Thinking about starting this game. How is PoE compared to D2R? What's the gameplay like? Itemization, loots, grinding, skills, etc. Is it worth to invest my time into?

Yes

POE is better in almost every aspect except PvP

No. Path of Exile is in a truly miserable state right now.

It's gotten so bad it's a waste of time to even talk about it.

That said, it's free to play so why don't you see for yourself? Your first playthrough might even be fun. Just don't be fooled into buying supporter packs!

d2r is a repackage of the same exact game from 2 decade ago without enough qol improvement or new content lol
POE is a complex itemization/skill system that can be alot for any new players.

if you like grinding for wealth or come up with ur own hipster builds i think poe is right for you
not alot of pvp stuff other than that 100 player on island thing, idk what its called lol

Poe is actually in a decent state. Most ARPG end up in 1 single end game grind D2, Grim, D3... it's all just mindless kill and be done, 1 build with minor differences. Poe gives you options aside just mapping, you have heist and expedition, crafting and playing the trade market. There's an abundance of theory crafting of characters, so every character has big differences.

Super fun game. I always spend more time theorycrafting than actually playing. Big difference from D2.

It's a lot of stuff to unpack. It's a game where getting rushed to the end is kind of a disservice. You won't have any idea what to do and will feel pretty underpowered.

Take your time playing it. There’s lots to do. I’ve been at it for 6 straight years.

Beware of what opinions you read. Lots of haters as of recent since GGG took out alot of the OP stuff.

this tbh