When long running games go on, there’s always a bit of a struggle in what to do with new players. Generally, it’s a question of how to ease new players into an ecosystem they aren’t too familiar with. It seems developer Grinding Gear Games is going in a very different direction for the next big update to Path of Exile. They want a game that’s actively hostile to new players.
In an interview with OnlySP, the game’s Director, Chris Wilson, said they want to make the game harder with the next major update, Legion. They hope by making the game more hostile in general, it will be more rewarding to both new and old players when they finally overcome a tough enemy or boss.
“Surprisingly, the goal was actually to be more hostile to early players,” he said. “We’re rebalancing the early monster combat to be harder and more satisfying. Boss attacks have better signaling but now do more damage, so it feels good to dodge out of the way using the new tools that are available. Think of it like a regular action game – if you’re playing a brawler and a boss is introduced, you quickly learn to keep out of the way of its big attacks and then close in to deal damage while it’s a bit safer. We’re creating this feeling, and so far it’s a lot of fun.”
It’s definitely against-the-grain thinking, so hopefully it’ll work out for them. Path of Exile is available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The latest update, Legion, will launch June 7th.
