Is Path of Exile 2 fun? It depends. Path of Exile 2 scores 7/10 for fun. The combat feels great from the first hour, but tough bosses and a deep build system push a lot of new players away.
Where this score comes from: Steam player reviews, last checked against the 200 most recent English reviews in October 2026. Path of Exile 2 on Steam
It is the action RPG sequel from Grinding Gear Games, in Early Access on Steam until 1.0 lands on December 11, 2026, when it goes free to play.
Path of Exile 2 scores 7/10 on immediate fun. It plays slower and heavier than most of its genre: you dodge roll, learn boss attacks and pick your moments, closer to a Souls game seen from above than a Diablo run.
That decides the score. Players who like learning fights and building a character piece by piece get hooked within hours. Players who wanted to switch their brain off tend to bounce at the first big boss.
Fights feel good. Skills land with weight, and new players keep bringing up the moment they turned into a bear and cracked the ground open. One player nine hours in said no game had ever made them feel this strong.
Build freedom is the other draw. The passive tree is huge, any class can borrow from the others, and a few Diablo 4 players called this the game they hoped that one would be. Finally beating a hard boss is the high point for a lot of people.
Build homework is the big one. Skill gems and the passive tree run so deep that many newcomers end up following an outside guide. One player quit after five hours because the systems felt overloaded and good gear rarely dropped.
Bosses are the second wall. Some stall you early, and the campaign makes you fight a few more than once. One player with three decades of ARPGs behind them died to the same fight dozens of times and stopped.
A small but steady share of players report stutter and low frame rates on decent PCs, so refund it early if that is you. Veterans argue about the endgame and trading, but that is hundreds of hours in.
Solo: This is where it shines. The campaign, bosses and build tinkering all work alone, and plenty of players never group up.
With friends: The campaign is fun in a group, and a friend who knows the systems makes the early hours easier. Later it thins out: endgame progress is not shared, and public groups often become one strong player carrying the rest.
Yes, if you enjoy hard, deliberate combat and planning a character. Give it a few hours and a couple of boss attempts before deciding. If you want a looter to relax into with friends, Warframe at 7/10 asks for less homework. Unsure? It goes free to play in December.
For comparison, we rated Elden Ring 9/10 and Hades 10/10 on the same fun-only scale.
Path of Exile 2 scores 7/10 on immediate fun. Heavy, satisfying combat and endless builds. Hard bosses and build homework stop plenty of new players cold.
Build homework. Boss walls.
One question: did it deliver immediate fun? Graphics, story depth, difficulty and critical acclaim are ignored. Pick-up-and-play accessibility is rewarded; anything that makes you wait for the fun to start is penalized.
How we score: We don't care about graphics, story depth, or critical acclaim. One question — did it deliver immediate fun? We reward pick-up-and-play accessibility and penalize anything that makes you wait for the fun to start.