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Updated review after spending 200+ hours. I've forced myself to go through most of the endgame, pushed to t15 maps, got lvl 90, 8 ascendacy points etc.
While there are moments of greatness, significant flaws hold the game back from being truly enjoyable in the long run.
Pros:
Animations are fluid and visually impressive, adding a sense of polish to combat and abilities. Same with effects and graphics in general—the world of the game is visually appealing, with a great atmosphere that does it job to immerse players into the dark fantasy world of POE.
The 3-Act campaign is well-crafted, enjoyable, and easily the most rewarding part of the game.
Cons:
Endgame Balance: The endgame feels tedious, plagued by poor drop rates, frustrating atlas mechanics, and build limitations. Progression feels more like a chore than a reward. Tldr: You might end up crippling your experience and getting frustrated faster than you may get your 5 socket gem or find your first divine orb :)
On-Death Effects: These mechanics are far too punishing and unfun, making the game feel unfair rather than challenging.
RNG Dependency (in a bad way): The trials (Sekhemas and Chaos) are overly punishing. The mechanics lack inspiration and offer little room for meaningful counterplay. The RNG itself is too punishing—if you get unlucky with debuffs, you can outright lose the trial through no fault of your own. For example, getting a movement speed debuff often leaves you as good as screwed, no matter how well you’ve prepared. I think it can be easily improved by adding more links between room choices in Sekhemas and more debuff choices in Chaos and making debuffs less punishing at least in early stages.
Similarly, the Atlas system feels like a battle against RNG rather than a test of skill or preparation, punishing players regardless of their gear or build. The endgame allows little to no creativity in build crafting. The game is so punishing that players are forced to build around strict defensive caps just to survive. For example, you have to push resistances, but even then, you can still be one-shot by an absurd "on death" mechanic from a random white mob. Survivability becomes mandatory, leaving players no choice but to roll defenses on every single piece of gear. The game is just unplayable otherwise.
*Kripparian’s video "Path of Exile 2 is Ruthless" captures these issues perfectly. The endgame systems feel needlessly harsh and punishing.
Final Thoughts (updated):
I can recommend Path of Exile 2 in its current state solely for its excellent 3-act campaign, which is a fantastic experience.
However, I suggest avoiding the game’s endgame content for now, as it is plagued by poor balance, frustrating RNG mechanics, and punishing systems that stifle build creativity.
If you’re interested in the good endgame experience, I recommend waiting until GGG hopefully addresses at leat some of the abovementioned issues, fixes the endgame, adds more classes, updates the skill tree, fixes armor/resistance balance and so on. But as it stands, I can’t recommend playing endgame in its current state, nor am I willing to overlook the game's flaws simply because it is "better than Diablo 4." Being better than a bad game is hardly an achievement, and Path of Exile 2 should aim much higher.