I still can't get logged in. I got to the screen where it says an email has been sent to my email account to link my account but the email never showed up. I can go back through the whole process and it just takes me straight to the screen that says an email has been sent to my account. And yes, I know it's the correct email address because it's the one I use to log into POE.com. Their email server is down or something. Good times. I'm flat stuck until they get that fixed.
Oh and yes I checked my spam folder. First place I looked when I didn't see it in my inbox.
I took the plunge. I played for about 2.5 hours so far and have enjoyed it. I picked the mercenary class and am using a crossbow. Its a pretty cool weapon. Most of the skills seem to be different types of ammunition. You use your hotkeys to load different types of ammunition, then left click to shoot. I also like the WASD movement and active dodging with the spacebar. I think it makes the game more fun.
lol no just no, its unfinished and completely pay to win, 30 dollars for a beta of a f2p game
You can just wait until it releases and play it for free, until you get tired of having a lacking inventory and end out spending the same money to buy more space.
So far so good. Hard but not brutal. Playing a Witch now. Really dark and fun Not much experience with the first game so not sure what upgraded bag space is needed
Now that I have tried it I can only say the control scheme makes the game unenjoyable.
1. WASD is clunky af, not so much the movement but the fact that you also have to use other keys all the time .. flasks, other skills; it is just not possible bind them all to your mouse buttons.
2. Since the game is completely designed for the WASD control scheme (everything in the game is designed around moving while using skills), using click to move feels wrong and also currently makes you move unpredictably.
3. Tried controller, but that is its own set of problems like autoaiming the wrong targets, not being able to place ground effects, etc .. also once selecting controller you can no longer use mouse and keyboard which is kinda mandatory for item management (of which there will be a lot).
The problem is since they completely locked themselves into the WASD design, I seriously doubt it can be "fixed" with updates.
So all in all, maybe the game is ok, but the control scheme COMPLETELY ruins it.
30$ wasted, but owell it was a gamble and I knew it; just ... if you tried similar games like V Rising and you disliked the control scheme there, this is the same just much worse - So at least I would wait till you can try it for free.
Thanks for your feedback. It gives anyone reading this review a different perspective than mine.
I have always liked WASD movement, and coming from PoE 1 that only had mouse click movement, I was happy to see it in PoE2. I set my flasks to the Q and E key, and I have all my other skills programmed to my mouse. I use a SteelSeries 9 which has a 12-button thumb pad, so that could explain the difference of opinion here. I'll remember to mention that in any other reviews I do that require a lot of keybinds.
I didn't notice any problems with click to move, but I am used to it from playing PoE 1. I definitely agree that when using click to move it is more difficult to position ground skills, but I guess I am just used to it. After swapping to WASD, I haven't looked back.
I also tried out controller movement for a little bit. Movement felt good, and if I recall correctly, you could place ground skills by using the right stick for direction and distance (slight to the right places it near your character, medium to the right places it further, all the way to the right places it at maximum range), but it doesn't give pinpoint accuracy.
I agree that it would be nice to have mouse control while in menu and inventory screens for easier control, but I was impressed with how easy it is to control everything with just the controller, especially when compared to PoE 1.
So far so good. Hard but not brutal. Playing a Witch now. Really dark and fun Not much experience with the first game so not sure what upgraded bag space is needed
How much bag space you needed in PoE 1 depended on how hardcore you played. If you plan on going for BiS, you will need a lot of extra tabs for collecting and trading gear. Each League had its own special currencies, and there were extra tabs made specifically to manage each league.
I never got super involved and didn't go super deep into mapping (PoE 1's endgame content) but I did buy a few stash tabs over the years. I would consider a Currency tab a necessity for anyone that doesn't want to handle a bazillion different currency items. I also used a Uniques tab that had a slot for each unique in the game just for collection purposes, and I bought a few other basic and specialized tabs as well. I've seen players with dozens of tabs, but I never got that deep into things.
It's good to see a multiplayer online that looks like it will deserve a 9.0, not just being hyped up to the stratosphere to get a 9.0. It is even better to see an early access that seems as well rounded as this.
