Honestly most of the gameplay elements and things have already been discussed in other reviews. Let me make a quick summary of my own experience and you can see if it will relate to you. I've played a lot of SHMUP. This one is unbelievably easy, with a storyline that interrupts gameplay and has sections not strictly based on shooting enemies and bullet patterns. I'm aware there is arcade mode. I'm just saying I was expecting a lot and was very disappointed, especially after seeing how Raiden V incorporated a "story" without disrupting game flow. Don't get me wrong, Raiden V story is hardly a story, especially compared to this. I'm just pointing out that you can have gameplay and story at the same time. Yes, the story is more mature, but I honestly found not only the story but some of the characters more than a little distasteful. Time mechanic is interesting but ultimately not well utilized. Again, the game is very simplified and feels slow compared to other contemporary games. Music is awful. Look, I know some people won't notice/care, but for this genre and game style the soundtrack is usually a highlight. So- couple boring gameplay with boring music and you have... a boring game. Ultimately the game and environments are beautiful, it certainly has the most in-depth story you'll ever find in this type of game, and it does have unique mechanics. For me the parts didn't add up, and I was really disappointed. Very glad I didn't pay full price.
To put it bluntly, take Titan Quest, add everything awesome about Diablo 2, then add the speed of Torchlight 2/Path of Exile, plus the crazy customization and builds of PoE, and create Grim Dawn, which makes Diablo 3 look like dog doo doo. Seriously, this is possibly the most well put together and expansive Action RPG ever created. I find it incredibly difficult to find anything negative, aside from some poor voice acting. But hey, I'll take poor voice acting over poor gameplay any day. And seriously, no gender locked characters, the way EVERY game should be. Check out my video review if you're on the fence, but believe me if you are an action rpg fan, this game is well worth the full price. https://youtu.be/lihSGnWTbU0 Nothing short of fantastic.
