Path of Exile has been a constant in my life for the last decade. Grinding Gear Games managed to craft a true Diablo-slayer with its inconceivably brilliant passive skill tree, elaborate loot, a gem system that serves as a fantastic alternative to traditional active skill progression, all of it wrapped up in an adventure with an oppressively moody atmosphere harking back to the good ol' days of Diablo 2. Throw on top seasonal leagues that introduce dramatic new mechanics, which then get bundled into the core game, and you've got an ARPG that never stops being relevant. But after so many years of being smitten, I'm now cheating on it with Last Epoch.
I've dabbled in plenty of other ARPGs since my obsession with Path of Exile began, from the excellent Grim Dawn to the nostalgic Titan Quest remaster. And then there's Diablo. Diablo 3 had a lot of detractors, but after Reaper of Souls I'd argue it has as much going for it as Diablo 2, and considerably more than Diablo 4, which I tried so hard to get into, only to get so bored that I could barely finish the campaign. It looks great, is overflowing with gothic atmosphere, and finally lets me ride around on a horse, but it's just so safe, so dull. In every instance, I rushed back to PoE, but since I started playing Last Epoch I've hardly given my favourite ARPG a second thought.
