Path of Exile vs Daimon Blades

• Perspective: Isometric (Top-Down)
• Multiplayer: Online Co-op (up to 6 players)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS
• Core Loop: 3-Month Seasonal Leagues
• Model: Free-to-Play
• Unique Feature: Unprecedented character customization through a massive passive skill tree and a modular skill gem system, all within a free-to-play model.

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: 4-Player Online Co-op
• Setting: Dark Fantasy (E.Y.E. Prequel)
• Platforms: PC (Steam)
• Early Access Release: 2025-09-03
• Unique Feature: A unique classless progression system centered on 'living' Daimon-infused weapons that evolve mid-run, combined with fast-paced, first-person melee combat.

• Minions: Players (typically Witches or Templars) can use skill gems to summon an army of minions, such as zombies, skeletons, or even the reanimated corpses of powerful monsters, to fight for them.
  Undead, Golems, Spectres
• Cosmetic Pets: Non-combat pets that can be purchased as microtransactions. They follow the player around but do not participate in combat or affect gameplay in any way.
  Various

• Co-op Teammates: In the game's 4-player co-op mode, other players act as your companions. Teamwork and combining the unique abilities of different Daimon weapons are key to success in high-difficulty expeditions.
  Human (Player)

• Unique Items: Dropped by monsters throughout the game. There are over 1,000 unique items, each with fixed names, art, and special properties that can enable entire character builds. Some are extremely rare and valuable.
• Divination Cards: A type of item that drops in specific areas of the game. Collecting a full set of a particular card allows the player to trade it to an NPC for a predetermined item reward, allowing for targeted farming of valuable items.

• Daimon Weapons: The primary reward for defeating bosses and completing expeditions. Each one represents a new potential character build.
• Crafting Resources: Gathered during expeditions and used in the main hub to forge new weapons, armor, and other items.

• Dark Fantasy
• Survival
• Exile
• Eldritch Horror
• Deep Character Customization
• Loot Hunting
• Complex Economy
• Action RPG

• Dark Fantasy
• First-Person Melee
• Hack and Slash
• Roguelite
• Co-op
• Demonic
• Action RPG

• One-Handed Weapons: Claws, Daggers, Wands, Swords, Axes, Maces
  A wide variety of weapons that can be dual-wielded or used with a shield. Each weapon type has its own implicit properties and benefits from different parts of the passive skill tree.
• Two-Handed Weapons: Bows, Staves, Swords, Axes, Maces
  Weapons that require both hands, generally offering higher base damage or more linked sockets at the cost of being unable to use a shield.
• Shields: Armour, Evasion, Energy Shield, or Hybrid
  Off-hand items that provide defensive stats and a chance to block attacks. They can also have powerful explicit mods, making them a key piece of gear for many builds.

• Body Armour, Helmets, Gloves, Boots: The four primary slots for defensive gear. Armor pieces provide a base defense type (Armour for physical reduction, Evasion for dodging, Energy Shield as a magical health pool) and are a primary source of sockets for skill gems.
• Accessories: Amulets, Rings, and Belts. These items do not provide base defenses but are crucial for obtaining offensive and defensive stats, such as resistances, life, damage, and critical strike chance.

• Armor Sets: Players can craft and equip different sets of armor that provide defensive stats and passive bonuses. A player's visual appearance is also tied to one of three starting factions (Culter Dei, Jian Shang Di, Saif al-Haq).

• Cosmetic Microtransactions: The primary form of character customization. Players can purchase a vast array of cosmetic armor sets, weapon effects, character effects, footprints, portals, and hideout decorations to completely change their character's appearance without affecting gameplay stats.

The game features a classless progression system where a player's abilities are defined by their equipped gear. The core system revolves around 'Daimon-infused' weapons, which are living artifacts that can 'ascend' during a run by feeding on the blood of slain enemies to unlock new abilities. Players can also equip armor and use 'Alchemy powers' for active and passive skills.

