Path of Exile, the long-awaiting Online Action RPG from Grinding Gears went into Open Beta last week. Now, after some time spent in the Open Beta, our Adam Tingle is reporting on his first impressions.

Which is where Path of Exile takes center stage like a confident contestant on a talent show. Its developers, Grinding Gear Games, describe themselves as "hardcore gamers" and their influences are very apparent, but it's the changes, the additions, and the punts that make their product very different to everything else on the ARPG circuit.

Read the rest of Adam's Walking the Path of Exile.

"I'd always assumed that New Zealand was populated by only two things: sheep and the creatures of Middle Earth..."

About the same though I'd add Gin Wigmore to the list! ^_^

I am enjoying Path of Exile, so far it's the second project I've supported (diamond level) with the first being Project Eternity. I do say that the team has done a great job so far and I look forward to game's future.

Originally posted by Unshra

"I'd always assumed that New Zealand was populated by only two things: sheep and the creatures of Middle Earth."

 

and Gin Wigmore! ^_^

 

 

I am enjoying Path of Exile, so far it's the second project I've supported (diamond level) with the first being Project Eternity. I do say that the team has done a great job so far and I look forward to game's future.

 

o.o did you get to make your own item?

Originally posted by bbbb42

Originally posted by Unshra

"I'd always assumed that New Zealand was populated by only two things: sheep and the creatures of Middle Earth."

 

and Gin Wigmore! ^_^

 

 

I am enjoying Path of Exile, so far it's the second project I've supported (diamond level) with the first being Project Eternity. I do say that the team has done a great job so far and I look forward to game's future.

 

o.o did you get to make your own item?

 

I received an e-mail from Chris Wilson today saying that Carl de Visse would contact me later regarding my avatar and the item. So I'm looking forward to the process. ^_^

Originally posted by Shaike
Am i the only one annoyed that you cannot (even with money) expand your inventory??????

It took me a few day's to get used to being a picky looter.Once I did this the inventory was no longer a problem for me.However if they offer an inventory expander of such,I'm all over it!

There is one more awesome thing from NZ, and it's Flight of the Conchords.

Very good game but i'm not looking for that much hardcore-ness so i'll stick with d3. I mean making your character only to realise in higher difficulties your build sucks and you have to start from scratch -as there are no full respecs- is a bit much for me.

I'm happy for hardcore arpg players that they have a great game now so everyone will enjoy their own arpg and won't whine about the other :)

Originally posted by Shaike
Am i the only one annoyed that you cannot (even with money) expand your inventory??????

Ah see, I was a little bit like you at first when I played this in closed beta. In Torchlight you gather all and send it off with your pet to get your gold. In D3 you kinda garner what you can and flog it off when you next have a pit-stop, or use the way points available.

However, PoE acts a little differently. You are literally picking up the items you want to bargain with, trade for orbs or use/transmute. You are meant to leave behind the stuff you do not want, you get no benefit to them and I think the game does quickly teach you this.

So from Act 1, you pick up the whites etc and start running back and forth, you think, 'cor, I am not getting any benefit from this'. So your reigns begin to relax. Typically I will only take yellows in for barter. At later levels and difficulties you begin to start eyeing up all those whites, stuff with a good quality level and whether they have any sockets and links to it. A white, good quality chest piece, 6 linked will fetch a nice price on the market because it gives people of a higher level more options to play about with it to turn it into something good and viable.

But this is how you learn in the game. I would strongly reccomend people, who are mature to perhaps make a default character for at least chapter 1, then move on to a hardcore character. The community I have found is much more civil and mature when looking for answers and advice.

Originally posted by saker
They did microtransactions good, unlike other companies! I DESPISE pay-to-win games, and the companies that make them. This is a nice game, be interesting to see what they do with it as it moves forward beyond release.

ya sometimes i wonder how they will recoup their money back lol.  their game really is F2P.. you get 24 char slots, shared stash, and nothing in cash shop helps you level or gives you an advantage.  Way to set a new standard!

Originally posted by Militant
If the game maintains popularity it has seen in OB and continues to grow, I think they will add more character slots and stash space to the cash shop.. Which would be smart as that would deffinitely generate cash flow without being pay-to-win.

 

You can already buy more stash tabs and char slot's in their store.They're in the shop under account feature's.

Originally posted by Militant
If the game maintains popularity it has seen in OB and continues to grow, I think they will add more character slots and stash space to the cash shop.. Which would be smart as that would deffinitely generate cash flow without being pay-to-win.

Personally I only have 1 small dissatisfaction with a minor cosmetic issue: only 2/4 classes are female and no male/female option for all classes (perhaps intentional for a cash shop option in the future)

 

No, I think its just more likely that ggg could not afford to make x2 char or ggg likes the whole gender lock thing.