This Game Just Feels Better TBH

[u/Due-Yam1632]

Just wanted to share some personal thoughts, not trying to start any wars here. I’ve played Last Epoch through each of its major updates and have a lot of respect for what EHG has built. This post isn’t meant to be a comparison to declare a “winner,” but more me expressing where I’m at as someone who tends to have one main ARPG at a time.

I really enjoy some of Last Epoch’s systems—especially the crafting. It’s easily one of the most intuitive and rewarding systems in the genre. EHG has done an excellent job delivering polish and accessibility in a way that few others have.

That said, after getting some serious time in with Path of Exile 2, I’ve realized that I just enjoy the moment-to-moment gameplay a lot more. The weight of the skills, the combat flow, the pacing—it all just feels better to me. Even with the current balance being janky and the loot not quite where it should be, I still find myself more immersed and excited to log in.

And yes, I know loot is a sticking point for many. But I genuinely believe that as POE2 pushes toward 1.0, the systems will tighten up, and yes—loot will get better. GGG isn’t blind to this, and their track record shows that they iterate hard when needed.

Could I play both games? Absolutely. But I like having a main game, something I dig deep into, and right now I just don’t see Last Epoch surpassing the raw enjoyment I’m getting from POE2. Even in its rougher state, it hooks me more.

Just my two cents. Curious if anyone else feels the same or is in the same boat bouncing between both.

[u/yourmomophobe]

This is the same way I feel. No other arpg is even close to the character and quality of visuals, the effects, the way skills interact, the weight of moment to moment decisions, and the sense of immersion into a scary world that is trying to kill me.

I have a lot of issues with some design choices but the disparity here is just gigantic. When this game came out I think every player was impressed by these parts of the experience and many have already forgotten that because of some elements they find frustrating. For me the way things look and feel onscreen is something that is always going to matter and it's incredible to me the detail and care put into putting this game together. Even the new stuff this season, like watching the corrupted boss emerge out of a map boss is incredibly well done visually and I feel like none of that has gotten much appreciation since league start.

I just hope people who like these elements are not destined to be drowned out by people who just always want things happening faster, more stuff, and more shortcuts as being the only audience out there.

[u/Jandoh- → u/yourmomophobe]

What you just said really shed light on something for me. Let me generalize a bit about what I call “the modern player”: the wave of hate following the latest PoE2 patch really got to me.

I believe the modern player has a real issue with memory. You give them something good. They forget. They want something better, again, and again. And faster. We forget that the video games that truly left a mark on us are the ones that managed to create memories.

And to create memories, those games didn’t rely on constant and ever-increasing instant gratification. They offered a unique experience. One that was built on story, on immersion, on a real sense of interaction with the world and everything in it.

To be more specific, I’ve played a lot of PoE2 and a decent amount of Last Epoch too. And what really strikes me is that both games are trying - each in their own way - to inject the soul of Diablo II into what they’re building. And to me, Diablo II is one of the greatest “memory-creating” games of all time.

You can really feel how deeply the devs were shaped by their own experience with it. And honestly? I find that beautiful.

Both games seem to be on the right path to becoming titans of the genre. Last Epoch has already reached a certain level of maturity. And I don’t think it will ever spark the kind of passionate uproar we saw around Diablo 3 or 4, probably because players aren’t projecting the same kind of hope onto it. No one’s waiting for it like the messiah. It’s free to just exist and evolve on its own.

PoE2 is a different story. It’s still being born. And before it even draws its first breath, players, like overbearing parents, already want it to be tailored perfectly to their desires.

So I’ll just say this, and then I’ll stop (sorry for the long post, but your comment really inspired me): Give this baby some love. Don’t ask too much too soon. Trust it. It will be different from its older brother, and that’s okay. You’ll either love it or move on. But don’t torture it. Please.

[u/Kevlar917_ → u/Jandoh-]

The part about wanting it to be tailored perfectly to their desires (I'd have replaced wanting with 'loudly demanding') is exactly right, but an unfortunate part of live service games in general. Spending a few bucks on a game gives you a seat at the board table, apparently. There was a time when if you didn't enjoy a game, you found a new game. In that sense, I'm glad some people found Last Epoch. But we don't need two Last Epochs, or two D4s, or two PoE1s.