14 DAY TRIAL // Path of Exile began its open beta in January 2013, and since then more and more players flocked to fill the ranks of the free-to-play action RPG. The player base numbers over 4 million by now, marking the game's undisputable success.
Grinding Gear, New Zealand based game developer, have spent six years working on the project, and even initiated a crowdfunding campaign on their website, until they were happy with the level of polish their creation attained.
Path of Exile was officially released on both Steam and on its developer's website in October, and since then an additional 1.5 million unique players have joined, according to GamingBlend.
The game follows the free-to-play model with microtransactions available in-game. But the major draw is that the donations players make are mostly geared toward the cosmetic, having little to no gameplay impact.
Path of Exile is a pretty dark fantasy adventure with a gritty medieval atmosphere, where players explore the large outdoor areas and many underground dungeons and caves of the continent of Wraeclast, slaying the throngs of enemies that stand in their way.
The game has a few unique takes that make it stand out among its competitors. The currency system is based not on gold, but on the trade of items that have their own use (improving items and gems), thus providing a way to control inflation as players progress through the game.
Its unique aspect regards the way character classes are designed. Instead of each class having its own pre-defined skills, the game uses a colored gem-matching system for all active skills. The gems level up with the characters, so their power continually scales with player level and mob strength.
What defines the classes is the biggest passive skill tree ever concocted, focusing around the game's primary stats, might, dexterity and intelligence.
On every level players have to make a decision in navigating the skill tree toward their intended goal, each step offering a small advantage against the unforgiving world of Wraeclast.
Our editors had a quick look at Path of Exile back when it entered open beta, check it out for a sample of gameplay and a peek at the massive skill tree.
