Path of Exile casts the player as an exile trying to survive Wraeclast, a dark fantasy continent shaped by mysterious catastrophes and filled with dangerous creatures. Its action RPG structure ties exploration and combat to a larger pursuit of power and revenge. Players choose from seven classes, each beginning at a distinct point on a shared Passive Skill Tree, so class choice sets a starting direction rather than confining character development to one narrow track.
Build-making is central to the design. Tradable skill, support, and trigger gems combine with the sprawling passive tree, whose keystones, masteries, and jewel sockets can substantially change how a character plays. The economy is equally unusual: equipment and other items sit at the heart of progression and trade, with orbs serving as currency and tools for rerolling item properties. Later, the Atlas of Worlds offers high-level maps with adjustable challenges and rewards, alongside dangerous bosses and its own progression tree. Optional missions and the more punishing Ruthless mode add further ways to engage with the game’s systems.
That mix, together with extensive customization and a trade-centered economy, distinguishes it from an action RPG focused only on a fixed sequence of fights.
