George Huestis

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Late in act 2 at the moment. When I bought Red Dead Redemption 2 (bear with me) I remember taking a moment in the first town's saloon to appreciate the fact that the piano player was pressing the correct keys on the piano to make the music that was playing in the background. Now imagine that level of detailed care and extend it to an ARPG. That is Path of Exile 2. The boss fights are dialed in, and every one is unique and feels special (and there are a *lot* of them). The trash mobs can and will kill you if you aren't paying attention. They will use terrain, ambush you from the walls, intentionally trap you and beat you to death. The 'rare' random critters... well, think of them as wandering boss fights. Loot needs to be dialed up a bit, I think, but the actual balance is bizarrely good. Every single boss fight has felt like a serious challenge without feeling hopeless. The wolf at the end of the first act is... intense. But also *fair*. In general, you have to stay awake with every step you take. When I die, I generally know why. For example, my last death, I heard a familiar click, but didn't register it properly. By the time I realized the room behind me had just spawned a swarm of beetles to pin me against the thing I was trying to create space from, it was too late. It's a hard game, but not unduly so. It teaches you as you go. And it's *beautiful*. Oh my fucking god, so gorgeous. When I got to act 2, I walked to the end of the 'town' and just... stared for awhile. The visuals, the music, the *thump* of an ability going off, it's all just so... unbelievable. People put time and energy and love into things that no sane person would've bothered with. Nothing feels stupid, nothing feels pointless, nothing feels like a waste of time. What should be stupid fetch quests end up being epic boss fights. Story's not half bad, either.