New 'Path Of Exile 2' Gameplay Show Off New Act, Weapons and Abilities

A brand new gameplay trailer for “Path of Exile 2” has been released, and it showcases a number of new weapons, abilities and areas that players can expect once the game releases.

The developer gameplay walkthrough is set in the game’s second act, in a large desert area occupied by monsters, savages and a hostile faction led by the Perennial King, who appears to be the act's boss. Players will be traveling with a nomadic tribe that's dragging around a large metal vehicle that serves as the act’s main “town” area.

The video showed off three new weapon types in “Path of Exile”: the spear, crossbow and siege crossbow. The spear is a mobility-focused weapon with forward dashes, backward disengage and plenty of area-of-effect attacks. The weapon was designed with movement in mind, with one of the spear’s innate abilities granting players a generous damage buff when used.

The spear also has a number of ranged attack skills that primarily deal elemental damage.

The crossbow is a ranged weapon that revolves around managing different types of bolts that have varying effects. These bolts act as the weapon’s innate abilities.

The video features Permafrost, Incendiary and Armor-Piercing bolts that freeze, ignite and penetrate enemies, respectively. These bolt types can be further modified with support gems that grant them different effects like increased area-of-effect and increased projectile count.

The siege crossbow also uses bolts like its normal counterpart, but it instead shoots its ammunition upward, which causes damage in a small area upon hitting the ground. Bolts have varying synergies depending on the type, with Armor Piercing Bolts dealing more damage to frozen enemies, for example.

The improved graphical fidelity of “Path of Exile 2” is also more apparent in the new gameplay trailer, with the stunning environmental lighting and shadow effects being much more prominent this time around. The new game engine also allows for smoother and more realistic animations that make gameplay feel much more immersive.

There’s no word yet on an official release date, but “Path of Exile 2” is scheduled for a 2022 release. It will be free-to-play on launch and it will directly upgrade the first game as well.