Path of Exile 2 Hands-on Preview - The Next Great Action RPG

Path of Exile 2 is a seamless action RPG that runs impressively well despite recent delays that have pushed the Path of Exile 2 beta back to the end of the year. On the show floor of PAX East 2024, I got the chance to go hands-on with a Path of Exile 2 preview, and the experience has me excited for its full release. 

It's not uncommon for the Path of Exile series to get compared to Diablo, and it's pretty clear why. Having spent dozens of hours in Diablo IV last year, Path of Exile 2 felt immediately familiar, and that's a good thing. 

For an action RPG to be successful it needs to be accessible, challenging, and most importantly: fun. Path of Exile 2 nails this on all counts. 

Slay Enemies and Level Up in Path of Exile 2 

During my Path of Exile 2 preview, I played as a low-level sorceress that had elemental abilities in her arsenal, specifical fire and electricity. I tore through most of the common enemies fairly easily but died more times than I can count from some of the mini-boss encounters. 

If you're more into archery, you can read our deep dive on the ranger class here.

Action RPG fans will recognize a user-friendly layout that makes Path of Exile 2 easy to pick up. Your primary HUD includes a Mana gauge, five quick-selection slots for flasks, which I had assigned to a mix of healing and mana flasks, and your attack options. 

Inventory management is a bit more involved than I expected, adopting a Resident Evil 4-style Tetris function that forces the player to prioritize what they want to carry and pick up, instead of hoarding every little thing. 

My goal was simple: explore the overworld and take down The Devourer, a worm-like monster that I sadly was not able to slay during my limited time with the Path of Exile 2 preview. 

Still, the learning curve was a quick one to overcome, and I came close to destroying The Devourer multiple times even if I wasn't able to get that final blow. Thanks to a forgiving checkpoint system, it was easy to jump right back into the battle after each defeat. 

What To Know Ahead of the Path of Exile 2 Release Date 

With the Path of Exile 2 release date approaching later this year, there are a few key things we noticed during our PAX East 2024 Path of Exile 2 preview. For starters, the performance and polish is already very impressive. I noticed no framerate drops, and my character's attacks were responsive and deadly. 

I leveled up a couple times and was able to add upgrade perks to my main attacks, making some of the final enemy encounters a bit easier. Clicking into the skill tree made me think I was looking at a galactic star map with how many options and paths there are – something that will be anxiety-inducing for some and exciting for others.

Though my Path of Exile 2 preview was a single-player experience, this action RPG will be free-to-play and supports co-op for up to six players. Having played through the entire Diablo IV campaign online with my friends, I'm excited to jump into this experience with no initial cost of entry. 

For those looking forward to the Path of Exile 2 beta, the wait will be over soon. And from what I played, it will be well worth it.

Path of Exile 2 was played on a PC at PAX East 2024.