I played around 7 hours, but I don't feel like it's the game for me. I like PoE1 more with 2.3k hours played. This is just too slow paced for me. There's small things that are considered QoL that I don't like, like hooded man identifying your whole inventory and free town portal. Maybe it's just the "change is bad" attitude but I tried it again after a nights sleep, but it still didn't feel any better. Not a fan of the dodge roll mechanic either.
When you judge others, you do not define them, you define yourself
I personally really like it. I'm playing a mace and shield warrior and it feels really deep to have active blocking, active dodge, and twin stick controls. The boss fights have a souls-like aspect to them that you just can't get with a click to move control scheme. Both block and dodge cancel animations which makes the controls feel very responsive. The flip side to that being GGG did add some one shot style mechanics on boss fights that simply must be dodged. I don't know that you could realistically have enough defensive stats this early in the game to just face tank the bosses and some of the elite/named mobs you run into. You CAN block a lot of things including ranged attacks although some big windup moves are unlockable. You do have a block meter that if it fills up your guard will break and you'll be momentarily staggered. You can't just turtle in a corner and be invulnerable. Still it's quite useful and makes equipping a shield feel like a play style choice rather than just a vestigial defensive stats slot like most ARPGs.
I'm really enjoying the game. However I don't think it will be a D4 killer. I think the twin stick controls are going to be a very love/hate thing which a lot of ARPG fans are going to hate even though I personally love it. You can already see the polarized opinions in this chat.
People keep talking about holding down the mouse click to move when force move is available in POE 1. You never had to hold down the mouse button for hours unless you never used that quality of life improvement. WASD ties up three of your fingers and reduced the number of easy to reach keys on your kb. Never understood this change but sure it is an improvement but force move is for me the way to play.
These days I use a controller so I look at that instead.
People keep talking about holding down the mouse click to move when force move is available in POE 1. You never had to hold down the mouse button for hours unless you never used that quality of life improvement. WASD ties up three of your fingers and reduced the number of easy to reach keys on your kb. Never understood this change but sure it is an improvement but force move is for me the way to play.
These days I use a controller so I look at that instead.
I don't have much experience with the first game, but I am playing this on the PS5 and the controller works really well. The dodge button (the O button) is fast and responsive. Overall, I think the game does a great job for people like me with finger issues (from an old injury) to use a controller.
I'm using KB and mouse but my mouse is an old Logitech G600 so I have 12 mappable thumb buttons on the side and I have them all mapped for PoE2. If you have a standard gaming mouse with like 5 buttons maybe I can see how finding button mappings could be a problem.
The big thing you're not able to do with click to move that I do all the time is backpedal while facing, and in my case blocking, enemies. I would think this ability to backpedal would be a huge advantage for ranged classes as well. I also block and walk forward to block ranged mobs while closing distance to get I to melee. Being able to move and attack is a huge advantage over being able to move OR attack which is what click to move results in.
Still, people are used to their Diablo, LE, PoE1, etc and they're all click to move. I think PoE2 will face resistance from ARPG fans for it even though it's arguably a better control scheme.
Now that I have tried it I can only say the control scheme makes the game unenjoyable.
1. WASD is clunky af, not so much the movement but the fact that you also have to use other keys all the time .. flasks, other skills; it is just not possible bind them all to your mouse buttons.
2. Since the game is completely designed for the WASD control scheme (everything in the game is designed around moving while using skills), using click to move feels wrong and also currently makes you move unpredictably.
3. Tried controller, but that is its own set of problems like autoaiming the wrong targets, not being able to place ground effects, etc .. also once selecting controller you can no longer use mouse and keyboard which is kinda mandatory for item management (of which there will be a lot).
The problem is since they completely locked themselves into the WASD design, I seriously doubt it can be "fixed" with updates.
So all in all, maybe the game is ok, but the control scheme COMPLETELY ruins it.
30$ wasted, but owell it was a gamble and I knew it; just ... if you tried similar games like V Rising and you disliked the control scheme there, this is the same just much worse - So at least I would wait till you can try it for free.
WASD is one of the reasons why I haven't bought it yet. I've tried it in Pagan Online and Victor Vran and really hated it. But the way the game is designed, you are really going to be less than optimal playing point and click on most builds as you can't strafe while moving with point and click. I'm not sure that I want to play a game like POE2 on a controller either.
