The release of Path of Exile 2 (POE 2 Currency) version 0.3 has brought waves of excitement and anticipation to the ARPG community. With a massive patch in tow, players across the globe have eagerly dived into the game, exploring new content, testing builds, and giving feedback on everything from the campaign to the crafting system. While the endgame is still a work in progress, POE2’s early content—especially Act Four—offers a glimpse into Grinding Gear Games’ ambition to redefine ARPG storytelling, mechanics, and complexity.

Exploring Act Four: One of the Best PvE ARPG Experiences

For many players, Act Four stands out as a pinnacle of PvE content. Grinding Gear Games has poured immense effort into crafting a challenging, engaging, and visually stunning experience. The bosses introduced in this act are unique, with mechanics that demand attention and adaptation. While some encounters can be brutal—hitting for nearly 100% of a character’s health—the learning curve is fair; repeated encounters teach players how to anticipate and counter these attacks. The satisfaction of mastering such mechanics is a core part of POE2’s appeal.

Beyond combat, the environmental design and atmosphere shine. The biomes in Act Four, with their diverse islands and secrets, encourage exploration and reward curiosity. Hidden treasure chests and subtle Easter eggs punctuate the gameplay, giving players those “aha” moments that make discovery in ARPGs so memorable. Even the lighthearted or meme encounters add a layer of charm without detracting from the challenge.

Overall, the quality of Act Four raises expectations for future content. Fans are eager to see Acts Five and Six and the planned enhancements for the endgame. Many argue that, if Grinding Gear Games maintains this level of design, POE2 could rival—or surpass—other ARPGs in campaign quality. The only common criticism has been the sheer size of some zones and the length of the act, which can feel overwhelming. Yet, for players accustomed to content scarcity, the abundance of high-quality material is a welcome change.

Loot and Item Progression: More Drops, but Challenges Persist

The 0.3 patch increased item drops across the campaign. From rare monsters to boss encounters and treasure chests, players report seeing significantly more items than before. While this feels rewarding, the scarcity of essential gear—like health, resistances, and evasion—remains a challenge, particularly in the early to mid-game. Unlike POE1, where players can often cap resistances by mid-campaign, POE2’s system sometimes leaves characters underprotected in Acts Two and Three. For melee builds, in particular, navigating combat without sufficient defenses can be punishing.

Crafting plays a role in mitigating this issue, though opinions are mixed. The new tiered currency system allows for some targeted enhancements, and the essence crafting mechanic has proven helpful in creating situational upgrades. While not universally loved—many still see crafting as a “slot machine” system—it does offer more player agency than earlier iterations, giving a sense of accomplishment when a desired stat is finally added to a weapon or armor.

The Abyss mechanic is another highlight, blending exploration and reward seamlessly. Players encounter visually distinct Abyssal dungeons with stages and spawn variations, providing natural engagement and strategic interaction. This mechanic not only enriches gameplay but also ties into the broader item progression system, offering more opportunities to find rare or useful items.

Supports, Gems, and the Passive Tree: Depth and Customization

POE2 continues the franchise’s tradition of deep build customization. The expanded passive tree offers more choices, opening avenues for creative and unique character builds. While adjusting nodes can sometimes nerf favorite setups, the broader flexibility ultimately benefits players, allowing for multiple viable approaches to the same class.

Support gems and tiered progression have also improved. The new system encourages players to chase higher-tier supports, creating a rewarding sense of progression. Unlike older systems where optimal setups were often obvious, players now experiment with different support combinations to suit their playstyle. Recommended gems have been updated, making early-game guidance for newcomers more coherent and less punishing.

A notable addition is the deflection mechanic, which enhances survivability for certain builds. By absorbing or mitigating damage, it allows characters to engage in more dynamic combat, rewarding thoughtful stat allocation and skill choice.

Sprinting and Movement: A Work in Progress

One of the most anticipated features in POE2 is the addition of sprinting. While universally appreciated, its current implementation has drawn criticism. Sprinting can be interrupted by minor collisions, turning, or taking damage, often resulting in hard crowd control effects. For example, attempting a simple 90-degree turn during a sprint can abruptly stop a character, breaking flow and frustrating players. Additionally, being hit while sprinting causes knockdowns that feel disproportionately punishing.

Players hope for improvements, such as smoother turning mechanics, reduced collision penalties, and the option to sprint without automatically dodge-rolling. Despite these issues, sprinting remains a positive addition, enhancing mobility and the overall pace of exploration once fine-tuned.

Balance and Build Diversity: Uneven but Promising

Balance is a persistent challenge in POE2, particularly regarding class and build viability. Some builds, such as Lightning Arrow Deadeye or high-level minion setups, allow players to breeze through encounters with minimal risk, while others struggle with core mechanics or lack of synergy. The discrepancy in experience highlights the need for careful tuning, especially in campaign progression where players may encounter scaling difficulty without the corresponding item support.

The game’s design philosophy leans toward empowering players through options rather than constraining them. Opening up multiple support slots and introducing infusion mechanics allows for strategic experimentation. However, early-game implementations of these systems can feel cumbersome, requiring precise setup and timing to function optimally. Many players acknowledge that these mechanics likely shine in the endgame, once gear and passive choices are fully realized.

Campaign Progression Challenges: Resistances and Survival

A recurring observation is the difficulty in capping elemental resistances during early and mid-game. Players have reported struggling to acquire enough fire, lightning, and cold resistances before reaching Act Four, leading to brutal encounters, particularly for melee classes. The problem is exacerbated by limited access to high-tier crafting materials and the randomness of item drops. Without careful preparation, characters may find themselves at a severe disadvantage against high-damage bosses and rare mobs.

This phenomenon was observed consistently across multiple playthroughs, suggesting a potential systemic issue. While experienced players can mitigate some challenges through careful planning and resource management, newer or casual players may face frustrating difficulty spikes. Improving resistance availability and ensuring smoother item progression could make the campaign experience more consistent without reducing overall challenge.

Trading and Economy: Emerging Systems

The new trading system, although not extensively tested in early campaigns, has received positive feedback from the community. Delayed access until Act Four seems designed to encourage initial self-sufficiency, though players are curious whether earlier trading could enhance early-game progression. In general, the system appears stable, with no major exploits reported, and promises to become a significant aspect of late-game strategy and community interaction.

Endgame: Awaiting Major Updates

While the campaign content in POE2 is highly praised, the endgame remains a work in progress. Current iterations are playable but lack the polish and depth of the main campaign. Grinding Gear Games has indicated that future patches will address these shortcomings, with adjustments to mechanics, balance, and item progression. Players eagerly await these updates, anticipating a more robust and rewarding post-campaign experience.

Overall Impressions: Strengths, Challenges, and Potential

Path of Exile 2 shows immense promise. Act Four demonstrates top-tier ARPG design, with engaging combat, detailed environments, and rewarding exploration. Systems like Abyssal dungeons, tiered supports, and crafting provide depth and customization, while sprinting and deflection introduce new tactical options. The expanded passive tree and updated recommended gems help both new and veteran players navigate complex builds.

However, challenges remain. Early-game item scarcity, resistance progression, and sprint mechanics need refinement buy POE 2 Currency. The build balance is uneven, and endgame content is still evolving. Despite these issues, the game trends in a positive direction, reflecting Grinding Gear Games’ commitment to creating a rich and flexible ARPG experience.

For players willing to invest time and experiment with different builds, POE2 offers both a challenging and rewarding journey. The combination of thoughtful PvE design, expansive customization, and emergent mechanics sets a high bar for the genre. With ongoing updates and player feedback, POE2 has the potential to redefine expectations for ARPG campaigns and endgame content alike.