ARPG Path of Exile open beta this weekend

Diablo III came out so long ago and Torchlight II is so far away, so how can you possibly survive another whole weekend without new monsters to click on until they explode in showers of swords and coins? Fear not, gentle clickfiend; Grinding Gear Games is hosting an open beta for its multiplayer action-RPG Path of Exile this very weekend.

Grinding Gear usually charges $10 for key to access its beta weekends, which come with $10 worth of in-game currency, but it'll be open to everyone from 5pm Pacific on Friday until 11:59pm on Sunday. You can preload the client already.

Path of Exile will run under a free-to-play model, selling things like storage upgrades and heaps of cosmetic-only effects, including dyes, pets, special animations, item skins and effects, and the chance to have items with shiny modifiers such as "extra gore." Which sounds reasonable.

Here's a recent look at Path of Exile with a zany build using a unique item, designed by Brother Laz of the Diablo II mod MedianXL, to explode enemies with a single punch to the face: