This game is, by far, my worst and most frustrating experience as a gamer

I will be refering only about endgame content.
I think GGG is very confused, challenging and frustrating are not the same thing. Who thought this was a fun endgame experience? Who smiled while being 1-shot killed by a white mob, a boss, a rare monster or by simply nothing? Who actually tested this thinking ''yes, players will love this''?
I completely understand that you enjoyed crafting this monsters. The art is simply amazing, but they are not the main character in the game.

Dying so easily to almost anything leads to what almost everyone is doing: cheesing the game, trying to find bugs or unintended interactions to 1-shot the content before the content 1-shots you and breaking the game in every possible way. I never got completely involved into PoE 1 because I hate that hyperbolic fast overpowered gameplay and you presented this game as something different, slow and methodical. It is not the case. You punish players that want to play a slow paced game, you force players to play as close to PoE 1 as possible. Because if we don't, we'll be losing all of our progress: map, modifiers, loot, and even XP.

I tried to play without trading. I just don't enjoy having to interact with trading in a game that's supposed to be single player, and that leads to another frustrating experience. There is nothing to chase in this game. Everything is a currency to possibilities unless you trade. In the 300+ hours I have spent playing I haven't been able to craft a weapon that is as good as the ones that are for trading nor they have dropped.
Maybe I missed that part in the presentation. Is this game about farming currency to trade?

This is not about the game being early access. There is clearly an intention here about frustrating the players to a certain point. This is not Elden Ring. Souls games aren't tied to RNG, that's why people enjoy the challenge there: because there is a guaranteed reward. And let's not forget that you can also keep trying if you die.

Don't say you've built the best ARPG ever made. Games are meant to be fun, and that doesn't seem to be your goal with what you released.

"

This game is, by far, my worst and most frustrating experience as a gamer

Okay then

They didn't really test it whatsoever, that's what we're doing. Fun right?

And yeah, certain moments of this game have legit been up there as my most frustrating gaming experiences.

It's a very polarizing game currently. Myself, I have very little desire to log in and play, but have a strong desire to play in my head.

"

tyrespoe#5113 wrote:

They didn't really test it whatsoever, that's what we're doing. Fun right?

And yeah, certain moments of this game have legit been up there as my most frustrating gaming experiences.

It's a very polarizing game currently. Myself, I have very little desire to log in and play, but have a strong desire to play in my head.

I never post stuff like this, man. I did it because I just died while being 18K Energy Shield to a magic mob. 18K, man. I can't go higher than that and I did it feeling that I was forced to do it.

I have been avoiding content about the game for a month because I wanted to have my own experience. Legit thought I was doing something wrong a thousand times. Then I took a look and I just realized that the same dudes that used to break PoE 1 are breaking this game with the same kind of builds.
GGG should've kept this as a PoE 1 update. Nothing is different. Same guys doing the same with every class avaible.

It’s almost like the game is in early access and still being developed…

"

ThreeBelowZero#2968 wrote:

Don't say you've built the best ARPG ever made. Games are meant to be fun, and that doesn't seem to be your goal with what you released.

Welcome to the Alpha version of the game released as a paid early access. From what I can tell, there has been no internal balance testing done prior to release. Its why we got such large changes within the first week of launch. This coming patch is likely also going to be huge due to the livestream associated with it.

It`s my second character, i tried an Infernalist, i reached with it in maps, and lost all my interestin continue to play. That was past week, before patch 0.1.f, after that i created a monk invonker, hoping the game will be a bit easy... but it seems all the streamers that make videos does it for viewers and for money, not for helping other players. I am in act 2, at Utzaal, Legacy of the Vaal, and what i can say is "YOU DIED 161 TIMES" and i am not even in act 1 cruel... I have Fire res = 60%, Lightning = 75%, Cold = 53% and Chaos 27%, and fighting with mobs that throw at you alot of ailments, and you get no flask charges, to survive, YES "IT`S HELL OF A PLEASURE", i was close to throw some punches to my TV, because it`s very "FUN" to play it. I think you should start do something, or i will ask you polite to refund my money, and i will go back playing PoE 1. This starts to look like trash, not like the "BEST" aRPG game was ever made. This sounds like your braggers just runned away and you started to brag yourself...

