Path of Exile: The Awakening Launches July 10

Path Of Exile: The Awakening has left open beta and will be available to play on July 10.

Path Of Exile is an action RPG with some online features, but falls short of being a full MMO. You can play online, but you can also expect to spend a lot of time playing alone, but with chat. What distinguishes Path Of Exile from other games in the market is the deep layers of character customization that give players full control over how they play the game. Developer Grinding Gear Games also has a particular perspective on monetization, so the only items you can buy in the game are cosmetic and have no effect on gameplay.

The Awakening stands as the game’s largest expansion yet, with over 2 years put into development. It brings in nine bosses, all of whom figure deeply in the game’s lore, so their names should be familiar to older players. For example, King Kaom of Karui, once a proud warrior and the source of Kaom’s heart, returns, but as a possessed shell of his former self.

The game also introduces new skills, such as summonable Golems, more than 100 new unique items, two new challenge leagues, and most importantly, socketable skill trees. Path Of Exile’s passive skill trees were already impressively broad, allowing players to grasp skills from other classes, and often compared to star systems.

Now, gems are the core customizable element in the game, as socketing gems in your weapons gives you certain traits, and socketing gems in your clothes modifies them further. Placing gems in your passive skill tree sockets adds another deeper layer of customization.

Path Of Exile has assembled a loyal userbase who love to play with customization and make as many characters as possible. Does this make you interested in giving it a try? Share your thoughts with us in the comments. You can learn more about the game and download it here.