By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.How does Lost Ark compare to Diablo 3 and Path of Exile?

There's nothing an ARPG loves more than a big fight, except perhaps rummaging through the corpses that are left over for a snazzier pair of shoes. So, with Lost Ark having recently entered the fray as a major contender to the ARPG throne, I thought it might be fun to toss it in a pit with the genre's other big-hitters of the last decade, namely Diablo 3 and Path of Exile, and let them duke it out in a series of arbitrary POE currency trade , but lethal, challenges. Which game has the loveliest loot, or the most satisfying skills? Which best conveys the feeling of turning a god into jam with the click of a mouse?

The plan is to compare how all three games handle different aspects of the core ARPG formula. It's a general comparison of broad-stroke systems, rather than an in-depth analysis of how each game handles, say, individual class-types. That said, to keep things balanced, I tried to play as similar classes while comparing the games (Warrior for Lost Ark, Barbarian for Diablo 3, and Marauder for Path of Exile), so that the results were not based on three wildly different playstyles.

(Image credit: Blizzard)The click
At the heart of any ARPG is the click, how pressing the left mouse-button translates to smiting your foes on the screen with your basic attack. It’s the foundation upon which any ARPG is built—the base feedback loop that'll keep players hooked for tens of hours.

At least, that's the theory. But of our competitors, only Diablo 3 has much time for the click. Lost Ark's skills have such speedy cooldowns that you'll rarely use your basic attack, instead constantly flowing from one ridiculous ability to the next. Path of Exile's basic attack gets more use in the early game, but your character will soon evolve away from the left mouse button, whether that's through more powerful skills POE currency buy , or mechanics like totems that let you avoid engaging with enemies entirely.