Diablo 3 is not unanimous, it's a fact. If you are annoying for the long-waiting Diablo games, and if the new Blizzard title has left a huge gaping hole in your heart, then know that there is a very good alternative, namely Path of Exile! A frankly addictive game, which fits in the right line of all the "hack'n slash" and offers a great asset since it is totally free. And the best is yet to come since it is much more complete than the last Diablo.
Developed by Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile is in the form of a "hack'n slash" and it therefore takes all the codes of this kind of games with a very nervous gameplay, a rather complete drop system and a skill tree particularly well worked. All with a real multiplayer mode that will allow you to play with your friends as you would on Diablo 3. However, before going further, please note that the title is available in English and it will be worth so better to have a good foundation to understand all the subtleties of his scenario.
The Background
The Path of Exile action takes place on the continent of Wraeclast, a particularly badly-known corner and which stands out as the den of all the thugs and all the brigands of the planet. Typically not the kind of place to spend your holidays, so, and everything will also worsen when a series of cataclysms will befall the region, cataclysms that will awaken monstrous creatures and particularly aggressive.
It all starts in the seamy hold of a boat that goes straight ahead Wraeclast. There are actually six characters - all playable by the player - who, for one reason or another, have been sentenced to exile. Six people, for seven classes, all articulated around three characteristics: strength, dexterity and intelligence. At choice, it will indeed be possible to embody a marauder (warrior), a ranger (archer), a witch (magician), a duelist (fighter), a Templar (monk-warrior), a shadow (thief) or scion. Be careful, however, because, contrary to what one might think, Path of Exile is absolutely not frozen and a character can perfectly acquire the skills and powers of another class.
The Game System
Path of Exile is based on two distinct types of skills: active skills and passive skills. In the first case, the developers of the project have resumed a system quite close to that of Final Fantasy VII and therefore materia. More concretely, over his adventures, the player will find orbs that can affect the handling of a weapon, magic or attacks at a distance. To activate the associated skill, it will suffice to crimp the objects of his equipment with these orbs. Rather cool, especially since the skills will not be fixed in time: the more we use them, and the more they will level up.
Passive skills, on the other hand, rely on a particularly complete talent tree that covers all classes. Basically, when you open the dedicated window, you will face a huge tree and displaying all the skills of all classes through dedicated branches. Basically, then, a witch can go ogle the skills of a shadow or those of other classes, and vice versa. Thanks to this system, we will be able to create hybrid characters that will be based on one, two or more different classes.
But be careful because to unlock passive skills, you will necessarily need talent points, points that you can acquire at each level change or by performing some quests. From my point of view, this is without a doubt one of the best assets of Path of Exile. Unlike other games of the same genre, the characters do not have to be limited to one class and it's still very interesting. The other side of the coin is that it will be better to think carefully before launching, otherwise you will completely mess up your template.
What is also important to know is that Path of Exile is based on an instantiated system, a bit like what we find on Guild Wars. If the cities are open to all, it will not be the same for the different levels of the game There, well you will be alone, or in a group if you want to invite some friends to join you.
Drops And The Economy
Like all "hack'n slashes", Path of Exile benefits from a complete drop system and is based on a principle identical to that of Diablo 3. Basically, therefore, each monster will be able to drop one or more objects objects that will of course be divided into several categories of rarity, each symbolized by a particular color. The thing to say is that the drop rates are very interesting, much more than the title of Blizzard and we can make pretty discoveries from the beginning of the game.
Regarding the economy set up in Path of Exile, you should know that there is no gold coin in the game In reality, to buy objects, just use special scrolls, the same scrolls that one obtains either by killing monsters, by selling items to the merchants, or by adding some special gems. Free game requires, note that it also includes a special store with content and PoE orbs that you can buy by spending real money. However, and this is obviously a very good thing, it is not necessary to use this shop to progress in the game and you can therefore perfectly content with its free version.
Finally, and as mentioned above, you should know that Path of Exile is available, for the moment, only on Windows and Xbox One.