Rediscovering the Thrill of Path of Exile: A Look at Ruthless Mode
Hello,
I'm Park Han-ryang, an influencer.
For Path of Exile players who have played the game to some extent, there comes a point where the game becomes familiar and starts to feel like a routine. You have plenty of items, mapping goes by quickly, and bosses fall without much of a threat. But if you've ever felt a sense of 'Am I really playing the game?' in this tranquility, the answer lies in Ruthless mode.
Ruthless mode 'restricts' all existing systems and adds new fun on top of it, making it a completely different game. Skill gems don't drop often, items must be bought one by one from vendors, and potions aren't easily replenished during combat. Mapping is never a given, and death comes more often than you think. In other words, it's a structure where the essence of the game, 'challenge' and 'growth,' are revived.
Trading is done with Orbs of Alchemy, and gems can only be obtained through drops!
Even a simple 6-link body armor is expensive! Setting up gear by picking it up is even more difficult in Ruthless mode.
So, what makes this mode, full of inconveniences, so attractive? The reason is simple: every moment feels like a real game. In normal mode, even with dozens of uniques overflowing, it's hard to feel anything special. But in Ruthless, finding just one unique sends shivers down your spine. Even small rewards are precious, and every small choice determines your survival. Even a single skill gem, a map, or a potion changes the flow of battle. As a result, you become more immersed in the gameplay, and in a structure where a mistake can lead to defeat, you can once again feel the thrill of 'I am directly controlling the game.'
The fun of setting up gear with the rare items from mercenaries is considerable.
In particular, a completely different way of thinking is required compared to builds commonly seen in normal mode. The process of deciding which skills to choose and how to survive within limited resources makes the fun of the build more profound. The philosophy is completely different in that the build doesn't pursue 'strength,' but evolves for 'survival.'
Atlas Passives are also different! Extreme fun blooms in the midst of inconvenience.
In Ruthless mode, death is painful, but the sense of accomplishment when you survive is indescribable. Users who have experienced this mode unanimously say, "Ruthless isn't difficult, it's real PoE." If you want to relive the thrill, fear, and joy of finding items when you first started the game, try Ruthless mode at least once. The 'real game' is still waiting there.
The content you encounter while mapping is also very limited! The real fun of PoE is here.
Recently, more and more users are finishing challenges on the regular season server to some extent and then moving to Ruthless mode to aim for 8 challenges. Of course, they don't aim for Ruthless from the beginning, but once their gameplay in normal mode stabilizes, they enter Ruthless with the thought, "Shall we find some new fun now?"
It's quite nice to see people congratulating and supporting each other in moments of loot!
Interestingly, many overseas users skip the regular league altogether and go straight to Ruthless from the start of the season. They consider the inconvenience, extreme risks, and tension from limited resources in Ruthless to be the 'real PoE.' In fact, information exchange between Ruthless users is active in the global community, and you can often see them sharing specific challenges or builds and creating their own ecosystem.
I am also one of those users. I am familiar with efficient setups and mapping in the regular league, but in Ruthless, the value of one Orb of Alchemy or one map is so great that I play in a completely different way. In particular, the pleasure of carefully saving Alchemy Orbs to buy the necessary items one by one, and finally completing 8 challenges, is indescribable. In Ruthless, even a common unique is precious, and high-priced items are difficult to trade, so when I directly share gear, gems, or base items that I no longer need, the users' reactions are really different. It's not just a simple "ty," but a flood of emoticons and whispers genuinely thanking me. In this small sharing and exchange, I feel the fun of playing in communion with the community, more than just a simple challenge.
Even a Kaom's belt that I want to buy has only one available item.
If you have achieved your goals to some extent in the regular league and are looking for something 'different,' Ruthless is not a bad choice.
The primal fun of being nervous again, thinking, cooperating, and challenging awaits you there. See you in Ruthless.
No comments yet.
