(Image credit: Grinding Gear Games)

Like a lot of folks, I viewed the Path of Exile 2 0.4 livestream with lukewarm ambivalence. We knew we were getting the druid because it didn't quite make the cut for 0.3, but apart from that it seemed a little mopey—no new campaign bits, a league mechanic we already recognized from PoE1, and most importantly, no endgame changes. I came away from the presentation with a big ole' meh.

That changed the first time I reared up as a bear and slapped a zombie with my big, meaty paw.

(Image credit: Grinding Gear Games)

It gets even better when you pick up the Fury of the King talisman, too. This unique changes your regular bear form into a demon bear and unlocks a new skill, Molten Crash. Not only does it do tons of damage, but the animation for the demon bear pouncing on its enemies reminds me of a kitten learning to hunt by attacking a ball of yarn. (If the kitten then triggered an earthquake that shot out huge gouts of burning lava.)

The other druid builds don't disappoint, either. Wolf form could use some love when it comes to the minion build, but people are clearing super fast with Herald of Ice. The drake build has incredible single target damage, and while it's buggy as hell it sure looks fun to flap around breathing fire on stuff. Even the plant magic is good, although the character I used to explore that was not a druid. The new sorceress ascendancy, Disciple of Varashta, is based on summoning djinn and made for a good time filling the screen with angry plants and watering them with a Thunderstorm.

Unfortunately, it's not all sunshine and honey for 0.4. The promised major endgame overhaul is still in the pipeline, so mapping remains a bit one dimensional. The campaign still ends abruptly without acts 5 and 6, and we're still missing a bunch of classes. All of this will come in time, and there's a lot of game here for something still in early access. That being said, I can't avoid talking about the bear in the room, the Vaal Temple.

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What a mess. 0.4's league mechanic calls back to PoE1's Incursion league, where you battle Vaal monsters to build your own dungeon, the Temple of Atzoatl. The mechanic here is similar—every zone you enter has a small battle with Vaal monsters, and completing six of these lets you run the temple. Every time you go in, you get tiles to place on a board that correspond with rooms. Complete the temple and a few of your rooms will disappear, making you rebuild it.