• Marauder (Strength): Playable Class
  Starts at the strength-aligned portion of the skill tree. Excels at melee combat and physical damage. Ascendancies: Juggernaut, Berserker, Chieftain.
• Ranger (Dexterity): Playable Class
  Starts at the dexterity-aligned portion of the skill tree. Specializes in bow attacks and evasion. Ascendancies: Deadeye, Raider, Pathfinder.
• Witch (Intelligence): Playable Class
  Starts at the intelligence-aligned portion of the skill tree. A master of elemental magic, chaos spells, and minion summoning. Ascendancies: Necromancer, Elementalist, Occultist.
• Duelist (Strength/Dexterity): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Strength and Dexterity. Focuses on fast melee attacks and blocking. Ascendancies: Slayer, Gladiator, Champion.
• Templar (Strength/Intelligence): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Strength and Intelligence. A staff-wielding holy warrior. Ascendancies: Inquisitor, Hierophant, Guardian.
• Shadow (Dexterity/Intelligence): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Dexterity and Intelligence. A specialist in traps, mines, and critical strikes. Ascendancies: Assassin, Saboteur, Trickster.
• Scion (All Attributes): Playable Class
  Starts in the center of the skill tree. An advanced class unlocked later that can borrow abilities from other Ascendancy classes, offering unique build possibilities. Ascendancy: Ascendant.

• The Warrior Monk: Playable Character
  A member of the Secreta order, sworn to defend the world from demonic threats. The player's abilities are determined entirely by their equipped Daimon weapon and gear.
• The Hermit: Antagonist
  The player's former Mentor and a powerful member of the Secreta who betrayed the order for forbidden power.

• The Main Campaign
  A ten-act storyline that serves as the introduction to the game's world and mechanics. The player must progress through Wraeclast, defeat various bosses and gods, and ultimately complete the campaign to unlock the endgame Atlas of Worlds.
• Mapping (Atlas of Worlds)
  The primary endgame activity. Players use map items to open portals to randomized, high-level areas with their own bosses. The goal is to complete hundreds of different maps to unlock passive points for the Atlas itself, which allows players to customize their endgame content.
• League Mechanics
  Each three-month league introduces a new optional mechanic and set of objectives. Engaging with the league mechanic is key to earning the best rewards and completing the league's challenges for cosmetic prizes.

• Expeditions
  The main gameplay mode. Players launch an expedition into a procedurally generated level to fight through hordes of demons, defeat a powerful boss, and extract with loot and resources before their 'Corruption' meter fills.
• Story Mode
  A campaign-focused mode where expeditions are structured to advance the main narrative of hunting down 'The Hermit'.
• Free Exploration Mode
  An endless-style mode where teams venture as deep as possible into the Daimon realm with a limited number of lives to see how long they can survive.

The game will be in Early Access for approximately one year, during which the developers will regularly add new game modes, enemies, bosses, biomes, weapons, and abilities based on community feedback. The studio has stated a preference for future paid DLC expansions over microtransactions.

• Q: Is Path of Exile truly free to play?
  A: Yes. The entire game, from the story campaign to the deepest endgame content, is available for free. The developers are funded by cosmetic microtransactions and quality-of-life stash tabs, which are not required to play or succeed.
• Q: Is Path of Exile pay-to-win?
  A: No. The developers have a strict policy against selling player power. Microtransactions are for cosmetic effects or convenience items like stash tabs, none of which provide a direct competitive advantage in gameplay.
• Q: How complex is the game for a new player?
  A: Path of Exile is famously complex and has a very steep learning curve. While the campaign is approachable, the sheer number of systems (crafting, endgame atlas, boss mechanics) can be overwhelming. New players are often advised to follow a build guide for their first character.
• Q: Should I play Path of Exile 1 or wait for Path of Exile 2?
  A: Grinding Gear Games will be supporting both games concurrently. Path of Exile 1 will continue to receive new leagues and updates even after PoE2 is released. It is a great time to start playing PoE1 to learn the core concepts, as many will carry over to the sequel.

