PoE Sanity

Slower Combat Does NOT Equal Slow Combat

By Talkative TriWatch videoDuration: PT2M3S

Summary

  • Clarification of the “meaningful combat” stance for Path of Exile 2, addressing common misconceptions about game pacing.
  • Rejection of the binary choice between “horde-mowing” gameplay and tedious, “Souls-like” slogs.
  • Emphasis on engaging with monster-specific abilities rather than environmental clutter or generic modifiers.
  • Identification of the Hades franchise as the ideal benchmark for fast yet deliberate ARPG combat.

Clarifying the Middle Ground

There is a significant amount of confusion regarding the definition of “meaningful combat” in Path of Exile 2. The position is not an advocacy for a slow game, but rather a nuanced middle ground. Combat should not exist at the extreme ends of the genre spectrum:

  • The “Vampire Survivors” Extreme: Constant explosions and mowing down hordes of enemies with little to no challenge or mechanical engagement.
  • The “Souls-like” Extreme: Spending several minutes engaged with a single boss or a tiny group of mobs, as seen in titles like Elden Ring.

Speed vs. Meaning

Wanting combat to be “slower” than the current state of Path of Exile 1 does not equate to wanting the game itself to be slow. As Jonathan Rogers (Game Director) has stated, Path of Exile 2 was never intended to be a slow-paced experience. It is possible to have a fast-paced game where you actually engage with:

  1. Individual monster abilities.
  2. Specific enemy mechanics.
  3. Tactical positioning.

This is a shift away from the current meta of simply reacting to rare monster modifiers or chaotic ground effects.

Addressing Hyperbole

Implementing this style of combat is difficult and necessitates fewer monsters on screen than in the past. However, critics often use hyperbole to suggest this means facing only one to four enemies at a time or requiring 30-hit combos to kill basic mobs. This is an inaccurate representation of the desired gameplay loop.

The Hades Benchmark

The combat systems in Hades and Hades II serve as the perfect examples of the intended direction. Those games are:

  • Very fast: Movement and attacks feel responsive and urgent.
  • Not a slog: Enemies die at a satisfying pace.
  • Meaningful: Every encounter requires the player to respect what the enemy is doing.

Adopting this “quick but meaningful” vein of combat would represent a significant evolution for the ARPG genre.

Key References