Overview
- Path of Exile 2 offers a slower-paced gaming experience that emphasizes player skills, tactical combos, and evasion techniques.
- The game features the Trial of the Sehkemas, a new roguelike challenge that incorporates resources like Honour.
- This new trial enhances player agency and introduces a more equitable gameplay, although it also presents a higher level of difficulty.
Launched amidst a crowded gaming calendar, Path of Exile 2 has captured significant attention and acclaim as an early-access title. As a standalone sequel to the original Path of Exile, it retains core elements while introducing distinct gameplay mechanics. Unlike its predecessor, which is known for its rapid pace and decade-long legacy of building ever-powerful items and skills, Path of Exile 2 shifts the focus to a more deliberate gameplay style where players must master resource management and effective dodging to prevail. This evolution is notably reflected in its revamped Ascendancy system.
In the original Path of Exile, the campaign consisted of three difficulty tiers along with an expansive endgame involving maps. Players acquired their Ascendancy class and could earn additional passive points by conquering the Lord’s Labyrinth—a treacherous maze culminating in a confrontation with Izaro. Path of Exile 2 introduces a revised concept through the Trial of the Sehkemas, a rogue-like experience that reinvents the Labyrinth concept.
In-Depth Look: Trial of the Sehkemas in Path of Exile 2
In the Trial of the Sehkemas, death results in a complete restart, similarly to the original game’s mechanics. Players must navigate through the trial without unlocking the Ascendancy classes or additional nodes unless they successfully complete it. One critical resource in this trial is Honour, which distinguishes it from other resources like Sacred Water and various key types (Bronze, Silver, Gold). Honour management is vital to a successful run; running out of Honour leads to the end of the trial, regardless of the player’s performance in combat.
Honour diminishes when players are harmed by enemies, traps, or any damaging effects, including damage-over-time mechanics. A complete Honour depletion means the player must restart the Trial of the Sehkemas anew.
While this may appear punitive, players have multiple strategies to manage Honour more effectively. The Trial features a variety of pathways and rooms, each influencing the run differently. Certain rooms provide Sacred Water or keys, while others are designed to replenish Honour, creating a layer of strategic depth in navigating the trial’s challenges.
The unpredictability of each run is heightened by various modifiers, particularly Afflictions, which are permanent enhancements that may weaken players or bolster enemy strengths. This randomness adds to the challenge, ensuring that each playthrough feels unique. Nonetheless, the integration of roguelike elements in Path of Exile 2’s gameplay marks an exciting evolution from its predecessor.
Benefits of the Trial of the Sehkemas
The Trial of the Sehkemas has been embraced as an enhanced iteration of the Lord’s Labyrinth despite its increased difficulty. This is largely due to the greater degree of player autonomy regarding encounters and potential bonuses (or Afflictions). If a player’s run is faltering due to dwindling Honour, there are opportunities to seek out rooms specifically designed to restore it. Conversely, successful runs can capitalize on rewarding rooms that yield keys or Sacred Water, enhancing loot quality upon completion.
Though it presents heightened challenges, the Trial of the Sehkemas offers a fairer framework compared to the original Labyrinth, especially considering the stakes of restarting upon failure.
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