Path of Exile 2 can hook you fast, and it usually happens the moment you realise the game isn't trying to be "easy to pick up." It's asking for attention, patience, and a bit of stubbornness, and that's why so many people can't stop talking about it. Even the economy and gearing chatter gets intense early on, because every upgrade feels earned and every bad choice stings, especially when you start looking at PoE 2 Currency and how it fits into the wider grind. You can love that pressure, or you can bounce off it hard.
Why the depth feels so good
If you're the type who enjoys tinkering, this game is basically a playground. You don't just pick a skill and roll with it; you test links, adjust your defences, and keep asking "what if I swap this?" You'll spend an evening chasing one interaction that turns a clunky setup into something smooth, and when it clicks, it's ridiculous in the best way. That's the real payoff: not simply bigger numbers, but the feeling that your build is yours. A lot of ARPGs hand you power on a schedule, but PoE 2 makes you build it, piece by piece.
The new player wall is real
Now, if you're new, it can feel like the game's speaking a language you never learned. Tooltips hint, they don't teach. You die, you don't always know why, and the fix isn't obvious. So people do what they always do: alt-tab, search, watch a video, copy a planner, then try again. That loop can be exciting for some players, sure, but for others it kills the vibe. You came to slash monsters, not do research. When the first hours feel like studying, it's no surprise folks quit before the systems start making sense.
Pacing, pressure, and that "slog" feeling
Even after you understand the basics, the tempo can rub you the wrong way. The enemies keep up. Sometimes too well. You'll grind for a while, upgrade a couple pieces, and still feel like you're only just staying afloat. It can come across like the game values punishment more than momentum, especially when areas start to blur together and you're running similar layouts again. Some nights it's thrilling, because every fight asks you to play clean. Other nights you log off thinking, "I did a lot, but I don't feel stronger," and that's a rough feeling in this genre.
What kind of player it rewards
This is the part people don't always say out loud: PoE 2 isn't built for zoning out. It rewards curiosity, note-taking, and that habit of stopping to ask what went wrong. If that's you, the game can stay fresh for a long time, because there's always another approach to try and another setup to refine. If you just want a relaxed power trip, the friction won't magically disappear, and the grind can feel like a second job. The upside is that once you're in the groove, you start caring about your choices, your upgrades, and even stuff like poe2 gold because every small advantage actually matters in moment-to-moment play.
