The new year is here, and so is my first review of the year! I’ve been spending time lately enjoying Grim Dawn Definitive Edition over on Xbox One! This was definitely a step out of my normal comfort zone with gaming, but I have to admit, I was very pleasantly surprised. Crate Entertainment have really impressed me here.
What is Grim Dawn?
Grim Dawn is an action RPG set in an apocalyptic fantasy world where humanity is on the brink of extinction. Trust is hard to come by, and iron is more valuable than gold.
Develop complex characters and gather hundreds of exotic unique items. Make difficult decisions that affect the characters you meet with permanent consequences. Explore a vast world filled with countless foes and massive dungeons. Ally yourself with numerous factions or even become the bane of your enemies to face off against their most powerful agents.
The Grim Dawn Definitive Edition includes:
- Grim Dawn
- Ashes of Malmouth
- Forgotten Gods
- Crucible
A New Dawn on Xbox?
From the moment I booted up Grim Dawn Definitive Edition, I was reminded of Elder Scrolls Online. I could compare it to a lot of games, honestly. However, ESO is the one that resonated with me the most. The mini-map and bottom bar reminded me so much of my old adventures. So this one definitely struck a chord with me.
Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from the graphics standpoint. I never do for top-down ARPGs. But again, I was pleasantly surprised. The world of Grim Dawn is very lovingly crafted, and it really shows. The world itself is full of character and intrigue, and it looks great. World music and sound effects are also very well implemented. It all meshes together well.
However, most of the creature design is nothing really new or exciting. Although still fun to play against, it is missing that slight wow factor. I did enjoy the aether boosted creatures though, they definitely added an extra level of challenge. That said though, this is me we’re talking about. Most games are a challenge for me.
The issue I did have was learning how to swap between weapons and finding my inventory. I’m really not sure why I struggled so much with something so menial, but I had no clue where anything was. I ran through the first section of the game picking up loot and not knowing where it was. And also with the base sword, even though I picked up other weapons. This was more an issue with the Xbox port as opposed to the game overall, though.
There are other weapons and magic, my preferred style is just to go full hack and slash.
Grim thoughts?
Honestly, I enjoyed Grim Dawn Definitive Edition more than I expected. It’s got a really solid blend of story and stabby to keep me interested! Not going to lie, I found it to be oddly relaxing in parts, just hacking through enemies. There’s also a ton of different builds to try out, so there’s definitely something for all kinds of players in here.
This is definitely the kind of game that you could easily sink hours into. I get super addicted to hack and slash questing, so I very much had to pace myself with this. We won’t talk about how many hours I’ve lost to this kind of thing before, and Grim Dawn is definitely well set up to take over my gaming life.
Overall, this is a really fun, intriguing game with a great world and solid mechanics. Delighted to be starting the year with a game I can happily recommend! It is on the pricier side of things but is very worth it for everything included.
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