Grim Dawn is a great game and a satisfying RPG that plays very straightforward and easy. Like other RPG's, you control a character, defeat monsters and bosses, level up, spend skill points and complete quests. It is as classic as it will ever be. Grim Dawn has some unique features, however.
In Grim Dawn, you play as a character that has been possessed by the Aetherials and cured by the survivors of Devils Crossing. You start your adventure and fight against the forces of the dead, demons and other vile beasts. Like any classic RPG, your goal is to save the world and be the ultimate hero of the realms.
Some unique elements in Grim Dawn include the crafting system. You find components and blueprints throughout the game and can create relics and gear at the blacksmith.
You also make choices in the game by responding differently to NPCs and quest givers. This can result in different outcomes.
There is also a unique skill system in which you can multiclass and combine certain skills and damage type. My favorite is a Shaman Soldier Tank combo which obliterates everything with force and Thunder.
In your adventures, you come across totems that needs to be cleansed. When you did so, you receive a devotion point, which you can use for massive bonuses in one of the thirty-five skill trees under the stars.
The graphics are nice, grim and dark, just the way it should be. The animations and ragdoll are great and shooting or hitting an enemy with a club looks satisfying.
The sound is also great. The effects of weapons, and enemies sound solid, and the background music is atmospheric and relaxing.
The interface and controls are the same as games like Diablo and Sacred and easy to understand. The inventory management is also self-explanatory.
There are some problems with the game in my opinion:
The stats on the items are ridiculous. There are a million trillion different stats that all do something. Some stats sound exactly the same but apparently do something different. When you pick up an item with 20 different stats on it, it is very hard to see if you should keep that item or not. Certain core stats like Strength or Spirit speak for themselves, but 12 different stats that can all combined do something unique, it just messes with my head.
You can Earn Favor towards different factions (races and clans) to get better items, rewards and merchants. However, the progression of these favors is so incredibly slow, it feels like the ultimate grind of a thousand years.
Another slight problem for me is that the (mini) boss fights are very repetitive and mindless. You just whack them endlessly until they die. There is not some strategy, some attack window or game plan (with the exception of one boss). Just hack and pray. It gets repetitive really fast.
This is one of those games that you need to keep playing for years and years to fully complete. Not necessarily because of the endless content, but rather because of the inhumane grind for levels, renown status and special items with low drop rates.
At any time, you can access the DLC's, including this one, Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods. It also blends in unique elements to the base game like different totems and items.
In Grim Dawn: Forgotten Gods, you travel through the deserts of the Erulan Empire in search for the Forgotten Gods, which better be left undisturbed. However, evil never rests and you are tasked with defeating each and every one of them, earning newly introduced Mobility Powers.
This DLC adds some new features like an expanded stash, new items, new monster totems, four new factions and a lot more.
Besides Forgotten Gods, there is Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth. It also blends in unique elements to the base game like different totems, items and mechanics.
In Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth, you continue the storyline of the original game in two new chapters. You take the fight to the Aetherials once again and your aim is to destroy a vile, ultimate creation by a very powerful necromancer.
This DLC adds a new level cap of 100, allows you to refund skill points on your mastery bar, new classes, even more stash space and many new enemies and bosses.
I have to say that the price for this DLC is a little on the high end here, but for a game like Grim Dawn, I would buy it anytime.
In the end, the overall experience was great and the collecting of resources, iron, the levelling up, unlocking the totems and skill points kept me going and wondering what would happen next. The game can be a little mindless at times, but sometimes, a simple hack and slash game is all I need to relax. I would surely recommend this game.
