Action RPG Path of Exile made a ton waves since its 2013 beginnings. From then until recently, the game has gone bigger and better, though still inaccessible due to its layers of complexity and many, many new endgame features & mechanics. This isn’t developer Grinding Gear Games’ fault, since it was the first free-to-play action RPG in the veins of classic Diablo in a time where F2P games on PC weren’t common (unless you’re a Korean MMO).

With so many years working on an action RPG, it’s high time the team took what they’ve learned to make Path of Exile 2 possibly better and more accommodating for newer players. At the same time, there’s a lot to sate older players with.

Here’s what you’re getting in the Early Access version of Path of Exile 2, out later this year on 6th December for PC.

6 Playable Classes

Path of Exile 2 Early Access lets you use 6 new classes with 2 Ascendancies each, out of the 12 developer Grinding Gear Games promised.

• Monk: Fast melee character who uses quarterstaves, can use Lightning, Ice, and Wind elementals to buff up attacks. There are 21 active skills for the Quarterstaff.
• Warrior: Hard-hitting melee weapon-and-shield class, has stun-heavy AoE attacks. There are 20 active skills for the Mace.
• Ranger: Move-and-shoot bow-using class with loads of mobility ranged attacks. There are 21 active skills for the Bow.
• Mercenary: Ranged DPS with traps and crossbow attacks with various styles: Shotgun, Full Auto, Sniper. There are 22 active skills for the Crossbow. Plays like a shooter character on an isometric perspective title (think The Ascent).
• Witch: Summons tons of minions and casts Chaos and Occult spells. There are 25 active skills for Occult spells.
• Sorceress: Blows things up really good with elemental spells she can mix and match with. There are 21 active skills for Elemental Magic.

Director Jonathan Rogers said that each class will have 2 Ascendancies; specialist classes that help shape your playstyle better. To activate them, you have to go through the game’s story mode and partake in the Trials of Ascendancy.

The full game will add one more Ascendancy class for each of the base classes, bringing it a total of 3 per base class. For now, here’s what you’re getting:

• Monk: Invoker, Acolyte of Chayula
• Warrior: Warbringer, Titan
• Ranger: Deadeye (crits and better long-ranged attacks), Pathfinder (Uses different potions to set different ranged attacks)
• Mercenary: Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire (buffs up your Support skills for your Active Skills)
• Witch: Infernalist (Pyro magic that changes up your mana bar), Blood Mage (spend life to deal more damage & cast hard-hitting spells)
• Sorceress: Stormweaver, Chronomancer (time magic)

3 Story Acts in Two Different Difficulties

Path of Exile 2’s Early Access will have a lot of content leading up to the endgame, though you have to play the same chunk of the game twice in different difficulties so that you can level up to Level 65. The game will have Acts 1,2, and 3 in its main campaign in Normal mode, and in Cruel mode. Acts 4, 5, and 6 aren’t ready yet. Once you’re Level 65, you can access the endgame.

New Additions To Combat

You have 1 dedicated Health Potion and 1 Mana Potion. Each of them come with charges; use a charge to gain health or mana back. To get charges back, just kill enemies.

You can equip charms that trigger if you get hit by certain attacks or debuffs. Charms usually cure you of the status effect you get. Most importantly, the Active Skills you use is now laid out in the most orderly fashion possible; it’s now its own menu with nodes and everything, making sure that you customize them without having to fiddle around with gems and inventories.

Path of Exile 2’s Passive Skill Tree is expectedly larger than the first game, with each class starting on different parts of the tree. You can eventually pivot your skill points to different areas, but you’re given

A Ton Of Endgame Content

Once you’re at Level 65, you can go play the endgame which includes a returning game mode from Path of Exile 1: the Atlas.

In The Atlas, you are on a big giant endless map where you go through nodes, clear out dungeons and overworld areas, then keep proceeding. Each node will have mobs and Rare/Unique enemies to defeat to complete it. Some of them will have a boss or two to add more challenge.

If you die, that node is blocked off and you have to find another way around the map. As you go through the Atlas, you’ll come across different types of endgame content; some old and some new to Path of Exile.

• Breach: Fight off spawning enemies in a reality tear; slay more enemies to keep the breach open and get better loot the longer you keep it up. You’ll eventually get to fight a Pinnacle boss named Xesht, We Who Are One, who is a tough nut to crack.
• Ritual: Kill hordes of enemies at sacrificial sites, then resurrect them and kill them for tribute. The more tribute you get, the better the rewards.
• Delirium: go through a magic mist and push on to fight hordes of enemies, as well as get a new resource called Distilled Emotions which let you add new passive skill tree bonuses to your amulets.
• Expedition: Plant explosives on the ground to dig up new artifacts and treasure, killing hordes of enemies along the way. Exchange artifacts to get better loot for your character.

Each of these endgame quest types will feature a Pinnacle Boss, which are tough uber foes who drop great loot you can’t find anywhere else. They’re meant to challenge players, so you should be at the point where you need to make the best build for your chosen base class.

A Lot Of Content For Newbies & Old-School Players

Path of Exile 2 takes place 20 years after the first game, with a brand new story where your player character escapes execution and has to find the Seed of Chaos. The 3 Acts will take you about 25 hours to play through, with a Cruel difficulty mode for the same 3 Acts and endgame which will extend your playtime to hundreds of hours.

Director Jonathan Rogers added that Path of Exile 2 will be a lot more accommodating for newer players thanks to how its Active and Passive skills are laid out this time around, alongside other much-needed quality-of-life additions. He said that old Path of Exile players will have a hard time adjusting to the new combat and Active skills system, because everything in part 2 is new.

That said, Path of Exile 2 is meant to be a challenging action RPG with frequent deaths on your part. For that, I’m glad that this Early Access is basically a full-fledged game with tons to do beyond its campaign mode. If you need an end-of-year action RPG fix, Path of Exile 2’s early access will be out on 6th December; the supporter pack that grants you access will cost you US$30.