Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict vs Genshin Impact

• Perspective: Isometric (Top-Down)
• Multiplayer: 6-Player Online Co-op, 2-Player Couch Co-op
• Setting: Wraeclast (20 years after PoE1)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Early Access Release: 2024-12-06
• Unique Feature: A complete overhaul of the original's core systems, featuring a new Skill Gem system, a dedicated dodge roll, and a dual-specialization passive tree.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: 4-Player Online Co-op
• Setting: Fantasy World of Teyvat
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, iOS, Android, Xbox Series X/S
• Unique Feature: A deep, elemental reaction-based combat system combined with a vast, constantly expanding open world, delivered as a free-to-play live service game.

• Paimon: The Traveler's constant non-playable companion. She serves as the main navigator, provides narrative exposition (as the player character is mostly silent), and manages the in-game menu and shop.
  Unknown Magical Being
• Party Members: In single-player mode, the other three characters in your party are your companions, allowing you to switch between them at will. In co-op, up to three other players can join your world as their chosen character.
  Human, Adeptus, etc.

• Unique Items: Dropped by monsters throughout the game. Each of the 700 new equipment base types has its own unique item variant, leading to thousands of powerful and build-enabling items to find.
• Gold: A new currency type that drops from monsters. Gold is used for various NPC vendor interactions and for respeccing passive skill points, providing an alternative to Orbs of Regret.

• Oculi: Elemental orbs (Anemoculus, Geoculus, etc.) found scattered throughout each nation. Offering these to the Statues of the Seven increases the player's stamina and provides other rewards.
• Viewpoints: Specific scenic locations in the world. Finding them unlocks a short description in the in-game travel log and contributes to exploration progress.
• Primogems: Earned from almost every activity in the game: quests, chests, events, achievements, etc. This is the primary currency used to acquire new characters and weapons.

• Dark Fantasy
• Eldritch Horror
• Deep Character Customization
• Loot Hunting
• Complex Economy
• Action RPG
• Survival
• Post-Apocalyptic

• Fantasy
• Open World Exploration
• Anime
• Elemental Magic
• Gacha
• Adventure
• Story Rich
• JRPG
• Live Service

• New Weapon Types: Spears, Crossbows, Flails
  Path of Exile 2 introduces several new weapon archetypes alongside returning favorites, each with their own dedicated skills and passive tree nodes.
• Returning Weapon Types: Swords, Axes, Maces, Bows, Wands, etc.
  All weapon types from the original game return, but with updated animations, sounds, and interactions within the new combat system.

• Swords: One-Handed Blade
  A balanced weapon type with moderate attack speed and damage. Used by a wide variety of characters.
• Claymores: Two-Handed Blade
  Large, heavy swords that deliver slow, powerful attacks capable of breaking through enemy shields and staggering foes.
• Polearms: Spears and Halberds
  Weapons with a long reach and fast, multi-hit attack sequences.
• Bows: Ranged Weapon
  Allows for precise, aimed shots at enemy weak points and can be charged with elemental energy.
• Catalysts: Magical Tomes/Orbs
  Magical weapons that allow the wielder to deal constant elemental damage with their basic attacks.

• Equipment Base Types: The game features 700 new equipment base types. Armor continues to provide a foundation of defenses (Armour, Evasion, Energy Shield) and serves as the housing for sockets, though the linking mechanic has been moved to the gems themselves.

• Artifacts: The primary way to build characters. Each character can equip five artifacts (Flower, Plume, Sands, Goblet, Circlet). These items provide base stats and can have up to four random sub-stats. Equipping 2 or 4 pieces from the same set grants powerful set bonuses that are crucial for character builds.

• Cosmetic Microtransactions: Path of Exile 2 shares its cosmetic microtransaction system with the first game. Any armor sets, weapon effects, pets, and other cosmetics purchased in either game will be available to use in both.

• Character Outfits (Skins): Purely cosmetic outfits that change the appearance of specific playable characters. These can be purchased with premium currency, earned through in-game events, or offered as part of collaborations.

Path of Exile 2 introduces a completely new skill system. Support Gems are now socketed directly into Skill Gems, allowing any skill to be a fully supported 'six-link'. Players can also specialize their passive tree for two different weapon sets and swap between them instantly. A dedicated dodge roll with no cooldown has been added for all characters.

Character progression is deep and multi-faceted. It involves leveling up characters with EXP materials, leveling their unique Talents, and ascending them at level caps using boss materials. The most significant progression comes from farming and leveling a five-piece set of Artifacts, which provide major stat boosts and powerful set bonuses. Weapons are also leveled and ascended separately.

The game features a brand-new six-act campaign that will take players across new and familiar regions of Wraeclast. Act 4 is expected to be set in the Karui archipelago, with community speculation pointing to Act 5 in Oriath and Act 6 in 'the Beyond'. The endgame features a revamped version of the Atlas of Worlds.

The open world of Teyvat is vast and continually expanding. Currently accessible nations include the German-inspired Mondstadt (Anemo), Chinese-inspired Liyue (Geo), Japanese-inspired Inazuma (Electro), Middle Eastern/South Asian-inspired Sumeru (Dendro), and French-inspired Fontaine (Hydro). The upcoming nation of Natlan and the new region of Nod-Krai are slated for future updates.

• Monk (Str/Dex): Playable Class
  A martial artist who uses a quarterstaff and his fists to deliver swift, mobile attacks.
• Huntress (Dex): Playable Class
  A spear-wielding warrior who excels at hit-and-run tactics, throwing her spear and recalling it.
• Mercenary (Dex/Int): Playable Class
  A crossbow specialist who brings shooter-style mechanics to the game, using different types of bolts for various effects.
• Sorceress (Int): Playable Class
  A new spellcaster who can seamlessly blend different elements like fire, cold, and lightning.
• Warrior (Str): Playable Class
  A new melee specialist who excels with maces and clubs.
• Returning Archetypes: Playable Classes
  The six original classes (Marauder, Ranger, Witch, Duelist, Templar, Shadow) return with new models and animations, alongside six entirely new classes for a total of 12.