The 50 hour campaign is the second major reason why I've skipped it for now. Watching people play, it seems clear that they made the mobs super tanky and the campaign filled with massive zones to extend the play time.
I'm using KB and mouse but my mouse is an old Logitech G600 so I have 12 mappable thumb buttons on the side and I have them all mapped for PoE2. If you have a standard gaming mouse with like 5 buttons maybe I can see how finding button mappings could be a problem.
The big thing you're not able to do with click to move that I do all the time is backpedal while facing, and in my case blocking, enemies. I would think this ability to backpedal would be a huge advantage for ranged classes as well. I also block and walk forward to block ranged mobs while closing distance to get I to melee. Being able to move and attack is a huge advantage over being able to move OR attack which is what click to move results in.
Still, people are used to their Diablo, LE, PoE1, etc and they're all click to move. I think PoE2 will face resistance from ARPG fans for it even though it's arguably a better control scheme.
Those 12 button mice will wreck your thumb in the long run. My poor thumb was strained after using those mice for years. Be careful. No thumb is meant to be used like that for hours and hours . I agree I too found such a great thing but after I notice both my thumb and wrist started to ache unbearably that something was wrong.
Force move is not like holding a mouse button down because you don't use the same amount of force like you would on a left or right mouse while force move allows a lot of freedom because when you slide your mouse the cursor will follow as you have a key held down for force move. It is truly the better option.
I personally found the controller the kindest to my aging aching hands.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Brighter Shores got what, an 8 while POE2 gets a 9.
Yet...from what I've read there might be a night vs day difference in terms of content / quality / completeness between these two titles.
Which is why the scoring system is basically worthless with regards to early access games.
We knew this was coming, there was no way an early access review could be as reliable as a proper launch review. EA is asking reviews to guestimate how much work will be done for proper launch. That is a huge ask, how can anyone know?
They could do lower scores with a range, like 6.0 - 7.0, showing it is a 6.0 now but with work could be a 7.0...if the work gets done.
But we must have the scores, scores are something both studios and many maybe most gaming journalists want to get rid of. Scores hold you to account and they don't want that. I can see EA being used as an excuse to get rid of scores, we have to keep them at all costs, they can be adapted in the way I mentioned.
The problem there is that reviewers currently want the scores to match the scores of games that do not have early access and just launch normally. Another way of solving this would be if MC did separate scoring for early access games.
But we must have scores, we need that litmus test, one reviewer may be wildly of the mark but the average and looking at those low score reviews is really useful.
I'm using KB and mouse but my mouse is an old Logitech G600 so I have 12 mappable thumb buttons on the side and I have them all mapped for PoE2. If you have a standard gaming mouse with like 5 buttons maybe I can see how finding button mappings could be a problem.
The big thing you're not able to do with click to move that I do all the time is backpedal while facing, and in my case blocking, enemies. I would think this ability to backpedal would be a huge advantage for ranged classes as well. I also block and walk forward to block ranged mobs while closing distance to get I to melee. Being able to move and attack is a huge advantage over being able to move OR attack which is what click to move results in.
Still, people are used to their Diablo, LE, PoE1, etc and they're all click to move. I think PoE2 will face resistance from ARPG fans for it even though it's arguably a better control scheme.
Those 12 button mice will wreck your thumb in the long run. My poor thumb was strained after using those mice for years. Be careful. No thumb is meant to be used like that for hours and hours . I agree I too found such a great thing but after I notice both my thumb and wrist started to ache unbearably that something was wrong.
Force move is not like holding a mouse button down because you don't use the same amount of force like you would on a left or right mouse while force move allows a lot of freedom because when you slide your mouse the cursor will follow as you have a key held down for force move. It is truly the better option.
I personally found the controller the kindest to my aging aching hands.
As to the mouse being dangerous to my hand. Thanks for your concern, but I'm 51 going on 52 and I've been using this style mouse since they were first released for WoW and I've yet to have an issue with them. I've lifted weights since I was 14 and I train Brazilian jiujitsu so my wrists and hands are quite strong. I'm the official household jar opener. On top of that I don't play games for hours and hours a day. I've had tendonitis many times in my life, usually in the biceps or shoulders, so I know what to watch for.
