Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 are the titans of the ARPG space right now, and while some players may have their preference for one over the other, it's undeniable that fans of the genre are eating their fill of content between these titles. Path of Exile 2 just launched update 0.3 titled The Third Edict, and Diablo 4's Season 10 is rapidly approaching. While both games are ARPGs at their core, they differ from one another in some significant ways that give the two games distinct identities.
Creating the ideal build for the player's character is a large part of the ARPG appeal, but Diablo 4 and Path of Exile 2 take different approaches to this concept. When it comes to buildcrafting, Path of Exile 2 has a much more flexible class structure, while Diablo 4 is much more rigid in the way it separates each class's skill tree. However, Diablo 4 could take a page out of Path of Exile 2's book and open the door for skill tree crossover to blur the lines between classes and give the game a completely new feel, if only for a season.
Diablo 4 Could Remix Its Class Skills Like Path of Exile 2
Path of Exile 2's Skill Gems Don't Lock Skills to Specific Classes
Unlike Diablo 4, which has distinct skill trees players must follow when leveling up their class, Path of Exile 2 allows players to unlock skills by cutting Skill Gems of a certain level to create their desired skill. These skills can then be socketed into the player's build and assigned a hotkey, much like Diablo 4's system for binding skills to keys. However, Path of Exile 2 doesn't limit which skills players can cut Skill Gems into based on class, with requirements like weapon type and attribute level governing which skills can be used.
Although Path of Exile 2 already has 7 classes available in early access, and 5 more on the way, each class is more of a suggestion with aptitudes for certain skills dictated by their starting Passive Tree locations and Ascendancy Bonuses:
- Warrior – Strength
- Huntress – Dexterity
- Sorceress – Intelligence
- Mercenary – Strength/Dexterity
- Monk – Strength/Intelligence
- Ranger – Dexterity
- Witch – Intelligence
Breaking down class archetypes into their favored attributes allows Path of Exile 2 to strike a balance between distinct class play and flexible build options. Players can essentially multiclass their character by investing in skills that suit their build but aren't necessarily a part of their class's repertoire. For example, the Huntress's Dexterity in Path of Exile 2 allows it to naturally benefit from Ranger skills since both classes naturally favor Bows as weapons.
Path of Exile 2 allows further skill customization with Support Gems, offering skill modifiers based on the game's three primary attributes.
Diablo 4 Could Introduce Its Own Version of Multiclassing
Diablo 4 takes a different approach to skills and passives from Path of Exile 2, combining the two into a single skill tree for each class. This design restricts players to only choosing skills and passives specific to the class they are playing, limiting the overall build options. However, with Diablo 4 Season 10 shaking up the gear options for builds with Chaos Armor, allowing certain Unique armor affixes to appear on different gear types, there may be room for a similar twist on the game's traditional skill tree system.
With Diablo 4 having a slightly more limited class pool compared to Path of Exile 2, expanding the build options with a pseudo-multiclassing system could go a long way towards refreshing the experience of buildcrafting without introducing an entirely new class:
- Barbarian – Strength/Dexterity
- Rogue – Dexterity/Intelligence
- Sorcerer – Intelligence/Dexterity
- Druid – Intelligence/Willpower
- Necromancer – Intelligence/Dexterity
- Spiritborn – Dexterity/Willpower
Perhaps a future Diablo 4 season could introduce a "Chaos Skill Tree" mechanic that allows certain classes to access parts of another class's skill tree for new build combinations. For example, since the Sorcerer and Necromancer both prioritize Intelligence and Dexterity, there may be room for skills from both classes to complement each other. Necromancers that could potentially access some of the Sorcerer's Ice skills to Chill and Freeze enemies would synergize quite well with the Bloodless Scream Unique Two-Handed Scythe for the Necromancer, since it also adds the Chill effect to Darkness skills. Even if an experiment like this only lasted a season, it would still give players greater customization freedom and the power to experiment with build variants that would otherwise be impossible.
Diablo 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 93%
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
