Syed Imran Haider 
After an Early Access period of five years, Last Epoch has finally gotten a 1.0 release and the ARPG offers a balance of the high-speed action you see in Diablo 4 and the complex diversity that Path of Exile is known for. This is due to a skill system that is very easy to understand and gives you lots of room to fine-tune your character as much as you want.
The 20-hour campaign of the game starts fresh, but it does get messy. However, since the endgame is quite engaging, it makes all of it worth it.
The plot
As new travelers, you have to choose one of the five characters. You have the Sentinels, ready to wield their swords, and the Mages with their spells. There are also the Acolytes who can summon the undead. These characters come with a playstyle and a proper identity and this means that you cannot possibly make a bad choice. Once you have chosen your character, you enter the high-fantasy world of Eterra, which has been ravaged by undead armies, evil gods and a gnawing void that wants to eat the planet.
The systems
With these forces threatening to rip Eterra apart, you have to engage in everything under the sun, which includes slashing, isometric hacking, junk selling, questing, looting, and potion-guzzling and spellcasting. But, Last Epoch has also introduced some new layers to its traditional system that has helped it in distinguishing itself from the competition. Thanks to these layers, the action seems to be more methodical and deeper, but does not complicate the satisfying ARPG loop.
There is a lot of gore and blood you will find when you are making your way through sword-wielding birds, swarms of zombies and giant enemy crabs.
The endgame
The one-note campaign proves to be a series of disjointed zones and events similar to Rube Goldberg that eventually lead you to Last Epoch’s endgame that comes at level 60. But, since the end is a great deal of fun, you will soon forget about the convoluted story and the characters that came before. Instead, you will spend most of your time with your character in every major timeline that you visited throughout the campaign.
Moreover, there are some truly fantastic boss fights that you engage in during the campaign, such as the towering Temple Guardian and the Kraken-style Lagon. From start to finish, building up a character is a lot of fun because of the customizable depth offered in the skill system, something that you may not have seen in any other ARPG. All of the five characters begin to play differently over time, which makes it worth trying each of them at least once.
Even if you choose the same class each time, you can still do some specialization and this can vastly change the way they operate. This means that there is always something new for you to try out.
The Verdict
Last Epoch offers a time-bending and interesting RPG that offers a combination of modern action with rich customization. It will keep you hooked, especially given how fantastic the endgame turns out.
