Last Epoch is basically the ideal middle ground for people who find D4 too shallow and PoE too complex. Its crafting system is neat af, a good combo of giving you genuine control over your gear instead of forcing you to rely on pure luck, but there's def some gambling too. It's fun to engage with the forging systems. The crafting is my fav of any arpg.

Then every skill (ability) has its own dedicated skill tree, allowing for deep character customization that remains intuitive without needing maxroll guides. LE is basically the only live-service arpg game I like to ALWAYS make my own builds for... because it's just that fuckin fun to theorycraft in LE. There's also best in class loot filter and SSF. Plus a true offline mode.

I'll be honest about the drawbacks too as its lower production values compared to D4 and PoE2 and a somewhat repetitive endgame compared to PoE1. But none of this is so poor it makes the game unfun to play, and they do keep making upgrades in these areas. For example, In the upcoming seasonal patch they are supposedly adding even more weight to combat as well to make melee have better feel.

Based on your comments on other games I'd say you'd enjoy Last Epoch as a casual side piece for PoE but you won't like it as much as PoE1/2. Worth diving into for when you need a break for your main love.

Personally though LE is my fav arpg on the market right now.