Overall really great game. Review is based on my first play through on veteran mode. The graphics are dark and very nicely done and the 2.5D isometric view works well for this sort of game. The plot is pretty standard fare at this point, but at least they put some thought into it so that the lore is actually fun to read. The world is huge. The areas you get to visit are pretty well varied. Itemization feels fine - not too complex, not too simple, with items that feel good to use. When it starts off this well I guess I hold it to a higher level because the more I play the more I'd like Grim Dawn to be just a bit better. I wish there were some more memorable characters. Look at the original Diablo. Ulgrim is interesting, but he's no Deckard Cain. A couple of interface issues just don't feel good. Pathfinding is obnoxious especially when small corridors and stairs are involved. Finally, a couple of points I'm not sure about yet. Gear doesn't come easily. I started the game with Stupid_Dragon's DK build because it has a nice leveling secton that assumes you're starting from scratch. Good drops are very, very few and far between. Keeping your gear relevant to your level is tough. Second and last point here, the game is tough. You can't beat the game naked with a broken wooden sword. If your bulid isn't optimized and your gear isn't up to date you'll die a lot and it'll be frustrating. Even following a pretty good build with reasonably up to date gear there are many encounters that are just frustratingly unfair. I'm not sure on these last two points whether this is good or bad because on the one hand it's nice to have an end game that remains challenging. On the other hand you have to get to the end game first. TLDR: Not perfect, but pretty awesome. Worth checking out for action RPG fans. Maybe not the ideal first action RPG.
