We all have our vices, and mine is a loot pile. There are few sources of dopamine more potent than dealing a final blow to a fortuitous skeleton and being rewarded with a multi-colored geyser of greatswords, quivers, amulets, and greaves. But while Path of Exile 2 has been supplying me with a steady drip of loot-triggered neurochemicals, all those drops have fallen just short of delight for one main reason:
The uniques are boring.
Unlike most of the randomized loot in Path of Exile 2, unique items are a rare class of equipment that are fully authored by Grinding Gear Games. They've got their own name, their own art, and their own preset modifiers—some of which can't be found anywhere else. Like equivalent item classes in other ARPGs, uniques are PoE 2's way of providing the classic medieval fantasy of finding a legendary sword or magical helmet worthy of its own name and mythology.
There are exceptions of course—uniques like Choir of the Storm, which makes critical hits call lightning bolts down on enemies, or Quecholli, which detonates enemies killed with critical hits to deal damage in a radius. But for the most part, PoE 2's current slate of uniques don't offer a distinct enough gameplay experience to feel like gaining possession of a storied artifact. That's important for the power fantasy of an action RPG as well as its replayability—I want to start dreaming up new builds when I pick up a unique that does something no other item in my inventory can.
While I broadly prefer PoE 2's progression and buildcrafting, Diablo 4 knows how to make a unique hit. D4's uniques are more than beefy stat bonuses—they're often completely new class fantasies, wrapped up in a single item. Grasp of Shadow can turn rogues into walking armies of shadow clones. Greatstaff of the Crone gives werewolf druids an entirely new form of lightning-based lycanthropy.
The best ARPG uniques offer another layer of player expression. I love to build a character around a specific item's gimmick—not because it's the most effective option, but because it constructs a different identity to inhabit during play. Say what you will about Grim Dawn's unique poopy pants, you're going to feel like you're playing a character that's wholly your own if that's the basis of your build. I'm not necessarily saying PoE 2 needs more diarrhea, but there's a reason "walk a mile in another man's shoes" is a cliche while "walk a mile in another man's diarrhea pants" is an entirely new sentence. Uniques grab your attention and imagination when they get weird with it! That's a good thing (soiled trousers notwithstanding)!