• Traveler (Aether/Lumine): Playable Protagonist
  The main character of the story. Has the unique ability to switch between different elements (Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro).
• Raiden Shogun: Playable Character (5-Star)
  The Electro Archon of Inazuma. An extremely powerful and popular character who can provide massive energy recharge for her team and deal immense burst damage.
• Nahida: Playable Character (5-Star)
  The Dendro Archon of Sumeru. An exceptional support character who enables powerful Dendro-based elemental reactions from off-field.
• Kaedehara Kazuha: Playable Character (5-Star)
  An Anemo samurai from Inazuma. One of the most sought-after support characters due to his ability to group enemies and provide a significant elemental damage bonus to the entire team.
• Xingqiu: Playable Character (4-Star)
  A young nobleman from Liyue. Widely considered one of the best characters in the game, providing incredible off-field Hydro application that enables powerful reactions like Vaporize.

• The Main Campaign
  A brand new, six-act storyline that takes players across Wraeclast to stop a new wave of Corruption. The 'The Third Edict' update will add at least one new act to the existing three.
• The Atlas of Worlds
  The shared endgame between both Path of Exile games. After completing the campaign, players unlock the Atlas and can run thousands of procedurally generated map areas to challenge pinnacle bosses.

• Archon Quests
  The main storyline that follows the Traveler's journey across the nations of Teyvat in search of their lost sibling. These are long, cinematic quests that are added with major version updates.
• Story Quests & Hangout Events
  Character-specific quests that delve into the backstories of the various playable characters. Hangout Events are branching dialogue-based quests with multiple endings.
• World Quests
  Optional quests found by exploring the world and talking to NPCs. These range from simple tasks to long, elaborate quest chains that reveal deep lore about Teyvat's history.
• Domains
  Repeatable dungeons that reward players with essential character and weapon progression materials, such as Artifacts, Talent Books, and Weapon Ascension Materials. Requires a currency called 'Resin' to claim rewards.

The game supports online co-op for up to four players. Players can invite friends into their world to tackle domains, bosses, and some events together. The main story quests must be completed solo, and exploration progress only saves for the host.

The game is in active development during its Early Access phase, with major content updates like 'The Third Edict' adding new campaign acts, features, and balance changes. After its full launch, it will follow the original game's model of releasing a new challenge league and content expansion every three to four months.

The game operates on a live-service model with major, free content updates approximately every six weeks. These updates add new characters, weapons, story quests (Archon Quests), limited-time events, and sometimes entirely new regions to explore, such as the upcoming Nod-Krai in Version 6.0.

• Q: Is Path of Exile 2 an expansion?
  A: No. Originally announced as an expansion, it is now a completely separate, standalone game with its own campaign, classes, and game mechanics. It will exist alongside the original Path of Exile.
• Q: Is Path of Exile 2 free to play?
  A: The game launched into a paid Early Access on December 6, 2024. The full 1.0 release of the game will be completely free-to-play, just like the original.
• Q: Do my purchases from Path of Exile 1 carry over?
  A: Yes. All cosmetic microtransactions and convenience items (like stash tabs) purchased in either game are shared and can be used in both Path of Exile 1 and Path of Exile 2.
• Q: Can I play with my friends from Path of Exile 1?
  A: No. Because Path of Exile 2 is a separate game with different characters and balance, you cannot party up with players who are playing Path of Exile 1. However, PoE2 has full cross-play between its own PC and console versions.

• Q: Is Genshin Impact free to play?
  A: Yes, Genshin Impact is completely free to download and play. It is supported by an optional in-game gacha system for acquiring new characters and weapons, and a seasonal Battle Pass.
• Q: Is Genshin Impact a multiplayer game?
  A: It is primarily a single-player experience, but it supports online co-op for up to four players. Players can invite friends into their world to tackle domains, bosses, and some events together. The main story quests must be completed solo.
• Q: What is the 'gacha' system?
  A: It is a monetization model where players use a currency called 'Primogems' (earned in-game or purchased) to make 'wishes' on banners. Each wish grants a random weapon or character, with 5-star characters and weapons being the rarest and most powerful.
• Q: How often is the game updated?
  A: The game receives a major version update with new content approximately every six weeks, following a consistent and reliable schedule.

• OFFICIAL EARLY ACCESS PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications may change as development continues towards the full 1.0 release.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. Path of Exile 2's new engine and complex combat encounters can be demanding.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain high framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's intense, effects-heavy combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex physics and numerous calculations in endgame scenarios.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness.
• Game Name: Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications can change with major version updates. An SSD is strongly recommended for a better experience.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. The game's open world can be CPU-intensive, and a stable framerate is important for the action-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is critical for laptop GPU performance. A higher TGP allows the GPU to perform closer to its desktop equivalent.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich environments and elemental effects can be demanding. A robust cooling system is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent performance.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the game's open-world streaming and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's fast-paced, character-switching combat.
• Game Name: Genshin Impact

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features and maintain high framerates.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's intense, effects-heavy combat will require a laptop with a cutting-edge cooling solution to prevent thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex physics and numerous calculations in endgame scenarios.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness.

• G P U T G P: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is critical for laptop GPU performance. A higher TGP allows the GPU to perform closer to its desktop equivalent.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich environments and elemental effects can be demanding. A robust cooling system is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent performance.
• C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the game's open-world streaming and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's fast-paced, character-switching combat.