Is this game perfect? No.
Is it the greatest game that I have ever played? The easiest YES in my life.


The main reason Path of Exile (PoE) is such a great game is because it is the product of 15+ years of work. Work that has been, and still is, done by lovers and players of the genre. It wasn't designed, released, and then disregarded for all those years. In fact, every 3 to 4 months a big update to the game is implemented. That has been, and still is, true since the game was released. That update introduces new content & mechanics to the game and upgrades &/or polishes up some of the already existing ones. While at it, I have to also mention the passion & awesome work that the community had put over the years into creating a bunch of amazing tools that make the game even more enjoyable. A big shout-out to all the folks who work/ed on the Wiki, FilterBlade, PoEDB, CraftofExile, PathofBuilding, PoENinja, and all the other tools out there.

The new content that is introduced in said update, is in the formula of leagues (seasons). Each new league is separate from the core game (which is called standard). It is a fresh start that lasts for the duration of the league. Most players play in league and not in standard. Mainly, because it's a fresh start which offers a competitive environment for players to race for milestones (there are rank ladders) while experiencing the new content introduced to the game. Also, another big advantage is a fresh economy for those interested in a trade environment. After the league ends, all progress (characters made, items gained, etc..) in the league is migrated to standard. Hence, players don't really lose anything. A decision is made as to will the new mechanics &/or content be added to core game or not. Then a new cycle begins. This whole formula and how it works, is the main factor as to why this game is always fresh and is always playable. Fun fact; some players/streamers in the community even organize events during the league in the form of private leagues! That's a story for another time, tho.

Path of Exile (as a whole) has somewhat of a barrier of entry. Mainly because there is so much content and knowledge that exists in it. The more players learn about the game, the more they will enjoy it. Learning can be done by just trial and error (which is not advisable to only do that since it will take forever) or learning can also be done via some research every now and then to lessen the burden. Players can read a bit and/or watch videos that explain game content. I highly recommend a series called 'Path of Exile University' by Zizaran. Going full circle and referencing the quote I mentioned earlier; to really get how great this game is, players have to put in the time & effort to understand what it has to offer. To be honest, the continuous process of learning about the game is enjoyment in and of itself. For myself, at least that is.

There are a variety of variables as to why I absolutely love & enjoy Path of Exile way more than any other game. Some of those variables can be found in other games. However, to find them all present in one game is truly a work of art. Here are most of them:

1- There is a stupendous amount of game knowledge that exists in Path of Exile. I'm almost always learning something new about the game and/or recalling or polishing up some information that I had learned before. This one is the main reason I LOVE this game. For myself, once I comprehend and digest all the knowledge that exists in a game, it gets boring. That's the case even if I don't experience all the practical aspects of said game. In Path of Exile, however, this is never the case and I'm guessing it will never be! Which is freakin' awesome!

2- There are no pay-to-win heavy elements in Path of Exile. The only thing that impacts game play, that players can buy with real money, is to pay for more stash tabs (storage). A player will only start wanting that, for convenience, around hundreds of hours into the game.

3- Players' knowledge of the game and their perseverance to grind for what they need are what will make them better at the game and in turn what will make them enjoy the game more and more.

4- There is so much content in the game. However, a player is not obligated to play it all! In end game, players invest in content that they enjoy (or what's more profitable, if trading for profit is the goal). Basically, in end game players are designing their own dungeons (maps), which in turn lead them to even more game content. What content these maps contain and how difficult they are, are all under control. The higher the difficulty, the better the rewards, of course.

5- The design of the skill tree is phenomenal. Instead of having a single fixed tree for each class, it’s one enormous skill tree and all the classes start somewhere on it, and then players can travel anywhere on the tree! Hence, don’t let the magnitude of the skill tree be daunting. All the skills in the tree are passives that affect a player's character. Some simply add stats, and some completely alternate how the character functions! It’s really amazing once players understand how dynamic and flexible this model allows build designing to be.

6- The design of abilities/skills and how they function in the game is riveting. In short, skills are not fixed into classes. Skills are items (gems) that players get to slot into gear. Those gems are either an active gem (the skill/ability) or a support gem which is a passive that affects the skill connected to it in various ways. There are around five hundred active skill gems and around two hundred support gems that exist in the game!

7- Itemization/gearing is incredible. Basically, each item has a pool of modifiers (stats) that players can roll from using different types of currency and crafting methods. In short, players are creating/crafting their own items, down to each single stat on the item in end endgame. There are also unique items, which are unique in the literal sense. Their stats are fixed. They are used in specific scenarios. Some unique items became obsolete over the years as result of power creep. Some of those are still usable in niche scenarios. Other unique items are build defining and/or absolutely OP. Those ones are usually chased by playing specific content or killing specific game bosses. A cool thing is, the developers occasionally organize events in the beginning of some leagues. And sometimes one of the rewards is that winners get to design their own unique item and have it added to the game!

8- Crafting in the game is simply the best crafting system that I've ever come across. It puts any other to shame. It is complex, diverse, flexible, and exciting. Honestly, to describe it in a few words here won't do it justice. If anyone is interested in knowing a good bit about crafting in PoE, I recommend watching 'Crafting Crash Course 1 & 2' by Subtractem on Youtube.

9- There's a HUGE flexibility in build creation. Basically, a build is a synergy between the last four points. As a result, a plethora of archetypes & build ideas can exist.

10- The currency/economy system is amazing. There is no gold in Path of Exile! Instead, a barter system is used. I urge players to read an article titled ‘Dev Diary: Rethinking Gold as a Currency’. Just type that in google and you'll will find it.

11- The developers (especially, the main developer; Chris Wilson) are simply awesome. I admire how transparent and communicative they are. It really is enjoyable watching any interaction between the developers and community members. Usually, it’s Chris and one can always sense the passion he has for his game. However, they're still human. They make mistakes sometimes. Nonetheless, they listen to community feedback.