People keep asking if Path of Exile still earns its spot on your SSD now that PoE 2 is in early access, and yeah, it does. The funny part is the original hasn't faded into the background at all. It's got its own identity: louder, faster, and more willing to let you do something stupidly powerful just because you can. If you're the kind of player who likes tinkering with builds and then watching the whole screen pop, you'll get why folks still stick around, and why guides about poe currency buy keep making the rounds.
The Loop That Hooks You
You log in thinking you'll run a couple maps, then it's suddenly midnight. That's the loop. You start a league a bit scuffed, your damage feels awful, and you're chipping away at rares like you're using a wet sponge. Then one upgrade lands. A flask change, a new support gem, that one craft you didn't brick. Your build clicks, and it's night and day. The game turns into momentum: dash, detonate, loot, repeat. The visual chaos is part of it too. Some people hate the clutter, but a lot of us read it as feedback—if the screen is a mess, you're probably doing it right.
Build Freedom, Not Training Wheels
The passive tree still looks like a dare the first time you open it. And it kind of is. But once you stop treating it like a "correct path" and more like a toolbox, the game opens up. Classes are a starting vibe, not a prison. You can bend an archetype until it's yours. The gem system is the real magic trick, though. A skill starts simple, then you bolt on supports, swap interactions, and it becomes this weird machine that only makes sense because you built it. That freedom is why people keep theory-crafting years later. You're not just playing a character, you're building one.
The Wall New Players Hit
It's not friendly, and that's putting it mildly. PoE explains just enough to get you into trouble, then leaves you to figure out why your resistances are cooked or why your "great" item is actually trash. You'll end up with a wiki tab open, maybe a trade site, maybe a crafting breakdown video, and you'll still mess it up. The economy is player-driven, which is cool until you realise you don't know what anything's worth. You might find a shiny orb and have no clue if it's pocket change or rent money. That learning curve doesn't slope. It's a climb.
Endgame Muscle Memory
The Atlas is basically endless, and it's where the game turns into a long-term habit. Getting comfy in high-tier maps takes time, and the early "I'm broke and everything hurts" phase can feel like a speed bump on the way to the real fun. Some players grind it out every league and love the hustle. Others just want to get to the part where their build actually functions and they can craft toward a plan. If you're in that second camp, sites that help you buy game currency or items can take the edge off, and eznpc fits naturally into that role without you having to babysit the slow start all over again.
