I think at almost 700 hours I can finally review Path of Exile. Strap in, this is going to be a long read.

So at a core level, this game is pretty much just your bog-standard ARPG. 3rd Person Camera, click to move, fight multiple enemies, etc. What this game does different is the way skills work. Instead of playing a Sorceress or Wizard and having a Fireball attack, you can play any of the classes and slot a Fireball Skillgem. The passive tree is the same for every class, albeit with different starting locations. This makes it seem kinda daunting at first, but it's pretty straight forward if you're following a build guide (or multiple).

The main gameplay loop is run a map, get loot, go to hideout, repeat. There's a bunch of deviations you can take, though. You can go delving, a continuous maze that gets harder, and more rewarding, the deeper you go. You can channel your inner Indy and discover a lost temple, with hidden traps and goodies. You can build up your own... Petting zoo? Or you can do what some comrades do and just sit in your hideout and trade 24/7.

I. Love. This. Game. So much. It's the perfect game to just get home after a long day at work and run a few maps, yet also able to make me stay up until the sun creeps through my windows. PoE has made me call in sick to work on a few occasions, and has given me multiple sleepless weekends. The dopamine hit from getting a Headhunter. The anger and remorse from realizing the chest you bought was, in fact, NOT a 6 Link (it has happened to all of us at some point, and it will happen to you too). This game is prime material for making memories.

While I do love this game, I also do have my complaints. The trading system is 100% alt-tab based, and I hate it. The devs have mentioned their design philosophy behind it and seem to have no intentions to change it. The crafting system is also a bit cumbersome to understand, but rightfully so. You can craft some of the best items in the game if you know what you're doing. And lastly, and most importantly, it seems like there's a new game breaking bug every league. Sometimes it's a memory leak, or invisible attacks/enemies. GGG usually gets these sorted fairly quickly, but it always leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

All in all, I definitely recommend PoE. 100%. There's an ever increasing amount of playstyles. The league mechanics are very rarely duds. PoE is just a solid game. Give it a shot, and don't let the passive tree put you off. <3