What to Do in Act 4 in PpE 2?
The fourth act of Path of Exile 2 takes players to the port city of Kingsmarch and its surrounding islands. It’s much less linear compared to the previous acts, and it can be a little confusing to do if it’s your first time here. Thankfully, the gameplay itself doesn’t change much, and as long as you have a decent build going, you should have no issue fighting anything in this act.
In this guide, we’ll be summarizing the entirety of PoE 2 Act 4 into a short list to guide players on where to go first. We’re also going to take a quick look at the optional islands and the rewards you can expect to get from them.
Path of Exile 2: How to Get and Use Dialla’s Desire
Dialla’s Desire is an incredibly valuable Lineage Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 that can serve as a massive upgrade for any Skill.
Where Do You Go First in PoE 2 Act 4?
Act 4 is completely non-linear, which means you can go to any of the islands in the archipelago at any time. You’re free to go wherever you want, but we recommend tackling it in this order just so you can maximize your gains before hitting some of the harder bosses in the act.
- Kedge Bay (Optional)
- Whakapanu Island
- Shrike Island
- Abandoned Prison
- Isle of Kin
- Eye of Hinekora (Optional)
- Arastas
- Ngakanu
If you follow this order, you’ll be well on your way to completing Act 4 much like how you completed the previous Acts. This should give you the least amount of trouble with the difficult enemies found on the islands while giving you enough opportunities to improve your gear and level up.
Why Kedge Bay First?
Kedge Bay isn’t part of the main Act 4 quest, but completing this nets you two things:
- A Book of Specialization (+2 Passive Points)
- An introduction to the Delirium mechanic
The extra skill points should be enough to entice most players to go to Kedge Bay first, but if you’d much rather unlock PoE 2’s in-game trade market, go and do Ange’s quest and travel to Whakapanu Island first (unless you’ve already unlocked it).
The Delirium mechanic doesn’t come into play until much later when you start doing Atlas maps. Still, you can finish the Dark Mists quest on Kedge Bay to get a taste of what it has to offer. You’ll also get a bunch of Liquid Emotions from that encounter too, which you can use to instil Notable Passives to amulets.
The Isle of Kin and Eye of Hinekora
The Isle of Kin is another area within the Archipelago that contains Krutog, the Lord of Kin. Krutog can be an annoying boss to fight given his massive size and the tiny arena you fight him in, but when you beat him, you’ll get one of the weapon pieces The Hooded One needs.
Later, you’ll want to complete the Eye of Hinekora quest by going to Shrike Island to get a bunch of permanent upgrades for your character. This includes:
- Two more Passive Points
- +5 Dexterity OR +5% Lightning Resistance
- +5 Strength OR +5% Fire Resistance
- +5 Intelligence OR +5% Cold Resistance
- +5% Increased Maximum Mana
How to Enter Arastas
Arastas is part of the main quest of Act 4, but if you go to the island early, nothing much will happen. All exits leading out of the port will be blocked; that’s because this is not the time to go here yet.
To explore Arastas, you’ll need to complete Whakapanu Island, Shrike Island, and Abandoned Prison first. Go and beat the bosses there and find the weapon parts The Hooded One needs before going to Arastas.
PoE 2 Interlude Acts
The Interlude chapters in Path of Exile 2 will have players revisiting Ogham, the Vastiri Desert, and the jungles surrounding Utzaal in hopes of recruiting allies for an upcoming assault on Oriath. These extra acts replaced Cruel Difficulty from the earlier versions of the game, and they’re set to be replaced again once Acts 5 and 6 are released. Once you do complete the Interludes, you’ll get access to the Atlas Endgame.
You can choose what Interlude chapter to begin with, and you can speak to the Hooded One to change regions. However, don’t expect to just run through the same areas here. The Interludes added roughly 20 new zones with 12 additional boss fights scattered throughout.
Recruit the Ezomytes (The Curse of Holten)
The people of Ogham have started to recover from the incident with Count Geonor’s madness, but things aren’t going too well. A thick blanket of darkness has covered the town of Holten, and if you want to recruit the Ezomytes, you’ll need to find a way to lift that curse.
As far as permanent upgrades go, the Ogham Interlude has only one to offer: a pair of Passive points that you can get by defeating Oswin, the Dread Warden in Wolvenhold. There are other side-bosses throughout the Interlude too, though, so you may still want to hunt them all down for loot and XP.
Recruit the Maraketh (The Stolen Barya)
When you return to the Vastiri Desert, you’ll once again link up with Asala and the Maraketh. They’re willing to help you out with the Oriath ordeal, but before they can lend you their aid, you’re going to need to help out with their water problem. Legendary guardians have disappeared, and the ritual for the Gift of Water can’t be completed without them. Head back to the desert and check out what’s going on, and the Maraketh will join you.
Unlike the Ogham Interlude, there are quite a few permanent upgrades here. To get them all, make sure to do the following:
- Find and interact with the Seven Pillars in Qimah
- Activate the Molten One’s Gift in the Khari Crossing
- Beat Ahkti and Anundr in Risu’s Clearing the Way quest set in Khari Crossing
Recruit the Vaal (A Time Capsule)
Doryani has already proven himself to be an ally in your journey, but he’s not exactly much of a fighting force by himself. In the third Interlude, you’ll be going back to the remains of the Vaal Empire to find Doryani’s contingency plan, which is tucked away in a massive crypt built inside a mountain.
This Interlude’s permanent upgrades include:
- +40 Spirit for beating Lythara in Kriar Village
- +2 Passive Points for beating the Abominable Yeti in the Howling Caves
- Released
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December 6, 2024
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)