Path of Exile – War for the Atlas is a free-to-play online action role playing game (ARPG) for PC and Xbox under continued development by Grinding Gear Games, with Chris Wilson in charge as lead developer.
In it players control a character from the top down or bird’s eye view (similar to Diablo 3) as they explore various environments including caves, dungeons, forests and other large outdoor areas. There are six different classes to choose from first along with a wide variety of skill trees and items you’d expect from an RPG.
PoE is about character progression/development. You start at level 1, weak and with no gear. By killing monsters, bosses and progressing the story-line you will gain experience, level up, find rare and unique weapons and armors and steadily become more and more powerful, with the ultimate goal of becoming unstoppable and beating the endgame, including the Guardians, The Shaper and the Elder.
There are 7 core classes in Path of exile. 6 of these classes each have 3 Ascendancy class specializations (sub classes). The remaining, the scion, have 1 ascendancy class.
Ascendancy classes:
Templar: Inquisitor, Hierophant & Guardian
Witch: Necromancer, Elementalist & Occultist
Shadow: Assassin, Trickster & Saboteur
Ranger: Pathfinder, Raider & Deadeye
Duelist: Slayer, Gladiator & Champion
Marauder: Berserker, Juggernaut & Chieftain
Scion: Ascendant
Path of Exile is offered for free and then monetize through micro transactions that also affect the gameplay, but that would not be correct to define pay to win. Path of Exile is completely free to play but does have some microtransaction cosmetic based content that is available at a cost, but they have no impact on the game. The New Zealand-based developer Grinding Gear Games has stayed true to their word in saying that Path of Exile would never become a “pay to win” game.