• Q: What is Daimon Blades?
  A: Daimon Blades is a first-person, cooperative action RPG with roguelite elements. It blends the fast-paced melee combat of a slasher with the loot and progression of an ARPG like Diablo.
• Q: Is it a sequel to E.Y.E: Divine Cybermancy?
  A: No, it is a dark fantasy prequel set 2,000 years before the events of E.Y.E., exploring the origins of the Secreta order.
• Q: How does the weapon system work?
  A: The game features a unique system where weapons are 'living' artifacts inhabited by a 'daimon'. Each weapon has its own unique abilities and can be powered up mid-run by killing enemies, making the loot chase central to the experience.
• Q: Is it playable solo?
  A: Yes, the game can be played entirely as a single-player, offline experience, but it is designed with four-player online co-op in mind.

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Path of Exile (Live Game). This information is based on the official PC specifications from developer Grinding Gear Games and the game's Steam page, adapted to the requested JSON structure. These requirements are for the current game and are distinct from the higher requirements of the upcoming 'Path of Exile 2'. Laptop and higher-tier GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance data for this notoriously demanding ARPG.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. Path of Exile can be very CPU and GPU intensive during endgame mapping with many on-screen effects, so a laptop with strong single-core CPU performance and good cooling is crucial for a smooth experience.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A sufficient TGP is important to prevent the GPU from throttling during intense moments with dense monster packs and numerous particle effects.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Path of Exile is known for pushing systems hard. A robust cooling solution is essential to maintain stable framerates and prevent performance degradation from heat during long gaming sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Strong single-thread CPU performance is critical for Path of Exile, as the game engine relies heavily on it to process the vast number of calculations happening in combat. Adequate power to the CPU is key.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce system latency, which can be beneficial for reacting to dangerous in-game mechanics.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game does not have official integrated support for upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. Performance is based on native resolution rendering. Players must rely on driver-level solutions or third-party tools if they wish to use these features.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Performance is heavily impacted by the number of effects on screen. Key settings to adjust include Shadow Quality, Texture Quality, and Antialiasing. The game is notoriously CPU-bound in endgame scenarios, meaning lowering graphical settings may not always increase framerates if the CPU is the bottleneck.
• Game Name: Path of Exile

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS from the game's Steam page. These specifications are for the Early Access launch.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. As a fast-paced co-op slasher, maintaining a high and stable framerate is crucial for the best gameplay experience.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle high framerates during intense, effects-heavy combat.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and horde-based encounters 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 large number of enemy AI and physics in co-op sessions.
• 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 in a fast-paced FPS.
• Game Name: Daimon Blades

• Upscaling Tech: The game does not have official integrated support for upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. Performance is based on native resolution rendering. Players must rely on driver-level solutions or third-party tools if they wish to use these features.
• Key Settings Impact: Performance is heavily impacted by the number of effects on screen. Key settings to adjust include Shadow Quality, Texture Quality, and Antialiasing. The game is notoriously CPU-bound in endgame scenarios, meaning lowering graphical settings may not always increase framerates if the CPU is the bottleneck.

• G P U T G P: A sufficient TGP is important to prevent the GPU from throttling during intense moments with dense monster packs and numerous particle effects.
• Cooling Thermals: Path of Exile is known for pushing systems hard. A robust cooling solution is essential to maintain stable framerates and prevent performance degradation from heat during long gaming sessions.
• C P U Power Limits: Strong single-thread CPU performance is critical for Path of Exile, as the game engine relies heavily on it to process the vast number of calculations happening in combat. Adequate power to the CPU is key.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce system latency, which can be beneficial for reacting to dangerous in-game mechanics.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU is essential to handle high framerates during intense, effects-heavy combat.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich world and horde-based encounters 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 large number of enemy AI and physics in co-op sessions.
• 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 in a fast-paced FPS.