At last night’s PlayStation reveal hoopla, Grinding Gear Games had two announcements for Path of Exile 2 ready and waiting. First, yes, the game is going to have couch co-op, along with cross-play and cross-progression, for folks who want to play on console alongside their PC brethren. And second, the game is going to launch on PC and console simultaneously, as will all its updates after launch, so no grueling wait (like the kind POE players are accustomed to).
“Players no longer need multiple devices to play the game with their friends,” the studio says. “A new feature, couch co-op, is available on all supported platforms and requires two controllers to play. Players can play collaboratively on a single account, or log in with two separate Path of Exile accounts on the same PC or console. […] Path of Exile 2 is introducing full cross-play and cross-progression on all supported platforms. Play with your friends on other platforms, or move from console to PC without losing any progress. The launch as well as all updates in the future will be shipping simultaneously with PC.”
The PR associated with the event announcement has a few more promises; GGG says that it’s focusing on making the controller experience smooth like butter and reducing complexity for new players.
“Redefined Controller Experience – Path of Exile 2 has a ground up redesign of its user experience for controllers. Dual Stick controls, a new binding system allowing you to fully customize your control scheme with 24 bind slots and a redesign of inventory management make the game much easier to pick up and play. In addition, each skill has received specific attention from a new dedicated console team to make sure that it plays well on a controller.
“Easier to Play – Path of Exile is a game with a reputation for complexity, but Path of Exile 2 makes it much easier for new players to explore and understand the deep mechanics of the game. As well as simplifying many mechanics, in-game skill tutorial videos explain how skills work and how to use them in combat, a new help system added to item hovers allows players to find out exactly how stats work at the push of a button, and a new system to allow players to see the exact effects that any choice would have on their characters makes understanding the game much easier.”
