Path of Exile 2's gems are one step forward and two steps back

by

Summary

  • Path of Exile 2's Gems system is essential with various categories such as active and support gems.

  • Gems in Path of Exile 2 have built-in sockets, changing the approach to item placement compared to its predecessor.

  • Jeweler's Orbs are crucial in Path of Exile 2 and impact gem sockets and build flexibility, but come at a cost.

Although the game is doing very well in Early Access, it can be difficult to call Path of Exile 2 A huge improvement (or opposite) over its predecessor, for the simple reason that they are extremely different in some ways, including core gameplay. For example, the power level for internals Path of Exile 2 is much lower than the first game, probably partly because GGG wanted a more balanced title once that was sorted out PoE2 would be a standalone sequel, and that's partly because the original had power creep over many years to take builds to the next level. Nevertheless, while the Gem system is in Path of Exile 2 is probably better than armor sockets, but also worse.

Unlike Path of Exile, where gems are easily obtained from traders, in Path of Exile 2 players must either drop uncut gems or trade with other players to get the gems they want.

Gems are required for all builds Path of Exile 2as they are divided into active skill gems, support gems, and spirit gems. The former essentially includes all of the various attacks and spells that characters can use to defeat enemies, with support gems making them more powerful in some way. Spirit Gems are a whole different beast, and they require players to reserve Spirit in order to use them for permanent buffs. In total, Path of Exile 2The approach to Gems differs significantly from its predecessor, for better or worse.

Path-of-Exile-2-Poe2-Death-Effect-Soulslike-Approach-Dodge-Roll-Boss-Fights-Good-Why

Related

Path of Exile 2 wears its Souls-like influence on its sleeve

Path of Exile 2 has several Soulslike-adjacent aspects integrated into the gameplay, and some of them are more obvious than others.

The biggest difference between Path of Exile 2's gems and PoEThe problem is that the former have built-in sockets for support gems and the latter require players to have armor sockets to connect to a specific gem to support. While the idea of ​​putting settings on the gemstones themselves to ease the pressure of listing has its merits, it also comes with some problems with this idea. First of all, players may not need to have good five- or six-linked items for their gems, but that problem is now shifting to the gems themselves.

Why Path of Exile 2's Jeweler's Orbs are a double-edged sword

Path of Exile 2 All Currencies Orb Stash Tab Currency PoE 2

In fact, the only way to give gems sockets other than the first two is to equip them with Small, Large, or Perfect Jeweler's Orbs, but these items are rare drops and are otherwise very expensive to purchase from other players. For example, a lesser jeweler's orb is usually sold for an exalted orb, while a greater jeweler's orb is usually sold for a divine orb. As such, Path of Exile 2In this regard, the economy of hasn't really changed, as players still need valuable items to make their builds work.

Additionally, the cost and/or rarity of the Jeweler's Orbs means that switching skills to try them out, or even switching to other builds, can cost too much and therefore isn't really feasible. In addition, many of the best skill, support and spirit gems are available Path of Exile 2Difficulty level “Cruel”, i.e. after Act 3 at the earliest. This leads to limited options in the early game, especially since many gems are still missing from the game entirely.

Path of Exile 2 shifts the pressure from items to gems

As a result, using Jeweler's Orbs for early gems may not be worth it in some cases, and even then, players will have to start over with gems unlocked later in the game since the sockets are attached to them and not to equipment . Path of Exile 2 Builds that have a better chance of hitting the endgame usually require at least one or two five-linked gems, which is easier said than done.

This approach is good when it comes to making items more cost effective based on the number of sockets they may have, especially since armor sockets exist Path of Exile 2 are obtained with Artificer's Orbs. However, it still makes the item listing problematic in several ways, be it for newcomers, veterans, and those looking to experiment with what the game has to offer. It remains to be seen whether anything will change during Early Access, but it may require changes that are too large to be easily implemented.

Leave a Comment