Grim Dawn

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.

This is my comfort game. I don’t think I’ve ever written a review on here for any game before, but felt compelled to write one for this game. I’ve been going back to it every year or so since 2016 and it never feels old or worn out. My absolute kudos to the devs for creating something truly special.
The atmosphere is just right, like a perfect middle point between Diablo 2 and more modern titles. The combat is always engaging and feels so satisfying, with tremendous ragdoll physics. The itemisation is likewise deep and interesting, with the item hunt always providing a satisfying reason to continue.
Builds are endless and fun to theory craft with. Every new character feels fresh. I have almost 900 hours in this game and I only have 5 characters, so the replayability is sensational.
The world is full of secrets and lore to discover. There is a hidden path or dungeon in so many corners of this world. The lore is deep for those that like that sort of thing.
Graphics are from an older engine but still look excellent, arguably better than a lot of modern games. Sound effects are so satisfying, even hundreds of hours in. I can listen to the soundtrack on loop.
No game is perfect, and this game is no different. There is a certain lack of randomised content that might put off some players from replaying this over and over, but not me personally.
I personally prefer to play solo but there is a bustling and friendly community for those that want to team up or trade items.
I’m not a videogame critic by any means, just a 38 year old oldschool gamer, and I just wanted to relay a little about what makes this game so special to me. My absolute compliments to the developers.

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.

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.

8+ years old and with the 2 expansions (and a third in development) Grim Dawn is the definitive solo arpg experience packed to the brim with content and many diverse and unique functional systems. If you start on Normal difficulty, once you get comfortable you'll find the game way more interesting and challenging if you check the Veteran checkbox. Very consuming and once completed you'll be hard pressed not to start another game with another class or on a higher difficulty. Extensive replay-ability.

Great ARPG with the most free choice in skill tree combinations I have seen, combine trees and you can build pretty much whatever you want. Lots of unique items to specialise things even further. No seasonal slop, no "always online" garbage. There is so much build potential I keep coming back again and again. There's even secret stuff for you to find.

My only gripe is after playing so many hours, I wish I had a little more bank space to store things.

Looking forward to the coming Asterkarn expansion.

Hand crafted maps that stay filled in that are *meant* for exploring.
Day/night Cycle with weather
Verticality and height when exploring.
Camera rotation
Combo and multiclass for tons of different options when creating character.
Factions with reputation, enemies that attack each other and not just 'sit' there
Legitimate enviornmental story telling
Fairly heavy actual 'RPG' elements in both quests and stats
Honestly, none of this sounds out of the ordinary and many arpgs have some, but I'm not sure any have them all in one package.
Personally feels and looks a bit like a mash up of Diablo and Divinity Original Sin series mixed into an arpg where the map, story and 'exploration' isn't just there to get you from one point to another so you can rush to endgame.
My biggest issue/complaint so far is there are just so many damage options for you to worry about on both defense and offense that its a bit overwhelming and convoluted (at best). Over time this is getting better, but man like 12 something damage types to wonder about when picking up gear and fighting enemies might just be a bit too much lol.
So far, it all adds up to some of the most fun I've had since Diablo 2/D2 Remastered and if you like more traditional RPGs, this leans on that side MUCH more than any arpg I can remember playing maybe ever.
Lastly, as a Necromancer/pet/summon player in almost all of these games, this is one of the most fun versions I've had since Diablo 2 and the pets actually hold their own in this one, making summon builds feel better than about 99% of any arpg out there now that tries them.