Last Epoch Review – A New Standard For ARPGs

When the gaming community was flooded with battle-weary, hack-and-slash ARPG content, Last Epoch arrived. Yet, the game did remarkably well in meeting the players’ expectations. At first glance, I honestly thought the game would be a rip-off of Diablo 4. However, my adverse thoughts shifted deliberately into an enjoyable experience as I progressed in the game.

Story And Setting

The game takes place in a world indulged in chaos. The grasp of such relentless war has left everything torn in its wake. This is where you, as a protagonist, come into play.

The story begins with two primordial beings, Orobyss and Eterra, who exist in nothing but a void until Eterra’s longing for a world piqued her interest. A world where life will dwell, the purpose will be accustomed, and gods and mankind will reside.

However, Eterra’s will is soon affected by the gods’ conspiracy, and the world plunges into a long-lasting skirmish. I find the story much more compelling, but the lore has minimal effect on the gameplay.

Overall, the game’s core dynamics are based on its gameplay mechanics and very little on the story side. 

What I liked most about the game is its ability to run in Offline mode. This creates a peaceful environment for users to relish the story content without being interrupted by aggravating players.

Moreover, the story holds the element of time travel and allows the player to arrive in different eras. Each represents its unique storyline. Overall, the game’s core dynamics are based on its gameplay mechanics and very little on the story side. 

Gameplay

Last Epoch brings diverse mechanics and features to keep players engaged in its hack-and-slash, action-filled gameplay. I felt the game’s combat was astounding in its genre, bringing multiple skill-mastery unlocks on a single character without drowning the player in the complexity of events. 

The in-game mechanics of the game are basic to understand while maintaining a high degree of in-depth skill tree structure. 

At the start of the game, you can select your starting class from the following options.

• Mage
• Sentinel
• Rogue
• Acolyte
• Primalist

These classes are further divided into three new subcategories upon Class Mastery. 

I started my journey as the Sentinel, closest to the melee combat. I always prefer playing ARPG with the class that can offer the best steel-clashing and blunt damage at a closer range while tanking a decent amount of damage. You can also check out our guide on the Last Epoch’s Best Classes.

The in-game mechanics of the game are basic to understand while maintaining a high degree of in-depth skill tree structure. The game mainly comprises combat like any other ARPG, and I must admit that its combat is of top-notch quality. 

Last Epoch brings diverse mechanics and features to keep players engaged in its hack-and-slash, action-filled gameplay.

Another compelling feature of the gameplay is the drop loot. The chance of getting tide-turning artifacts, weapons, or armor from defeating a foe is sufficient to keep the players striving for a better outcome. 

Now, there is an interesting factor about the boss fights in Last Epoch. If the player has teleported back to the Keepers Camp, which acts as the central area of the map, the bosses are respawned. I consider this factor rather tedious because fighting the same boss repeatedly is just a hurdle in the way. Yet, some players may disagree, as this mechanic can be invaluable in the case of farming levels or profitable loot.

Is Last Epoch Better Than Diablo IV?

After carefully examining the content and gameplay Diablo IV has provided, I confidently say that Last Epoch has redone those things in a much more effective and competent manner. If we are to have a side comparison of both games, I believe Last Epoch will turn the odds in its favor.

First off, Last Epoch is cost-effective. The game is cheaper than Diablo IV, but the more significant factor is that Last Epoch does not have micro-transactions, which offers better gameplay opportunities.

Secondly, the skill tree is a considerable factor that impactfully puts a barrier between the gameplay of both games. Combat is the main element in ARPG, and the Last Epoch has outshined that aspect. The game introduced a Passive Skill Tree and a skill tree embedded with each ability, with plentiful selection options. Granting the opportunity to play any class character with various playstyles to test.

The game is cheaper than Diablo IV, but the more significant factor is that Last Epoch does not have micro-transactions, which offers better gameplay opportunities.

Lastly, the dungeons comprise a series of stages to progress through and unlock. The difficulty of dungeons scales with your level of progress.

The thing I liked about Diablo IV is its grim-style visuals and an engaging story-telling. However, these factors, in my opinion, are not a priority for any ARPG, which may make it difficult for Diablo IV to endure the competition.

I prefer Last Epoch over Diablo IV, based on these certain factors, probably because Last Epoch is more beginner-friendly while stimulating a much more engaging combat.

Visuals And Performance

The game presents stunning visuals and includes terrain of different biomes. Each era is unique in its environmental aspect and delivers a proper sense of the storyline. Explicitly, the Keeper Camp is used in two eras, as far as I have played, yet the place appears different due to the detail of its surroundings.

As per my observation, the game is well-optimized while maintaining exceptional ambient effects and graphics quality.

Regarding the game’s performance, I experienced smooth gameplay. Despite running the game on maximum graphics, I did not even face an ounce of lag or any stuttering. As per my observation, the game is well-optimized while maintaining exceptional Ambient Effects and graphics quality.

Multiplayer & Other Issues

A lot of players have complained about the multiplayer world. Sometimes, players may face server-down errors or get stuck in a never-ending loading screen. I believe this might be due to the non-anticipated player base the game has received quickly. This can put a lot of strain on the server. 

Fortunately, the developers are rapidly covering up this breakdown. Also, the game offers Offline Mode, which is as cherishable if you want to progress in the quest line. However, you should try some tested methods if you receive a “Failed to Matchmake” error.

The game presents stunning visuals and includes terrain of different biomes.

Another issue that caught my attention was using portals to teleport around the map. Sometimes, the portals can act intractable by not functioning upon usage. It might cause you to wait several minutes before they can work properly, which makes their use pretty redundant and wastes a lot of time, making the player run around the map.

Verdict

With creative skill mechanics and gameplay design, the Last Epoch delivers an engaging and one-of-a-kind experience in the ARPG genre. I did not expect the game to earn a commendable status in the ARPG community to compete with the top-notch title, Diablo IV.

With creative skill mechanics and gameplay design, the Last Epoch delivers an engaging and one-of-a-kind experience in the ARPG genre.

All in all, the Last Epoch offering limitless possibilities in its gear and character upgrades is quite astounding. The game provides in-depth scaling possibilities while keeping its dynamics at an elementary level.

I think it is safe to say that the game’s developers only intended to exhibit a masterpiece that focuses on delivering an enticing and original gameplay experience. Hence, I consider Last Epoch the best ARPG I have ever played.

That is all I consider for my review of the Last Epoch. Do check out more of our reviews about other games.

• The Thaumaturge Review
• Star Wars Battlefront Classic Collection Review
• Alone in the Dark Review
• Pacific Drive Review

What Other Writers Think

• Arham Abro: I think Last Epoch offers smart mechanics for trading and crafting for loot enthusiasts, but its combat lacks impact, and its story is forgettable
• Usama Qaiser: The best thing about the game is its incredibly detailed skills customization while keeping things pretty understandable. The gameplay scales its intensity the more you advance in your skillset, which I consider a commendable feature.