Diablo 4 and Path of Exile are both action RPGs, but the paths they take couldn't be more different than each other. Yes, you'll find hours upon hours of gameplay between the two, and many people play both of them. However, they are vastly different games.
How are Diablo 4 and Path of Exile similar?
Diablo 4 and Path of Exile are both games where you're able to build your character how you want, and there are many viable options. Path of Exile has an enormous skill tree that can quickly become overwhelming for new players. Diablo 4 has a bigger skill tree than we've seen in Diablo 2 and 3 before it, and it opens up a lot of build variety. However, it pales in comparison to the options Path of Exile allows.
Related: Can you play Diablo 4 without playing the previous games?
In terms of gameplay and overall feel Path of Exile and Diablo 4 will be similar. At their core, both are ARPGs, and you should be able to easily pick up and play each of them. Both are very gear-driven, and you'll always be chasing after that shiny new piece of loot when you play.
How are Path of Exile and Diablo 4 different?
While both games largely play the same, there are some key differences. If Diablo 4 can be considered casual-friendly, Path of Exile is more for the hardcore. There are a lot of things you need to know, and you'll almost certainly want to look up a build to go after. There are many viable ways to build your character in Path of Exile, but a guide will be able to keep you on the right track. You can do the same thing for Diablo, but it doesn't feel as necessary.
Path of Exile is also a free-to-play game, so it's very easy to get in and see if you'll like the game. The early goings are quite slow, but once your build comes into place, it gets a lot more fun. Diablo 4 is the same in that regard, but it feels like you are more powerful and quicker in D4. Although it's free, Path of Exile just feels like it has a bigger barrier to entry.
For more Path of Exile news and guides, check out Path of Exile 2 Release Date – Details & Information! on Pro Game Guides.
Eli Becht is a Contributing Writer at Pro Game Guides. He's an avid fan of battle royales such as Fortnite and Warzone to MMOs like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV. He has been covering video games since 2017.