Grim Dawn

Its not better or worse than Diablo. Its just equalin its own way.

Grim Dawn looks and sounds phenomenal, the player has many options to choose from, keys are rebindable, you can configure/tweak the graphics as you want, there is also UI and text scaling. Choose/download other language in game from the menu. The game can be played with the standard PC configuration, aka mouse + keyboard combination (for fast commands), controller also works etc. Many quest, you can find diffenent books, hidden informations in boxes, etc. If you like to collect stuff, this is the game for you. Also, the hardware requirements are fairly low for today (I played the game on 1440P with an Quadro T600 4 GB GPU, Intelo Core i5 12600, 32 GB RAM and Corsair NVMe SSD and the game worked flawlessly on mostly max settings between 50-60 fps). Because of that, it is definitely a 5-star game. So every ingredient is there, to be an excellent gaming experience. And that is true, for some player it will be. But not for me. I totally forgot, that these type of Action RPG games will respawn the enemies every time one starts a gameplay. Of course this is necessary because of grinding and stats, after all you character has "to grow". Also, you cannot save anywhere you want, but it will start back from the position/section, where ever there is a key figure or a portal. Because of that, if you want to end an section, you need to concentrate and play the section for as long as it takes to finish it, because if you don't, after the next restart everything begins almost from the beginning. For different reasons I cannot play more than 15-20 Minutes in one sitting and since you cannot save the game, well... I had to ask for a refund. But others may be luckier and enjoy the game as it is.

Forget Diablo 1,2,3 (yes also 2!), Torchlight 1 & 2, Path of Exile, GRIM DAWN beats them all. It might not be the best looking of the bunch, but it certainly has the best atmosphere and world design and thus playability. Hack & Slash games have a problem: they get boring fast. Monotonous gameplay is the main culprit here, and this problem only mildly applies to GRIM DAWN: the world is varied and interconnected - one big open world map, seemless like Dungeon Siege - and hand-crafted. I've never been a fan of the randomized maps, with long mazes that don't make any sense but simply attempt to add replayability. Sure, the map of GRIM DAWN remains the same for each playthrough, except some special random dungeons that offer the Diablo-like experience (they are not optional), and some events/optional dungeon entrances are randomized. But since the world is HUGE and truly comes close to a true open world, there is plenty to explore here. I love the dark fantasy/post-apocalypse setting - it's even got GUNS! 19th century guns. The classes are not your stereotypical run-of-the-mill warrior/cleric/mage types, but a little more exotic, plus you get to combine two classes to create a unique dual-class with skills from each class. The skill system is a lot more complex than that of Diablo 1,2 and 3 but it's not overkill like in Path of Exile. I'd say they nailed it, perfectly balanced between complex and simple, just right. I found the loot interesting and every class can use any weapon, the class restrictions of Diablo don't exist here, which is a plus. My occultist/necromancer can use rifles or Claymores or stick to a pistol and a grimoire. Enemy variety is far better than in the other games of this type, ranging from undead to aetherials, specters, bandits, goblins and other monstrosities, there are tons of monsters, excellent! Regions are varied and fit together: you don't get a desert next to a rainforest. DLCs are superb too. GRIM DAWN is a must own!

It's a very good aRPG that doesn't deviate from the standard formula too much yet it's streamlined and modernised to the point it's very enjoyable to play it. The systems are pretty awesome, mechanics are well thought out, comboing diversed classes and items is a great fun and a nice challenge too, ease of play and enjoyment from it seems to be the developers top priorities all along. Story is nice, though not great. Graphics look pretty "classical", but lighting effects, good animations and sound adds up to make you feel this is a modern game. And difficulty is where it should be: normal is pretty casual and you can finish it even without fully understanding the systems behind the game, so if you're in just for fun, you'll probably stop there. Elite is my least favorite difficulty level, seemed pretty repetitive for me. And Ultimate... oh boy, now we're talking! On the weaker side, the barrier of entry is pretty high, with plenty of choices among classes, skills, devotions and item skills. There is really no tutorial or anything that would explain how the systems work, and if you want to understand it, you're forced to surf online. Game is a bit repetitive from time to time, and especialy a second playthrough (elite) seems like a little bit of a slog, yet it's necessary step of you want to go ultimate. Quests are not always well explained, especially when directing you where to go next. Keep in mind I'm not a huge aRPG fan, but I still rate it an 8/10. It is a lot of fun when not being repetitive, and of you want to only play it casually, you're not even going to have this problem.

The 1.2 patch completely changed Grim Dawn, a longtime favorite game, from being an amazing, stellar, game to something that I can't even find the drive to open. The genres have completely changed in this patch. The patch added some crazy precise "dodge a boss's ultra-skill or die" mechanic. The game is now all about your precision reflexes instead of your build. The game's no longer fun and enjoyable to play but leaves you exhausted and irritated. The game's still great outside of bosses. But you can't play the game without doing the now-terrible boss fights. And the developer has doubled down on this, how they want the game to be all about action and player "twitch" skills now.