Diablo 4, Path of Exile, Last Epoch – Which action RPG should I play?

2024 is an excellent year for everyone who likes hack’n’slays. With Diablo 4, Path of Exile and Last Epoch you have a brilliant selection right now, but each of these games is different and good in its own way. MeinMMO explains which is the right action RPG for you.

Diablo is still considered the gold standard for hack’n’slays. Anyone interested in the genre can’t miss this series. Since 2023, Diablo 4 has been the latest part, which millions of players have been playing since then.

In 2024, a new competitor appeared with Last Epoch and immediately took off on Steam. The new action RPG promises more depth than Diablo, without being as complex as its biggest challenger to date: Path of Exile.

So now there are currently three big titles for anyone who wants to start or explore the genre. MeinMMO presents Diablo 4, Path of Exile and Last Epoch and gives you tips on when which game is worth it for you.

In our list you will find the best alternatives to Diablo, including older and smaller titles, if you want to get a more overview. In 2024, Diablo 4 will also have its first expansion, Vessel of Hatred:

Diablo 4 – For Casuals and “Gamer Dads”

Diablo is the game when it comes to an easy entry into the genre. No action RPG is easier to understand or play. If you don’t want to read up on a lot of mechanics, but just want to play, Diablo 4 is exactly your game.

Since its release, Diablo 4 has been particularly popular with one group of players: middle-aged or older men with jobs, families and little time, the “gamer dads.” However, Diablo 4 has also been attracting new players since its release on Game Pass, some of them who have never played Diablo before:

Even critics have to admit that Diablo 4 is the ultimate in the genre in terms of gameplay and visuals. The classes all play great, fluid and unique, the skills look great and feel powerful.

Biggest drawback: Diablo 4 ends relatively quickly. After a few dozen hours, you won’t have much to do other than grind for new gear unless you want to play through all the classes.

This is what Diablo is all about:

Is it worth getting started with Diablo 4 now? Generally yes, at least to get to know the game. However, Season 4 starts on May 14th. If you want to play the season, you have to start a new character. Until then, you can make optimal use of the time to prepare.

Here you can see the trailer for Diablo 4 – with the Tagesschau speaker in the lead role:

Last Epoch – If you want to invest more time

The latest challenger in the genre is Last Epoch. Similar to Diablo 4, getting started here is quite easy, but the game quickly becomes more complex. Last Epoch is aimed much more at players whose dedicated hobby is gaming.

Casuals will still get their money’s worth here. Because you can’t do much wrong in Last Epoch. If you just play and do what feels right, you’ll usually get through the campaign and can also do some grinding in the endgame.

The complexity comes later in the game. Here you can discover the enormous variety of builds, work with the guilds for better items and perfect your character.

If you would like to do more in a hack’n’slay than just shredding enemies, Last Epoch is the right choice. You have a sophisticated trading system and, above all, crafting that goes into enormous depth. Some veterans of the genre say: Last Epoch’s crafting system is the best ever.

This is what Last Epoch is all about:

Is it worth starting Last Epoch now? In any case. The game will only be fully released in 2024 after several years of early access and you will get a lot of help from other players if you need something. The developers are working hard on polishing it and already have ideas for upcoming content.

Here you can see the trailer for Last Epoch:

Path of Exile – The master’s degree in ARPGs

If gaming is your only hobby and you can and want to invest a lot of time, you should take a look at Path of Exile. The game is known for its absurdly large talent tree and so many mechanics that no one can even properly use them without external tools.

Anyone who otherwise likes to work with Excel spreadsheets and wants to delve deep into the subject matter (i.e. anyone who likes to play EVE Online) should choose Path of Exile as their hack’n’slay. The community is extremely active and committed.

Compared to Path of Exile, both Diablo 4 and Last Epoch are purely “casual games.” Path of Exile is absolutely aimed at core gamers and doesn’t disguise that. If you want to do something here, you have to be committed.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t just have fun. The bosses emphasize: If you just play and don’t care about being the best, you can get far even without the variety of mechanics. Nevertheless, the barrier to entry is high due to the sheer number of mechanics, skills and talents.

This is what Path of Exile is all about:

Is Path of Exile worth starting now? Conditional. This is actually an ideal time to start playing Path of Exile, but the game is still complex.

Path of Exile is getting old and that’s exactly the problem with the game, says the boss. There is too much content that can be overwhelming, especially for new players.

Nevertheless, it may be worth taking a look at the game. Path of Exile is free and you can get a feel for whether it’s worth it. Then at the end of 2024 you can start the beta of Path of Exile 2, the upcoming successor, with experience.

The Necropolis League is currently running in Path of Exile:

Bonus: No Rest for the Wicked

If none of these games appeal to you or you currently want to wait until new content comes out, there is a new genre representative on Steam: No Rest for the Wicked. However, this has a special twist.

Instead of attacking hordes of monsters as usual, No Rest for the Wicked relies heavily on tough boss fights like in Dark Souls or Elden Ring. This is why it is often referred to as “Dark Souls Diablo”. Here is the trailer:

No Rest for the Wicked is a pure single player title, unlike the hack’n’slays listed here. It is therefore aimed more at role-playing fans who already liked the Soulsbourne games and the like, rather than pure ARPG players – although they can also have fun here.

According to voices from the community and experts, the campaign in No Rest for the Wicked is currently worth it. The endgame shouldn’t offer that much anymore. Here’s the GameStar test:

At the moment you can only play No Rest for the Wicked alone. A 4-player co-op should appear with the first update. But it doesn’t have a release date yet.

2024 is generally a good year if you are fans of action RPGs or want to start. There are new, good titles coming out all the time, sometimes just smaller indie projects that are still worthwhile. There are also big updates coming from the big names in the genre. Things last looked this good 20 years ago: 2024 is the best year if you love games like Diablo