Approximately ten and a half hours ago, Wraeclast underwent massive changes, to prepare for the arrival of seven so-called forsaken masters, one of which is the rediscovery of ancient, long-forgotten skills. I am of course referring to the release of Path of Exile: Forsaken Masters, that huge expansion which I (sorta) detailed recently.
With more than 200 changes and additions, suffice to say, the 1.2.0 update that arrived with Forsaken Masters is by far the game’s most substantial update to date. From an overhaul of existing skills to several brand new ones, along with tweaked (and new) encounters and a couple of new features – there’s much to love and little to hate.
Even though it probably won’t ever become a genuine eSport, Path of Exile‘s PvP mode now has a spectator feature, but only for (mutual) friends in the same zone. So now you can watch your friends get brutally slaughtered, from a safe distance. Neat. Along with a bunch of additional tutorials, a quest tracker has also been added, making it harder to track the current objective(s); main, and of course, the… masters.
Seven men and women, masters in their fields, stood against Dominus’ tyranny. Some with words, others with steel. Seven masters forsaken, sent to die in a corrupted land. Seven masters who lived, learned, and now thrive in Wraeclast. Seven Forsaken Masters who can train you… if you choose to help them.
Speaking of which, Grinding Gear Games went all out with these, giving players a ton of stuff to do. Most of it relates to your hideout though, which doubles as a place to crash for friends and – of course – the masters. The latter will, after settling in, return the favour by offering daily missions (quests). These are a great way to increase reputation and favour, which is used to improve your standing with each particular [master]. An interesting system for sure. Note: hideouts are shared among all your characters in the current league.
Oh and here’s something I’m sure most have been awaiting eagerly for quite some time: the new leagues! This pair will be running from August 20 to November 20, featuring crazy stuff like kill streak bonuses (Rampage, normal) and horrific invasions by way of… portals (Beyond, hardcore). I’d tread carefully in the latter, as not only does it sound incredibly dangerous, but also – hardcore. Translation: one death, and it’s off to standard (vanilla) league for that character!
Other points of interest? Well, a lot of boss fights are different, damage reflection (physical and elemental) has been reduced from 15% to 14%, no more “snapshotting” (video), the passive skill tree for all classes has changed drastically and, well, the Forest Encampment now has chickens.
Path of Exile is available from the official website and via. Steam. Note: point packs can only be acquired directly from the developer.