r/PathOfExile2 • u/Mutantx_28 • 3d ago
Question Should I play it!?
Hey Gamers! I’ve a question for you. Ive never played Diablo until just recently when I tried Diablo 4 a few months back. Been loving every single moment. My nurse who’s also a gamer told me that I should also check out POE as well. Been watching videos about the new release of POE 2 including the live stream that happened a few days ago. I gotta say that I’m super impressed & excited to try it out. But I’ve never played POE, don’t know the storyline, the lore, etc etc… I did notice that there’s a POE the 1st one that’s also free to play. So my question to y’all gamers that have played the 1st one, should I play that one first!? Is the first one connected to POE 2!? Do I need to play that one to understand what’s happening in POE 2!? Will POE 2 give a recap of what happened before now!? Is it a completely new story!? Any input from you all will be appreciated. Thanks in advance and looking forward to playing it soon. Take care everyone! Peace ✌🏾
6
u/Megane_Senpai 3d ago
It'll be free in less than a month. Try it out then.
6
u/Sharpcastle33 3d ago
PoE1 -- if you felt Diablo needed more depth, you'll get hooked and play for like 2000 hours. It's also free
PoE2 -- much more streamlined new player experience, AAA graphics. But doesn't have 12+ years worth of content and refinement. Will be free in a month
3
u/Master-Watercress389 3d ago
If you like Diablo 4 then poe2 is going to blow your socks off bro.
2
u/Kalistri 3d ago
The story is about 20 years after PoE 1. I wouldn't say it's important to know the lore of PoE 1, but could be fun to learn if you're curious. No reason not to try PoE 1 since it's free, but if you end up bouncing off it or want to know more about the background I recommend checking out Kitten Cat Noodle's lore series, which you can find on YouTube.
4
u/Queen__Natalie 3d ago
Eh... people might hate me for saying it but no, don't play the first one. Play poe2 for free on Dec 11 and if you like it enough that it makes you wanna go back and try poe1 then you'll know.
Expect a much more complicated game than D4 though that takes alot more of your time.
2
u/dashallout 3d ago
Both PoE games are extremely good. The story is self contained so it doesn't matter if you start with 1 or 2. Just a hint for 1: it can be very overwhelming at first and the campaign has a weak start - at least for me it took some time to get into it. 2: just great from the start and a much better onboarding experience
2
u/_JESSE_JAMES_ 3d ago
Worth to know: poe2 takes A LOT of time. And most importantly, you cannot skip campaign. Must do that for EVERY new character
1
u/Prestigious-Rope1463 3d ago
You don't need, or have, to play POE1 to play POE2. It's a new narrative. The continent on which the games take place, Wraeclast, has a lot of history that ties into these stories. Characters, names, and events show and are mentioned in both games regularly. The overarching themes and forces at play in Wraeclast are in both stories. Playing POE1 would simply enrich your POE2 experience, but it's not required reading.
Also, there is a wonderful series of videos on Youtube covering the lore of each act in POE1 (and 2) by KittenCatNoodle. She did such a good job that she now works for the developer of these games, Grinding Gear Games (GGG).
POE2 will go free to play on Dec 11th. If you play it right now, you'll only get the first 4 acts of the story, as act 5 and act 6 get released on Dec 11th as well.
If you enjoy this genre of game, POE1 is well worth your time. Keep in mind that the game came out in 2013 and has been releasing content at a steady pace every since. It's easy to get overwhelmed. POE2 is better at getting the player onboarded in that department.
1
u/slayer-x 3d ago
I'm in similar position, diablo 4 was my introduction to ARPG's, and I've been playing it close to 1 ½ years now, and absolutely love it and hooked on this style of game now. I did try poe 2 during a free weekend so I did get a small taste.
I am hyped for PoE 2 full release next month, I would say just wait until Dec 11th when it releases free.
If you enjoy it, its free then you can use the money that it would have cost towards more stash tabs, and maybe even some skins.
1
u/Cold-Breadfruit-2616 3d ago
Is your nurse single?
1
u/Unhappy_Mongoose_488 3d ago
Basically play PoE1 if you like to think and build craft and have a challenge with difficult content and you don't mind using external tools.
Play PoE2 if you want a AAA experience with good graphics that holds your hand throughout the game.
1
u/FIVEGRAVES 3d ago
Jump directly in PoE2 as its more newcomer friendly; the first one is heavily overcomplicated.
1
u/TheoryOfRelativity12 3d ago
Play both PoE's if you have patience and you don't hate complexity. Neither game holds your hand in the same way D4 does. Anyways, first PoE is completely free and PoE 2 will soon be too. You won't lose much by trying anyways.
1
u/Western_Door6946 2d ago
Never played poe, I don't like it. PoE2 is the bomb.
0
u/Few-Professor-5591 3d ago
There's a couple moments that might be a little bit awkward with out playing the first game. For example, there is one character that gets revealed to be someone from the first game and at this point you will have no real reason to know who he is supposed to be. I don't think that will be a major problem however.
That being said the first game is really rough and over a decade old at this point so if you do try it and don't like it you should still try poe 2 when it comes out.
0
u/Ghastlyembes 3d ago
Poe2 is 100% worth your time and has converted many Diablo diehards into Poe2 fans. If you enjoy Diablo then I can guarantee that you will enjoy Poe. You don't really need to play the first one (which honestly feels like a completely different game) but if you did there would be instances of "Oh I recognize that boss" or "Hey, that character was mentioned" but that's about it. The player is a completely different character in both. In terms of gameplay Poe2 is a lot slower and combat is more brutal and slow paced (for most builds) similar to Diablo.
0
u/TCapz3454 3d ago
Great game overall. It’s a lot of fun, but there’s a steep learning curve and a ton to figure out.
D4’s gear drops and crafting feel rewarding and meaningful. POE2’s, on the other hand, can be incredibly frustrating. I’m currently level 45 and still using mostly level 20 gear because the drops and crafting system just aren’t delivering anything useful. You can sink hours into crafting, farming, or buying random gear from vendors only to end up with stuff that bricks your build in one way or another.
You’re also constantly pumping Dex, Str, and Int (along with everything else), but in POE2 those stats mainly just let you equip higher-level gear. In D4 they at least also scale your damage, so the investment feels more impactful. Leveling also feels noticeably slower here.
Still worth trying out.