That being said force move is not going to get you what you need in this game because you need to be able to move one direction while attacking in a completely different direction. Since both aiming and movement are controlled with the pointer in a force move setup this will be impossible. There are many fights in PoE2 that become trivial when you can "circle strafe" around your opponent. I rerolled a sorceress just to see what life was like on the ranged side and it's comical how much easier the game is. Although there are fast groups of melee mobs that have swarming AI which become a challenge the melee classes wade through without issue. By in large playing ranged and being able to backpedal, dodge, and circle you opponent makes many of the boss fights at least in Act 1 trivial compared to the same fights for a melee character. I've yet to die on my sorc and I'm almost through Act 1. I've lost count of the number of deaths my mace+shield warrior has died doing the same content.
Brighter Shores got what, an 8 while POE2 gets a 9.
Yet...from what I've read there might be a night vs day difference in terms of content / quality / completeness between these two titles.
Which is why the scoring system is basically worthless with regards to early access games.
We knew this was coming, there was no way an early access review could be as reliable as a proper launch review. EA is asking reviews to guestimate how much work will be done for proper launch. That is a huge ask, how can anyone know?
They could do lower scores with a range, like 6.0 - 7.0, showing it is a 6.0 now but with work could be a 7.0...if the work gets done.
But we must have the scores, scores are something both studios and many maybe most gaming journalists want to get rid of. Scores hold you to account and they don't want that. I can see EA being used as an excuse to get rid of scores, we have to keep them at all costs, they can be adapted in the way I mentioned.
The problem there is that reviewers currently want the scores to match the scores of games that do not have early access and just launch normally. Another way of solving this would be if MC did separate scoring for early access games.
But we must have scores, we need that litmus test, one reviewer may be wildly of the mark but the average and looking at those low score reviews is really useful.
I agree with the need for scores. Maybe EA reviews could adopt an alpha scoring A,B,C,D,F like in school which could differentiate them enough from the numeric release scores to still give an idea of where the game is at without inviting comparisons between EA scores and release scores?
Brighter Shores got what, an 8 while POE2 gets a 9.
Yet...from what I've read there might be a night vs day difference in terms of content / quality / completeness between these two titles.
Which is why the scoring system is basically worthless with regards to early access games.
We knew this was coming, there was no way an early access review could be as reliable as a proper launch review. EA is asking reviews to guestimate how much work will be done for proper launch. That is a huge ask, how can anyone know?
They could do lower scores with a range, like 6.0 - 7.0, showing it is a 6.0 now but with work could be a 7.0...if the work gets done.
But we must have the scores, scores are something both studios and many maybe most gaming journalists want to get rid of. Scores hold you to account and they don't want that. I can see EA being used as an excuse to get rid of scores, we have to keep them at all costs, they can be adapted in the way I mentioned.
The problem there is that reviewers currently want the scores to match the scores of games that do not have early access and just launch normally. Another way of solving this would be if MC did separate scoring for early access games.
But we must have scores, we need that litmus test, one reviewer may be wildly of the mark but the average and looking at those low score reviews is really useful.
I agree with the need for scores. Maybe EA reviews could adopt an alpha scoring A,B,C,D,F like in school which could differentiate them enough from the numeric release scores to still give an idea of where the game is at without inviting comparisons between EA scores and release scores?
I like this idea, site should give serious consideration to it.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Those 12 button mice will wreck your thumb in the long run. My poor thumb was strained after using those mice for years. Be careful. No thumb is meant to be used like that for hours and hours . I agree I too found such a great thing but after I notice both my thumb and wrist started to ache unbearably that something was wrong.
Force move is not like holding a mouse button down because you don't use the same amount of force like you would on a left or right mouse while force move allows a lot of freedom because when you slide your mouse the cursor will follow as you have a key held down for force move. It is truly the better option.
I personally found the controller the kindest to my aging aching hands.
I think that’s a “your mileage may vary “ sort of thing.
I’ve been using them since they came out and my thumb is fine.
Won’t ever go back!
Like Skyrim? Need more content? Try my Skyrim mod "Godfred's Tomb."
Comments
You can just wait until it releases and play it for free, until you get tired of having a lacking inventory and end out spending the same money to buy more space.