If you're getting destroyed by white or blue mobs and you have all your defenses in place it means you juiced your map too much

Even the top of top end builds can brick a map

"

ThreeBelowZero#2968 wrote:

I will be refering only about endgame content.
I think GGG is very confused, challenging and frustrating are not the same thing. Who thought this was a fun endgame experience? Who smiled while being 1-shot killed by a white mob, a boss, a rare monster or by simply nothing? Who actually tested this thinking ''yes, players will love this''?
I completely understand that you enjoyed crafting this monsters. The art is simply amazing, but they are not the main character in the game.

Dying so easily to almost anything leads to what almost everyone is doing: cheesing the game, trying to find bugs or unintended interactions to 1-shot the content before the content 1-shots you and breaking the game in every possible way. I never got completely involved into PoE 1 because I hate that hyperbolic fast overpowered gameplay and you presented this game as something different, slow and methodical. It is not the case. You punish players that want to play a slow paced game, you force players to play as close to PoE 1 as possible. Because if we don't, we'll be losing all of our progress: map, modifiers, loot, and even XP.

I tried to play without trading. I just don't enjoy having to interact with trading in a game that's supposed to be single player, and that leads to another frustrating experience. There is nothing to chase in this game. Everything is a currency to possibilities unless you trade. In the 300+ hours I have spent playing I haven't been able to craft a weapon that is as good as the ones that are for trading nor they have dropped.
Maybe I missed that part in the presentation. Is this game about farming currency to trade?

This is not about the game being early access. There is clearly an intention here about frustrating the players to a certain point. This is not Elden Ring. Souls games aren't tied to RNG, that's why people enjoy the challenge there: because there is a guaranteed reward. And let's not forget that you can also keep trying if you die.

Don't say you've built the best ARPG ever made. Games are meant to be fun, and that doesn't seem to be your goal with what you released.

I totally agree that there's a fine line between challenging and frustrating, and PoE2 is definitely teetering on that edge right now. Dying to RNG-based hits or mechanics that feel unfair is definitely not what players expect, especially from a game that's marketed as a "slow and methodical" experience. 😣

The Core Issue:
The endgame content right now feels like it's punishing players more than rewarding them. It's one thing to face tough bosses and difficult content, but another when the gameplay feels like it's out of your hands because of overpowered mobs or mechanics that feel impossible to predict. ⚡ We’re not just talking about difficulty; we're talking about consistency. Players want to feel like their skill and decisions matter, not just RNG.

The Trade Debate:
As for the trading aspect, I understand the frustration. Many players just want to enjoy the game solo without being forced into the trading loop to progress. It’s really disheartening when crafting or drops don’t feel meaningful, and the only way to progress efficiently is through a market system that feels more like a necessity than an option. 💸

Chasing Goals:
You hit the nail on the head with the lack of meaningful progression. When everything becomes about farming currency to trade, it shifts the focus away from the fun of finding cool items or unlocking something powerful through your own efforts. A stronger loot system and a greater sense of achievement for non-trading players is definitely something that should be addressed in future updates. 🎯

Not Elden Ring, But Not Just RNG:
As for the comparison to Elden Ring, it’s true that Souls games don’t rely on RNG for their difficulty, and the absence of "cheap" death mechanics is part of what makes them rewarding. PoE2 is aiming for something else, but it's important that we don't confuse "difficulty" with "frustration." There's a huge difference between earning a victory through strategy and just surviving due to luck. 🍀

What's Next?
Hopefully, GGG listens to the community’s feedback and adjusts these issues as they continue to develop the game. Endgame should challenge us, but not break us. There’s a balance to be found between difficulty and fun, and we’re hoping PoE2 can find it! 🙌

Thanks for sharing your perspective! I think we’re all in agreement that there’s incredible potential here, and it’s just about fine-tuning what works and fixing what doesn’t. 🌟

I found elden ring intensely frustrating in places to the point it made me sick and I had to put it away

My manual dexterity is simply not good enough for the end boss even out levelling by a silly degree

PoE is a different kind of frustrating, as all the interlinked systems at play mean that's something that's an absolute pushover for one person can be an impossible struggle for another

This isn't suggesting people are stupid, it is just the way it is.

There are balance issues currently, and pretty thin build diversity, but things like one shots can be overcome by working within the game's parameters.

Those parameters are beyond just performing the right combinations of skills, this game cannot be defeated through dextrous skill alone, like elden ring can