Grinding Gear Games's free-to-play action RPG Path of Exile has officially transitioned to its open beta stage, allowing the general public access to the world of Wraeclast.
For those wary of the free-to-play label, rest assured in knowing that Grinding Gear's monetary system works through "ethical microtransactions," meaning that paying into the game won't yield EXP bonuses or better weapons. Vanity items such as social pets (namely, the cute New Zealand-native kiwi) are the only things available for purchase.
Unlike Diablo and Torchlight, games of a similar vein, leveling in Path of Exile yields points to be spent in a gargantuan passive skill tree. Active skills can be picked up through gems that can be leveled and embedded into items.
To solve the problem of gold inflation that Diablo III has, Path of Exile has ditched the gold standard for a barter system featuring consumable currency items. Since players are constantly consuming these items, there's no risk of having "too many" currency items.
For action RPG fans looking for a new entry into the genre, Path of Exile, which also launched new Act III content with open beta, may just be what they're looking for.