Not much experience with the first game so not sure what upgraded bag space is needed
I have always liked WASD movement, and coming from PoE 1 that only had mouse click movement, I was happy to see it in PoE2. I set my flasks to the Q and E key, and I have all my other skills programmed to my mouse. I use a SteelSeries 9 which has a 12-button thumb pad, so that could explain the difference of opinion here. I'll remember to mention that in any other reviews I do that require a lot of keybinds.
I didn't notice any problems with click to move, but I am used to it from playing PoE 1. I definitely agree that when using click to move it is more difficult to position ground skills, but I guess I am just used to it. After swapping to WASD, I haven't looked back.
I also tried out controller movement for a little bit. Movement felt good, and if I recall correctly, you could place ground skills by using the right stick for direction and distance (slight to the right places it near your character, medium to the right places it further, all the way to the right places it at maximum range), but it doesn't give pinpoint accuracy.
I agree that it would be nice to have mouse control while in menu and inventory screens for easier control, but I was impressed with how easy it is to control everything with just the controller, especially when compared to PoE 1.
I never got super involved and didn't go super deep into mapping (PoE 1's endgame content) but I did buy a few stash tabs over the years. I would consider a Currency tab a necessity for anyone that doesn't want to handle a bazillion different currency items. I also used a Uniques tab that had a slot for each unique in the game just for collection purposes, and I bought a few other basic and specialized tabs as well. I've seen players with dozens of tabs, but I never got that deep into things.
- Earl Nightingale
I'm really enjoying the game. However I don't think it will be a D4 killer. I think the twin stick controls are going to be a very love/hate thing which a lot of ARPG fans are going to hate even though I personally love it. You can already see the polarized opinions in this chat.
These days I use a controller so I look at that instead.
The big thing you're not able to do with click to move that I do all the time is backpedal while facing, and in my case blocking, enemies. I would think this ability to backpedal would be a huge advantage for ranged classes as well. I also block and walk forward to block ranged mobs while closing distance to get I to melee. Being able to move and attack is a huge advantage over being able to move OR attack which is what click to move results in.
Still, people are used to their Diablo, LE, PoE1, etc and they're all click to move. I think PoE2 will face resistance from ARPG fans for it even though it's arguably a better control scheme.
The 50 hour campaign is the second major reason why I've skipped it for now. Watching people play, it seems clear that they made the mobs super tanky and the campaign filled with massive zones to extend the play time.
Force move is not like holding a mouse button down because you don't use the same amount of force like you would on a left or right mouse while force move allows a lot of freedom because when you slide your mouse the cursor will follow as you have a key held down for force move. It is truly the better option.
I personally found the controller the kindest to my aging aching hands.
Yet...from what I've read there might be a night vs day difference in terms of content / quality / completeness between these two titles.
Which is why the scoring system is basically worthless with regards to early access games.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
They could do lower scores with a range, like 6.0 - 7.0, showing it is a 6.0 now but with work could be a 7.0...if the work gets done.
But we must have the scores, scores are something both studios and many maybe most gaming journalists want to get rid of. Scores hold you to account and they don't want that. I can see EA being used as an excuse to get rid of scores, we have to keep them at all costs, they can be adapted in the way I mentioned.
The problem there is that reviewers currently want the scores to match the scores of games that do not have early access and just launch normally. Another way of solving this would be if MC did separate scoring for early access games.
But we must have scores, we need that litmus test, one reviewer may be wildly of the mark but the average and looking at those low score reviews is really useful.
That being said force move is not going to get you what you need in this game because you need to be able to move one direction while attacking in a completely different direction. Since both aiming and movement are controlled with the pointer in a force move setup this will be impossible. There are many fights in PoE2 that become trivial when you can "circle strafe" around your opponent. I rerolled a sorceress just to see what life was like on the ranged side and it's comical how much easier the game is. Although there are fast groups of melee mobs that have swarming AI which become a challenge the melee classes wade through without issue. By in large playing ranged and being able to backpedal, dodge, and circle you opponent makes many of the boss fights at least in Act 1 trivial compared to the same fights for a melee character. I've yet to die on my sorc and I'm almost through Act 1. I've lost count of the number of deaths my mace+shield warrior has died doing the same content.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I’ve been using them since they came out and my thumb is fine.
Won’t ever go back!
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo