Path of Exile 2 entered Early Access on Friday, December 6th. After a bumpy start, the game became playable for me by Friday evening, around 3–4 hours post-launch.

Since I’ve started live-streaming my gameplay on YouTube, I decided to share my entire Path of Exile 2 experience. This way, everyone can witness my journey (and my noob mistakes) in real-time. However, to save you the trouble of watching over 40 hours of gameplay, I’ve highlighted some key moments from my first few streams.

Getting Started: Tutorials and First Bosses

The game begins with an introduction to basic mechanics—movement, attacking, and dodging. It wasn’t long before I faced my first boss: The Bloated Miller.

This early boss is relatively simple, serving as a good introduction to Path of Exile 2’s mechanics. Grinding Gear Games has stated there are over 100 bosses in the game, so it’s exciting to face one so early. My first encounter with The Bloated Miller is here on YouTube.

Shortly afterward, I ran into the second boss: The Devourer. This boss proved more challenging, with high armor making it harder to defeat. I had to level up and explore before finally taking it down.

Surprise Encounters: Beira and The Brambleghast

One thing I love about Path of Exile 2 is how you can stumble upon bosses while exploring. My first surprise encounter was with Beira of the Rotten Pack. I’d seen footage of this boss before the game’s release, and it lived up to my expectations. Both the visuals and the fight were impressive.

Later, while exploring the map, I encountered The Brambleghast, a chaos-magic-infused, walking bramble bush. The design and mechanics were as unique as the name suggests.

In total, I faced four boss encounters within my first two hours of gameplay—an impressive average that kept the action engaging.

Skills, Gems, and Customization

One standout feature of Path of Exile 2 is its Skills and Gem system. While veterans of Path of Exile 1 may find it familiar, it was a learning curve for me as a newcomer.

  • Skill Points: I earned my first Skill Point 15 minutes into the game. The skill tree is massive and can feel overwhelming, but I approached it with experimentation in mind.
  • Skill Gems: Around 45 minutes in, I found my first Skill Gem. These gems unlock spells, attacks, buffs, and debuffs, allowing for endless customization. I love that the system isn’t restrictive—you can even branch into skills from other classes!

Challenges and First Impressions

While the experience has been mostly smooth, I’ve encountered some bugs. Thankfully, these have been rare, with only 3–4 issues over 40+ hours of gameplay.

Overall, I’m thoroughly enjoying Path of Exile 2. Logging 40 hours in the first week says a lot about how immersive and engaging the game is.

Join Me on Stream

I’m streaming Path of Exile 2 daily on the Alphagamer YouTube channel, though I don’t have a fixed schedule. Streams happen whenever time permits. You can also check the forum, where we have a live/not-live indicator at the top.

I’d love to hear about your experiences with Path of Exile 2! Share your thoughts in the comments below or join me on stream for a chat.