So it’s been a little over a month since Grinding Gear Games, developers of acclaimed ARPG Path of Exile, released their latest expansion: Betrayal. I’ve been an avid fan of the game ever since I paid for my beta key back in 2011. It’s been 8 years and the game has changed drastically, and I’d argue for the better. But does the recent expansion exceed expectations?
“You know my methods, Watson.”
The Betrayal expansion encourages players to be detectives in order to figure out who the mastermind behind the Immortal Syndicate, a necromantic group composed of previous masters and assassins, is. Players encounter these members randomly as they play, divided into four different branches: Transportation, Fortification, Intervention, and Research. Each encounter has a different goal that the player must achieve in order to trigger one of two options; to betray or bargain with the enemies.
While only two choices are presented there are a few different effects that occur once a choice is made. Members of the Immortal Syndicate can develop rivalries with other members, rise and fall through the ranks, switch specialties, drop some loot, and even remove themselves from the Immortal Syndicate. Safehouses are the final step of each branch, and upon completion, provide rewards specific to the Immortal Syndicate members under that particular branch. Each decision and completion of a safehouse further progresses the investigation, leading to the eventual reveal of the mastermind.
Fresh Coat of Paint
Although the new Betrayal mechanic was introduced, the expansion also brought with it a few new goodies.
The crafting system was completely overhauled. Previously, players had to complete missions for the old Forsaken Masters in order to gain their favor. In return, the players were given crafting options. Now, crafting recipes are found throughout the world and permanently learned.
Additionally, a new set of mods that interact with the crafting mechanics were introduced in the form of veiled modifiers. These modifiers can only be found on veiled items that are dropped from Immortal Syndicate members. As they are “veiled” they must be unveiled by Jun Ortoi, one of the new masters. As with regular crafting recipes, veiled modifiers may also have a rank associated with them which can be increased by unveiling more of the same modifier.
Speaking of masters, the old Forsaken Masters were replaced by a new roster (except for Zana, she is loyal to the grave). Each of these masters are connected with a core mechanic in Path of Exile. As an example, Einhar Frey allows the player to interact with the bestiary, a system revolving around defeating and capturing creatures in order to craft some special items.
But Does It Blend?
Now for some feedback.
As a veteran of the game, the leveling process is one of my biggest gripes with the game. The initial playthrough is well done but it can get quite stale after having done it for years. It’s not unique to Path of Exile and many other ARPGs suffer from the same problem. It’s a difficult problem to solve as leveling the playing field every league is part of the reason that players, both old and new, return filled with anticipation.
With that said, the changes to crafting made the leveling process much easier. The recipes you find as you complete the acts fill in gaps in gear and help progress at a much more consistent pace. This allows experienced players to reach the end-game content quicker and new players an easier time finding “acceptable” gear as they learn the game.
In the end game, the recipes become quite powerful. The previous crafting mechanic lacked a lot to be desired but some may argue that the new crafting system is an example of blatant power creep. While there is definitely more power to be had from the new modifiers, I think it creates a great feeling to have control of something in a game filled with RNG. The mirror tier items are still there to be had, but now players can view them as luxury items and not necessities. Builds that relied on specific mods can work without having to pay an arm and a leg or praying to RNGesus. Overall, I think the crafting changes are a great.
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The Betrayal mechanic was way overtuned at launch. I usually only play Hardcore but I made a decision to play Standard this time around because I wanted to enjoy the new content and it was just not possible for me on Hardcore. “It That Fled” sent about three or four of my characters to the grave without any chance of counterplay, and that was just at around level 30. I understand that they managed to listen to community feedback and patched it later, but most of the Betrayal content is still a pain in higher tier maps.
The rewards for completing the Betrayal board are great but it’s more like a tool to feed into other avenues of the game. Stuff like scarabs allow for players to focus on different areas of the game. It even makes legacy content from the Harbinger and Perandus leagues attainable. Other rewards are about big moments, such as currency stacks dropping exalted orbs or divination cards filling your screen. So even if playing detective isn’t that enjoyable, the rewards are varied enough to have something for most players.
The new masters are also a welcomed change. I might be biased because I missed out on Incursion league, but I love Alva and the Incursion mechanic. And delving is a great deal of fun too, but it’s hard to sustain if not a primary focus due to sulphite management. I think that’s the big takeaway from the system. The ability for players to tailor which mechanics they want to focus on and play around can break a lot of monotony that plagues ARPGs. If I get bored of delving, I can easily switch to pillaging the Temple of Atzoatl and vice versa.
With all things said, I think GGG did extremely well with this expansion. Even if the Betrayal mechanic itself isn’t particularly fun for me personally, the rewards are good and gives players more options on how they want to play the game. That is a great thing to have in a game that emphasizes choices. I hope this is a sign that GGG is willing to give players a little more control in the unforgiving world of Wraeclast.
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