginner player, something this complex may not be what you want to get into.
Before you can get some of the higher end items, you may need to participate in some trading. Again this isn’t exactly a problem if you have some experience with POE, but for the beginner player, it can be frustrating especially since you probably don’t know how to go about trading Path of Exile currency.
Verdict
While the game can be frustrating if you’re just starting out, it is still a diverse world filled with several characters you can choose from, multiple locations to battle and the variety of monsters make this game still worth getting into.
Path of Exile 3.0 takes all the brilliance of the previous versions and combines it with better graphics and gameplay, newer challenges and monsters, and streamlines it all to give you an overall better game play. So is POE 3 still worth playing? Our Verdict is yes.
