Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2 are here and Grim Dawn, Marvel Heroes, Dungeonland, and Legends of Dawn are on the way. If you're an isometric action-RPG fan, gaming life is good. And it will get a whole lot better when Grinding Gear Games' dark, hardcore ARPG Path of Exile enters open beta on January 23.

Yep, you, me, and everyone else that's been on the outside looking in at the Path of Exile closed beta will finally get our chance to roll a character and start hacking and slashing in the free-to-play ARPG in two weeks.

"We're excited to have reached the point where we can finally throw open the doors and invite everyone in," Producer Chris Wilson said in a statement. "We have one of the best and most supportive communities on the Internet, and their input has been invaluable in making Path of Exile what it is. We hope they'll be delighted with all the new content."

If you're scratching your head and asking, "Path to What?" here's why Path of Exile should be on your radar: it's a Diablo 2-style ARPG with customization options galore. It will also deliver PvP, likely months before Blizzard finally gets around to it for Diablo 3. The feature rundown:
  • A dark and deep action RPG
  • Build unlimited unique characters on a gigantic skill tree
  • Combine over 110 skill gems to create unique combat strategies
  • Explore a dark and gritty world rendered from a fixed 3D perspective
  • Download and play for free, but never 'pay-to-win'
  • Explore randomly generated levels for extreme replayability
  • Craft weapons, magic items and even end-game maps to become more powerful
  • Cooperate or compete with thousands of other exiles in a persistent online world
  • Ascend online ladders in every game mode
  • Battle in PVP tournaments for worldwide recognition
    • Now then, all that's left is to start marking days off the calendar and decide which character class to roll first. So what will it be, the Marauder, Ranger, Witch, Duelist, Templar, or Shadow? Personally, the three hybrid classes (Duelist, Templar, and Shadow) are tops on my list. Learn more at the Path of Exile Classes page.