UNDERRATED is a new video series by Pokket where she takes a free-to-play game and does a 3-4 part video series covering the game. This is the first video of the first series covering Path of Exile. It basically shows the beginning steps of the game, logging in, showing the options, and getting used to the controls right off the bat.

Next she will be showing higher content, some side misc things (like crafting), and finally some content requested by the viewers.

Since this is the first of many, please feel free to leave constructive feedback! There's always room for improvement. Also, if you want to see a game in the future, leave it in a comment below.

It's definitely not underrated on this site.  I've tried it on two separate occasions and the core of the game is tragically flawed:

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

It's definitely not underrated on this site.  I've tried it on two separate occasions and the core of the game is tragically flawed:

 

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

 

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

I don't know, I really liked Titan Quest. I wouldn't say D2 was all that much better.

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

It's definitely not underrated on this site.  I've tried it on two separate occasions and the core of the game is tragically flawed:

 

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

 

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

Totally agree. I tried the game and it just plain sucked. Period.

Underrated? Any rating above an absolute zero on that game is overrating already. Horrendous game.

First off, I like that you give coverage to more obscure games. I mean, every outlet does the big titles - it's nice to know that the little ones aren't entirely lost :-).

That said: Pokket, you mention that you can't see when you hit/crit/dodge. You actually can. It's just not in floating combat text.

When you crit, your entire screen shakes. When you hit, the monster plays a 'hit' animation (if the hit was large enough. If it wasn't, you still see it lose HP). The only thing you can't readily see is when you dodge. You only know this because you don't lose life. Yes, this might really be due to "spoiled gamer". Or more accurately "conditioned by WoW", where you can't live without FCT telling your every action. And there, it was actually implemented because the ingame tools were not sufficient for the task. I.e. the dodge animation does play, but it only plays for the first dodge in a row. If you dodge while your character is in this animation, it doesn't show - that's part of why FCT became so popular.

As you probably can tell, I'm a huge fan of letting the setting  show the information instead employing a meta tool like FCT.

To the next part: Killing mobs refills your potions. On the one hand, it promotes actually using those potions. On the other, it prevents hoarding and spamming them. By the by, if you're low on potion charges, you can always Townportal  - being in town recharges any active flask/vial.

Do you know one of the most hated mechanics in WoW? It's less noticeable since TBC because of the flying mounts - but for a long time, the "Daze" mechanic was unrivaled, Which is exactly what you're proposing for PoE: "Some sort of stun/slow that makes it not as easy to bypass content" (and there ARE certain mobs/enchantments that do just that. No worries. Both slowing you and running really fast.).

To that, I say: It's frustrating when you're forced to do content you don't like. Diablo-likes are not there to grind through them (D3 tries to get the players to do that with their weird 'quests' system). When you play through it for the first time, you will want to see everything. Skipping content isn't really a concern then. And after you've seen it, why not skip it? If you can handle the mobs in later areas, you should be able to do just that. Heck, there's a certain 'challenge' event in CB: "Hardcore ladder races': Who can get the farthest in a few hours?

Last part, constructive criticism: I know that some Beta testers had complained about having only the basic attack in the first level (the first skill was an award from killing Hillock). GGG since changed it so that your first skill is dropped from the first zombie you encounter. You know, the one snacking on your fellow Exile at the very beginning. So, since they actually give you that skill, it might have been nice to actually use it. It's kinda boring to watch someone killing mobs just with basic attacks. I do want to see how the skills look like and how they play (yes, personally, I'm in the Beta and I know. But it's a generic 'I' :-P).

Another one would be very minor and nit-picky: You are not shipwrecked (though many others in Wraeclast are). Your character is a criminal whose sentence was being exiled to the 'evil' continent of Wraeclast. You're washing up on the shore because you were dumped into the sea by your captors -  nobody sails near Wraeclast because of all that evil. And you're given a weapon because your judges were 'generous'. I'm basically just putting that in because in many games, you're re-playing the 'hero's journey': Young goody-two-shoes sets out to become a hero. In PoE, you're not necessarily good or heroic. If you take a look at the class descriptions, it gets quite clear that many feature a rather unsavoury past. And this feeds nicely into the over-all dark atmosphere: This is not a game where you must become the hero. You first and foremost fight for your own survival. And yes, in the course of the game, you can decide to ally with some of the 'bad' guys.

A last point: I think this video did a nice job at doing a "beginner's view" of Path Of Exile. Thanks! Looking forward to the next episodes, but would greatly enjoy it if the was a bit more fact-checking before-hand :-).

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

It's definitely not underrated on this site.  I've tried it on two separate occasions and the core of the game is tragically flawed:

 

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

 

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

1.  Care to explain?  I really actually like the environment and creatures they are much more dark than D3

2.  Again, how is it more boring than other Action RPGs?  I actually think the gem setup is a really clever unique take on skills and the combat is similar to D2

3.  There will probably be a pay item for this, so no real reason to complain.  Not to mention it forces you to make decisions about your character so everyone doesn't have the same build.

4.  Who cares about story

Overall it is very underrated in my opinion and in many others.

Originally posted by Silacoid

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

It's definitely not underrated on this site.  I've tried it on two separate occasions and the core of the game is tragically flawed:

 

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

 

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

1.  Care to explain?  I really actually like the environment and creatures they are much more dark than D3

How does one explain bad art?  The animations are horrible, the characters and environments are amateurishly created.

2.  Again, how is it more boring than other Action RPGs?  I actually think the gem setup is a really clever unique take on skills and the combat is similar to D2

There's no impact on attacks.  I want to feel the thud of an attack.  I want to see interesting effects.  Nothing about the combat felt impactful  or fun.  Not a single thing.  It also felt very sluggish.  The game has no polish.

3.  There will probably be a pay item for this, so no real reason to complain.  Not to mention it forces you to make decisions about your character so everyone doesn't have the same build.

So their cash model is to charge for full respecs?  Ah.  Good luck with that.  Especially with D3 and TL2 having B2P models with unlimited respecs.

I want to try out a bunch of different builds, not look at spreadsheets or copy cookie cutter builds from the internet.  I don't see how you fail to see the problem with this when even TL2 and Titan Quest 2 put full respecs in.

4.  Who cares about story

 Certainly not the POE devs cloning D2 but missing the most important aspects.  Not the least of which is polish.

 

"There's no impact on attacks.  I want to feel the thud of an attack.  I want to see interesting effects.  Nothing about the combat felt impactful  or fun.  Not a single thing.  It also felt very sluggish.  The game has no polish."

Try playing the game for a meaningful amount of time instead of commenting on low level combat that shouldn't feel epic in the first place.

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

TL2 doesn't have unlimited respecs.. unless you use a character editor. You cna only respec the last 3 skill points you spent.

THese were the issues I had with PoE:

1. The camera was terrible..I hated the view and the angle

2. Terrible community...It was as if they imported the battlenet community in this game

3. Too much running around...I didnt like doing a couple quests, then run all the way back to town then rinse and repeat for long periods of time

4. TOo much like the Diablo series

Originally posted by FrodoFragins

1) Horrible art direction.  Just really, really bad art and animations. 

2) Boring combat.  Inexcusable really

3) No full respecs.  Replayability to them means rerolling.

4) Horrible story

 

It's a poor mans Titan Quest which was a poor mans D2.

1)  Nobody cares about your opinion about the art.   I agree the animations are not great, but they are aren't so bad it's distracting.

2)  I don't understand how you could consider this boring, since you play D3.     IMHO,  the customization and choices that PoE offers make it a superior choice than D3.    My only gripe ( a big one ) is that the hit detection is terrible.  

3) Why would you need a full respec?   The passive skill tree can be played around with on the website.    My only complaint is that there isn't some sort of character spread sheet attached to it so you can see your stats change as you apply points.

4)   Why would you play an ARPG for the story?    Hack n Slash is all they have ever been.

Originally posted by Daggerjaydo

Try playing the game for a meaningful amount of time instead of commenting on low level combat that shouldn't feel epic in the first place.

If I get bored from the beginning, I'm not going to keep playing.  Any good game designer understands that.  The guys making POE aren't good game designers. 

Well I think PoE is extremely good. The entire skill system is the most flexible and interesting out of any RPG, ARPG or MMO in recent memory. If it was finished and they got rid of the free for all loot (because it ruins the game for me), I'd be playing it right now instead of TL2 and B2.

I agree with the art complaints tbh. I love the gritty world and some enemies look amazing (like the golems) but some just look rubbish and arn't helped by the ultra vertical camera angle. Armour and weapon design is also lacking, because everything just look a little too dirty.

All that said though, the problems it has are overshadowed by the things it does right imo. Combat and spell effects become amazing past the level 20 mark and the random maps you can find are awesome. Start a Templar and start shield bashing your way through everything and nuking with a frost nova every now and then and you'll know what I'm on about.

Maps as loot, Skills as loot, loot as loot... ultimate loot game.

Devs, make the personal loot only option already.

I've been following PoE's beta testing for more than a year now. The game is by no means perfect, but the developers are obsessed with making it the best game they possibly can, and I'm very confident in its future.

The game doesnt follow the instant gratification trends of modern mmos (and other games as well), so players with that kind of background will probably be let down.

But this is the remedy for those who waited for years only to find that D3 didnt have most of the qualities for which they loved D2 - like fantastic itemisation with extreme randomness and complete character build freedom with endless possibilities. Also the gritty/realistic art style, which is very rare in the game world. One could argue that PoE is even taking all these qualities to the next level.

And all that made by an indie developer team with probably about 0.1% of the financial resources put in that other game I mentioned, so keeping that in mind theyve done some real wonders.

The game is not an mmorpg though, but thousands of arpg fans like me find PoE to be a real gem of a game (=