Path of Exile II Devs Promise Fixes After Update Fails Players
Not every game patch is met with cheers. The recent "Start of Hunting" patch for Path of Exile II, a highly anticipated action-RPG, serves as an example. Released last week, the patch unfortunately failed to land well with players. Community reaction was less than warm. The introduction of new bugs and gameplay mechanics left many questioning their existence. This backlash quickly impacted the game's Steam ratings, which took a marked dip.
Grinding Gear Games Replies to Criticism
The Grinding Gear Games team has been listening. In response to the wave of criticism, they published a long post on the official Path of Exile website. This post details how they plan to correct the issues and get the game back on track.
Here's an overview of the key areas they're addressing:
- Overhauling the Kopeyschik (Spear-User Class): This new class is a contentious topic. Developers promise to refine the "pairing mechanics," likely skill combinations or weapon pairings. Players complained these mechanics feel clunky. They also intend to accelerate spear-throwing to make the gameplay more fluid and dynamic.
- Revising End-Game Locations: Act Three is being redesigned. The developers plan to shorten the act and simplify its organization. This aims to correct player annoyance at navigating levels looking for artifacts. It reduces the need to constantly consult the map.
- Atlas Bookmarks: For players far along in Atlas endgame content, a new bookmark system is in development. This will allow players to bookmark and label specific areas of the Atlas for quick and easy travel. This should make movement and productivity easier.
- UI Enhancements: Overall user interface improvements are planned. One example is the ability to apply cosmetic "skins" (dressing up tamed creatures and ghosts) to stones themselves. This makes customization easier.
Hotfixes Already Applied
Grinding Gear Games has made promises and applied action. Plenty of hotfixes have already been applied to address emergency problems. These include:
- Awarding the Kopeyschik the "To achieve the weak" skill.
- Serpentine cutting excessive HP taken by enemies.
- Removing monster minion HP bonus from stratospheric levels of 400% down to a saner 94%.
- Stabilizing servers within the game to remedy performance issues.
Public Perception Still Divided
These rapid responses and promised fixes are moving in the right direction. It remains to be seen if they will regain player goodwill overall. The initial wave of bad reviews ("review-bombing") has started to level off. However, continued player reviews on Path of Exile II have yet to reach "overall positive." The overall long-term aggregate rating is presently "mostly positive." This indicates the job is only half complete in providing this promising sequel full player trust.
