Comment on Last Epoch 1.0 Patch Notes
darkmatternoodlecow@programming.dev 8 months ago
And yet even with chat disabled, “Welcome to Last Epoch chat!” still pops up every time you change zones, as it has since day 1 of the chat function being forced on users, even users playing offline, sometime last year. And while a bug like that might be irrelevant, it captures the essence of the experience of playing the game perfectly: incompetence and thoughtlessness shines through absolutely everywhere, and nothing works the way it ought to.
I wanted to love this game, but it’s impossible. I’m pretty sure the devs have their hearts in the right place, but they’re not good enough to maintain a game of this type and scope. Even the graphics look like a $5 asset pack from the Unreal store.
incompetence and thoughtlessness shine through absolutely everywhere, and nothing works the way it ought to.
I mean the website also feels quite amateurish, as does the art-design. It’s not bad for an indie game, but it seems to want to be so much more.
loobkoob@kbin.social 8 months ago
1.0 is getting a "true offline" mode where there won't be any chat (and where a connection isn't required for server authentication). Personally, I quite like the chat and the sense of community it brings (apart from when it's filled with "D4 bad") but I can see myself wanting it turned off if the game gets much more popular and attracts a more casual playerbase.
Honestly, though, I feel like that's such a minor quibble to have - especially for a game still in beta. While Last Epoch obviously doesn't have the budget behind it that Diablo 4 or Path Of Exile has, I think it's done a great job of cementing itself as a worthwhile addition to the genre already. The developers have done a brilliant job of coming up with creative solutions to problems (both LE's own problems and problems that other games have suffered from) and I think they've laid a very strong foundation to continue to build upon going forward. The game is mechanically interesting, has probably the most interesting itemisation and by far the best crafting in the genre, and generally feels good to play.
I agree that the art style isn't as strong as Diablo 4, Path Of Exile or Grim Dawn, but I think it looks much better than a cheap Unreal asset - especially with the lighting overhaul in 1.0. And I'm glad that it isn't just another dark fantasy setting; as much as I love those kinds of settings (Grim Dawn's, especially), having the more lush, vibrant style of Last Epoch makes for a nice change.
It's not a perfect game by any stretch, but I think it's a very good game and I think it has a lot of room to grow going forward.