Grim Dawn

It's still the best ARPG published to date.

Take all of the good mechanics from Titan Quest and make them better, change the setting to a post-apocalyptic Victorian steampunk, and you have the basics of Grim Dawn. The dual class system is still one of the most fulfilling mechanics in any ARPG, giving you loads of customization options--every one of them is good enough to get through the game on the toughest difficulty, although some will naturally synergize better than others.

GD is a more involved and technical ARPG than Diablo, but less so when compared to Path of Exile. If you're looking for that sweet spot of moderate complexity, without requiring a spreadsheet or calculator (those do exist for this game, if that's your jam), then this is the game for you.

And if you like mods, there are loads available. I'm currently playing through "Reign of Terror" which recreates Diablo 2 inside Grim Dawn. It's solid, and I'm dual-classing an Amazon & Necromancer to great effect (so far).

Give this small developer a few bucks and have a great time with an excellent game.

10 dollars cheaper than Last Epoch
45 dollars cheaper than Diablo 4
8 years ago released and still getting updates
3 simple cosmetics that do not cost 15 USD
2 pretty good expansions
1 character that can multiclass however the hell you want to play
This game is actually the goated ARPG they don't want you to know about. Get lost in it and just have fun.

I play this game because I'm too old for Torchlight, too stupid for Path of Exile, and too much of an armchair activist to buy Diablo.
Luckily, it's quite good.

I press keys on my keyboard
things happen on the screen
the enemies die, the numbers go up, the serotonin in my brain goes up
It's a very fun ARPG that doesn't require you to be good at making meta builds or build planning to succeed. You can also respec at any point which is always nice.
If Path of Exile is too much for you but you like the concept, you might give this one a try.

Possibly the best ARPG ever made (and I've tried a lot of them). I love Path of Exile (4000hrs) and Diablo II (~3000hrs), Grim Dawn fits nicely in-between in terms of complexity, depth and pace. I now use this as a filler between PoE seasons/burnout.
It actually has a story (still no idea about the law of PoE, apart from never trust a woman who smells of fish... probably a valuable life lesson there somewhere) and meaningful quests/decisions. The thing that stood out for me is it puts the RPG in ARPG, as well as great itemisation, very novel ability & skill systems, good crafting & a faction system. It is easy to pick up but far deeper than you think when you first start playing.
I'm willing to fight you if you disagree although I can't see without my glasses on and I have Meniere's disease, so I may fall over, but I think it's worth the risk.
I strongly recommend picking up the definitive edition as the DLCs are great as well.

This is my comfort game. When I don't know what to play, this is the game I'll boot up.

I got it back during the pandemic when I was having wifi latency issues with online games. The game being offline and pauseable (in single player) was the initial selling point- I couldn't play PoE or D3 at the time, and I really needed to scratch the ARPG itch. That said, I still really love the pause feature, it's great to walk away for however long ya need and pick it back up later.

Grim Dawn ended up becoming my favorite game. I'm kinda old now and maybe that's also part of the appeal of Grim Dawn for me- it definitely has a bit of an oldschool feel to it, mostly because it's running an updated version of the Titan Quest (1) engine. That being said, there are plenty of mods available that work well (textures, lighting, etc) for a more updated feel.

Either way, the game is going to feel a bit dated, but in a good way that nothing else quite hits, in my opinion.

The build variety is varied and interesting- there's always something new to try. There are tons of secret areas (and some hidden quests), the lore notes you find are sometimes really interesting and brutal, exploration is definitely rewarded in this game, which is something that sets it apart from others like PoE and Last Epoch.

I could go on way too long about how much I love this game. I'm currently trying to get lvl 100 hardcore achievement, which has been its own journey in itself lol. I've played D3, PoE, Torchlight 2, Chronicon, Last Epoch (since early access), Victor Vran, some D2.... Grim Dawn's still my favorite.

Oh, and there's been a massive update recently, and a new Expansion on the way. The devs are great, game is great.

TL;DR Get this game if you love arpgs

This is my opinion after 1,500+ playtime (I'm not a game journalist or game expert).
I find the game interesting, the plot is not very rich, but it is entertaining.
Thanks to the wide variety of classes, this game has a lot of replayability.
All levels of difficulty are a good challenge for those who have experience with the class system.
Some enemies may seem repetitive, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous.
Bosses on high difficulties offer a good challenge.
The graphics are good and maintain a retro and dark style, very suitable for the game.
The game is fluid and the controls are very responsive.
I recommend the game because:
-The developers continue to update it (You can see the love that the developers have for the game and its community).
-There is an active and friendly community.
-It is a well optimized game.
-The DLCs offer to expand the lore of the game and give you dozens of hours of exploration, maps, loot and new enemies, and they are not just cosmetics or 1 map.
Overall, I think it is excellent and because of the number of classes and their combinations, as well as the game updates, you will spend hours trying out new skills and characters.