D4 bad, D3 bad, D2 good, Grim Dawn good, Path of Exile good. This is a combination of what I like about Grim Dawn, D2, and Path of Exile, with a perfect balance between having depth to itemization and character building, while not needing a degree in ARPGs (like you apparently need for Path of Exile). Last Epoch probably has one of the best theorized trading systems, with a system that benefits both solo play, and those who like auction houses, without either one intruding on the other. The combat is reminiscent of the Diablo series, taking the best parts of those games, removing unnecessary cooldowns, and adding depth through each skill having a skill tree, and each class having 3 different specs, which leads to build variety similar to that of Path of Exile. Last Epoch never felt stressful to play, and I never had to rely on a guide, with great in-game tutorials and UI/UX. I also never had to rely on 3rd party tools/sites, like loot filters or trading sites, as this is all built in.

The one word that constantly comes to mind when I play Last Epoch is “balance”. With releases like Diablo 4 feeling like an insult to your intelligence; Diablo 2 leaning too heavily into hardcore mechanics and confusing crafting; Diablo 3 leaning too heavily into streamlining and repetition; Grim Dawn and its needlessly long item affix list/descriptions; Torchlight’s easy simplicity; and Path of Exile feeling like a chore, with way too much going on it feels like you could never magically make a good build yourself, as well as having to rely on 3rd party sites and guides for everything. Last Epoch on the other hand feels like it struck the perfect balance between what’s currently available, and not falling into the same trappings as those games. What’s left is nit picks: maybe you dislike the graphics, or find the game not hard enough, but there will never be a problem that is as striking as any other ARPG in the industry.

Time will tell whether the developers can live up to the hype and anticipation of this passion project, but at least for now, this is probably your best bet on ARPGs until we have any playable build of Path of Exile 2. It also has no P2W or convenience options currently available, and the skins are seen as extra support for the game, so in that category alone Last Epoch is winning against most live service games. It’s also cheap, with no $100 DLCs like Diablo 4, or horse mounts that cost more than the game.

If you are a fan of ARPGs, just buy the game, you won’t regret it.

Extended review:

Nearly a week in, and the game has had its fair share of server instability and annoying bugs. However as the days went on, the server slowly improved, to the point where I could actually progress past the starting zone. While the bugs have persisted, I’m sure that they’ll be patched out. However this rough launch did a lot of damage to the image and review score of Last Epoch. No doubt that this will have a long lasting effect on the games growth, however I think that upon Last Epoch entering a new season, we could see it recover. The game right now is incredibly successful. Which is impressive given it exist within an extremely competitive space right now, which is a testament to its quality.

Currently despite its issues, Last Epoch is by far my favourite ARPG currently. While Path of Exile has more content, depth, complexity, builds, and a better currency system, it is simply too overwhelming for me to get into. By comparison, I’ve put in half the amount of hours into Last Epoch, and I have a better grasp on almost everything this game has to offer. The game simply offers enough complexity and depth for me to be interested, with assistance from the games raw and visceral combat, amazing music, intense sound effects, and pleasing artistic direction, while not being overbearing and seemingly impossible to learn.

You could easily get over a thousand hours currently, even just within the first season/cycle, as the amount of masteries, end game content/grind, and build potential feels vast. I keep getting inspired to play different builds/classes/masteries, and yet I’m probably going to end up with over 50 hours just on one character alone. With the games 15 masteries, and multiple builds just within those masteries alone, and a level cap of 100, you won’t run out of content.

The games difficulty was probably the most alarming thing early on, as the game starts off relatively easy. However upon fighting Lagon and the last boss of the campaign, I changed my mind, only to have it whip back to feeling too easy again, and then suddenly I’m fighting a hard version of Lagon, and a boss that’s even harder than that. Not to mention the amount of standard enemy mechanics that keep me on my toes, and the multitude of resistances and defence stats I need to balance with my damage just to keep alive, the game is challenging, but disproportionately so. I enjoy the game when it’s at its most challenging, but it’s not always there, and with repeated playthroughs, with power handed down from other characters, I’d imagine this would exacerbate the issue.

The game is great, however it’s not perfect. Hopefully with time the edges will be buffed out, and we’ll have a more finished product on our hands. Until then though, Last Epoch is an amazing experience regardless of its flaws.

D4 bad, D3 bad, D2 good, Grim Dawn good, Path of Exile good. This is a combination of what I like about Grim Dawn, D2, and Path of Exile, with a perfect balance between having depth to itemization and character building, while not needing a degree in ARPGs (like you apparently need for Path of Exile). Last Epoch probably has one of the best theorized trading systems, with a system that benefits both solo play, and those who like auction houses, without either one intruding on the other. The combat is reminiscent of the Diablo series, taking the best parts of those games, removing unnecessary cooldowns, and adding depth through each skill having a skill tree, and each class having 3 different specs, which leads to build variety similar to that of Path of Exile. Last Epoch never felt stressful to play, and I never had to rely on a guide, with great in-game tutorials and UI/UX. I also never had to rely on 3rd party tools/sites, like loot filters or trading sites, as this is all built in. The one word that constantly comes to mind when I play Last Epoch is “balance”. With releases like Diablo 4 feeling like an insult to your intelligence; Diablo 2 leaning too heavily into hardcore mechanics and confusing crafting; Diablo 3 leaning too heavily into streamlining and repetition; Grim Dawn and its needlessly long item affix list/descriptions; Torchlight’s easy simplicity; and Path of Exile feeling like a chore, with way too much going on it feels like you could never magically make a good build yourself, as well as having to rely on 3rd party sites and guides for everything. Last Epoch on the other hand feels like it struck the perfect balance between what’s currently available, and not falling into the same trappings as those games. What’s left is nit picks: maybe you dislike the graphics, or find the game not hard enough, but there will never be a problem that is as striking as any other ARPG in the industry. Time will tell whether the developers can live up to the hype and anticipation of this passion project, but at least for now, this is probably your best bet on ARPGs until we have any playable build of Path of Exile 2. It also has no P2W or convenience options currently available, and the skins are seen as extra support for the game, so in that category alone Last Epoch is winning against most live service games. It’s also cheap, with no $100 DLCs like Diablo 4, or horse mounts that cost more than the game. If you are a fan of ARPGs, just buy the game, you won’t regret it. Extended review: Nearly a week in, and the game has had its fair share of server instability and annoying bugs. However as the days went on, the server slowly improved, to the point where I could actually progress past the starting zone. While the bugs have persisted, I’m sure that they’ll be patched out. However this rough launch did a lot of damage to the image and review score of Last Epoch. No doubt that this will have a long lasting effect on the games growth, however I think that upon Last Epoch entering a new season, we could see it recover. The game right now is incredibly successful. Which is impressive given it exist within an extremely competitive space right now, which is a testament to its quality. Currently despite its issues, Last Epoch is by far my favourite ARPG currently. While Path of Exile has more content, depth, complexity, builds, and a better currency system, it is simply too overwhelming for me to get into. By comparison, I’ve put in half the amount of hours into Last Epoch, and I have a better grasp on almost everything this game has to offer. The game simply offers enough complexity and depth for me to be interested, with assistance from the games raw and visceral combat, amazing music, intense sound effects, and pleasing artistic direction, while not being overbearing and seemingly impossible to learn. You could easily get over a thousand hours currently, even just within the first season/cycle, as the amount of masteries, end game content/grind, and build potential feels vast. I keep getting inspired to play different builds/classes/masteries, and yet I’m probably going to end up with over 50 hours just on one character alone. With the games 15 masteries, and multiple builds just within those masteries alone, and a level cap of 100, you won’t run out of content. The games difficulty was probably the most alarming thing early on, as the game starts off relatively easy. However upon fighting Lagon and the last boss of the campaign, I changed my mind, only to have it whip back to feeling too easy again, and then suddenly I’m fighting a hard version of Lagon, and a boss that’s even harder than that. Not to mention the amount of standard enemy mechanics that keep me on my toes, and the multitude of resistances and defence stats I need to balance with my damage just to keep alive, the game is challenging, but disproportionately so. I enjoy the game when it’s at its most challenging, but it’s not always there, and with repeated playthroughs, with power handed down from other characters, I’d imagine this would exacerbate the issue. The game is great, however it’s not perfect. Hopefully with time the edges will be buffed out, and we’ll have a more finished product on our hands. Until then though, Last Epoch is an amazing experience regardless of its flaws.