Essential Underrated Gameplay Features in Path of Exile 2 That Fans Must Explore

Overview

Path of Exile 2 introduces WASD movement and a pause function, significantly enriching the gameplay experience.
This WASD movement is especially beneficial for PC users employing ranged classes, facilitating backward movement during attacks or castings.
The ability to pause the game, whether solo or in co-op mode, greatly enhances player convenience.

Path of Exile 2 is currently thriving, even amidst a slight decline in its Steam player numbers over the holiday season. The player base remains robust, maintaining over 330,000 concurrent users. Anticipating a series of patches throughout 2025, the game may introduce new features that could further alter the dynamics of gameplay and the existing meta. As new classes, skills, and weapon types emerge, Path of Exile 2 differentiates itself from its predecessor in several key aspects, particularly with two fundamental gameplay innovations that improve quality of life for players right from day one.

Why PC Players Should Embrace WASD Movement in Path of Exile 2

At first glance, the integration of WASD movement in an action RPG might seem unconventional, especially since traditional mouse and keyboard controls have been the norm. However, this innovative addition offers a significant advantage: it enables players to maneuver backward while executing spells or attacks, something that proves more challenging using only a mouse and keyboard setup. Players typically need to halt their attacks momentarily to reposition, a limitation that WASD movement adeptly overcomes.

Unlike its competitor, Diablo 4, which struggled with this feature initially, Path of Exile 2 launches directly with WASD. This approach often goes unappreciated due to the genre’s historical reliance on mouse and keyboard. Nonetheless, as most skills in Path of Exile 2 can be activated while moving, this flexibility is particularly advantageous for players optimizing builds that focus on ranged classes, such as the Sorceress. By allowing backward movement while casting, players can maintain a safer distance from enemies, rather than charging headlong into danger. Although melee characters like the Warrior and the Monk may find this feature less critical, it still enhances their overall gameplay experience.

Path of Exile 2’s Pause Functionality: A Major Improvement

One of the standout features of Path of Exile 2 is its ability to pause the game at any moment across all platforms. Players can accomplish this through three different methods: accessing the game menu without selecting any options, pressing the map key, or selecting the skill tree key. This functionality serves as a significant quality-of-life enhancement, allowing gamers to step away from the action without risking failure from timed events or enemy attacks. Furthermore, it can provide critical insights during boss encounters, as players can pause to assess upcoming attacks and strategize accordingly.

For cooperative play, pausing is a team effort, requiring all members of the party to use one of the pause mechanisms. While this necessitates some teamwork, executing it is straightforward, showcasing another important quality-of-life feature within the game.

Even players who prefer not to use this feature during boss fights will find it advantageous in other contexts. For instance, between pauses triggered via the map or passive skill tree, players can review their inventory and modify skills, like swapping out Support Gems for better performance in real-time encounters. In gaming where Hardcore players often employ log-out macros, the natural option to pause presents a compelling shift. Despite its immense utility, this feature has not been thoroughly highlighted within the game’s promotional material, making it an essential but underappreciated addition.

Source & Images