At this point I am 95 hrs in and have finished the main story, AoM and about to finish Forgotten Gods. Coming at reviewing the game having not extensively played any other similar top down ARPG, my perspective will not focus on comparing, but rather reviewing the game itself as a standalone.

Definite pluses are the character details and comprehensive (dual) class and skill set system. The regions are static (not procedurally generated) which gives the benefit of rewarding the player who takes note of the maps while traversing. The downside could be that the environments aren't fresh on a replay. However, this allows the focus to be on not finding areas, but instead on *how* enemies are battled. And in this aspect, the variation of character construction, weapons, armor and attacks are nearly endless. There are various excellent Grim Dawn websites and tools that also help to explain aspects of the game including how damage is done, the class system, devotions and much more for those who want to gain extra insight.

The story is decent but does get a bit lost at times as there is a lot of reading required to fully grasp the plot and requires the player to make an effort to delve into the details, else making the narrative an afterthought. This isn't necessarily a negative as it does allow the player to focus on the melee and exploration without much of an interruption. I do wonder how the game would present if there were more story line cinematics to guide one through. One enhancement could be adding brief skippable cut scenes leading into boss fights that help to explain the story and display close up views of the grotesque nature of the bosses. These short clips paired with sinister music could add to the tension of these battles.

The one comparison I can make to other similar games that don't require extensive gameplay is graphics. Grim Dawn seems to focus on more realistic environments and they can be viewed in more detail when zooming in on the character. There are some truly heinous and dark areas that are quite gruesome when drawn in close. It appears many other recent aRPGs have a more cartoonish focus. This is more of an opinion, but I prefer Grim Dawn's aesthetic.

Importantly, I cannot omit comments about the developer. In a time when mistrust seems high for some major developers, the Grim Dawn crew are setting an exemplary example of how to appeal to their player base. This ranges from updates to the game, added expansions and even a humorous April Fool's joke masqueraded as a developer update. This is a team that appears to pay attention to their player base and enjoy the experience of making the game and providing entertainment. It was for this reason specifically that I had no hesitation in purchasing the Forgotten Gods expansion shortly after it came out and also AoM without waiting for a sale.

Overall, I would highly recommend Grim Dawn for anyone who tends to like aRPGs or even anyone who would enjoy a top down combat experience with extensive classes and skill trees. And if you've never tried a game remotely like this, but are a bit intrigued, it's definitely worth a look.