METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
Game
Game2016
Grim Dawn
Developer Crate Entertainment
Grim Dawn is an action role-playing game for Windows developed by Crate Entertainment and published in February 2016. A version for Xbox One was released in December 2021. Developed using the Titan Quest engine, it is set in a thematically dark fictional world loosely based on the Victorian era. It received generally favorable reviews from critics and had sold 7 million units (including its DLC) by February 2022. From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
389 reactions from 2 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky) · newest Oct 7, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
85
LovedLoved
220 positive · 38 negative
95% range 80–89%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 220 | 38 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
131 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
102,904 of 110,146 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Summary pending — the reactions are listed below.
Reactions
60 of 389 · most liked firstDiablo 4 is like fast food: it’s expensive, looks great in commercials, but leaves you feeling empty an hour later. Grim Dawn is a home-cooked steak made with love. It’s heartier, cheaper, and tastes much better. One is a product, the other is a masterpiece. 🥩🌚
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim dawn is a dark fantasy ARPG that has so many good things about it, it would be easier to list the things it doesn't have such as: No always online No cash shop/premium currency No real-money auction house No third-party accounts No in game adds No overpriced dlc No loot boxes No pay-to-win No seasonal resets No separating online/offline characters No lame unskippable dialogue or cutscenes No condescending devs telling you what you do and don't want I could go on but I'd rather get back…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kinda forgot games could be like this...Simple single player game with a ton of content and 0 microtransactions. Based devs.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The devs got a stiffy for PoE2 and Elden Ring, and turned the game into dodgeslop. You get oneshot by stuff even as a fully tankspecced soldier with overcapped resistances and maxed out Menhirs Bulwark and all kinds of buffs and failsafe passives. F**k right off, this isn't fun anymore.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I been playing Diablo for like 10 years. I loved 2 and 3. I loved 4. I still play 4. I got into POE2 a while ago but I find the gamble like crafting system to be a bit much. I decided to give Grim Dawn a try because I see the love this game gets online. 25 hours in. What the hell have I been missing this game is awesome. I love the old graphics. I love the pacing. I love the build variety. I love the dual class system. The game throws wonderful loot at you early. I’m only level 38 and…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Personally, I don't really enjoy this game. I find it kind of boring and slow. That said, reviews shouldn't be about what you like, but rather are they good examples of what they're trying to be. And for that, I think Grim Dawn executed well. Just not for me.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So remember back in middle/school high school, playing diablo 2 and its expansion which you installed off cds, maybe you had the diablo "battlechest" along with the starcraft and warcraft "battlechest" to go along with it. Those printed "premium" manuals filled with lore and backstories, those cd cases with one time use keys. Remember how simple things were and when you fired that game on up and could actually relax? Well I cant promise you this game will be able to fix your adult problems…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →3.6k hours into the game, but sadly the newest patch has gone down the lazy route of making dodge/roll mechanics a core gameplay feature. There are an incredible number of one-shot mechanics from poorly tuned bosses, and it feels like playtesting was done by the 0.01% of sweatlords using ultra-specific builds and gearing. There are definitely some good changes, but fundamentally the core game design no longer feels like the Grim Dawn we knew and loved. Instead of building on what made the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Played this for the first time in Janurary 2026 after several hundred hours EACH on d4, d2, POE2, Last epoch... and Dungeon Siege 1 & 2 back in the day. I was hesitant because it's a 10 year old game, and the low res UI makes the text hard to read on a ultrawide... Long story short, the nerds on reddit who frequent /r/ARPG are right. Grim Dawn is the best. Hands down. Super satisfying combat, very interesting itemization/customization... all the elements that make a diablo-style ARPG....…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I always loved GD, but apparently did not yet post a review. Well good, since the new DLC got issues that change how the game was played by me and others. Namely they added even more one shot mechanics, sunder and related abilities that are designed with that in mind. While I love playing soulslike, this was not one of them. I want my old school ARPG back and those BS deleted from the game. That the devs respond with git gud posts to some concerns does suprisingly not make it better.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I like it but it's a hard sell. Planning a build is complex for the sake of it. The devotion UI is a barrier, components are a barrier, augments are a barrier. You need a third party database to learn what build-defining items exist. Third party sites also help to learn which skills work together. It's not depth, just obscure knowledge. End game is the usual random farming but the shared stash is tiny, so you need a third party app or you will lose most items. You need to max out a ridiculous…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you had asked me a week ago, I would have told you that Grim Dawn was THE game to get. One of my favorites of all time. The latest DLC changed this gem of a game into a POE2-esque soulslike where you will get oneshot unless you use a poorly made dodge mechanic at the exact right time. This game is now solely for the hardcore grinders and meta builders. If you're a newcomer and/or casual player, this game is no longer the welcoming step into ARPG's it once was. On top of that, the dev's…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Love the game but the devs man... These guys this past week since the launch of Fangs of Asterkarn just shown themselves to be snarky, smug losers unable to take criticism of the new update. You have people raising big concerns over the new difficulty of the game like bosses being out of control with MASSIVE Health Pools and even more MASSIVE damage output. And the devs just act like smug ♥♥♥♥♥ in those threads. Every damned time. They have their "Yes Men" in the threads gobbling it up like the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Recent update has sapped some of the fun with the game. The health pool on bosses do not respect your time. The game in general does not respect your time. You lose exp on dying. The maps themselves don't respect your time as they have countless dead ends and piles of rubble that make you walk a big circle around the level. It makes backtracking a chore and completely uncovering the maps a long process. I understand that is a fundamental part of the game and I can deal with running around the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I don't give a fuq about the story. But this game turned me into a gamer again—to the point where I was late for work because of a lack of sleep, lol.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I keep waiting for a better ARPG to come along. You'd think it wouldn't be that hard. Was looking at the D4 expansion today, and was completely unenthused. Last Epoch is okay. Ditto PoE1&2. For those last three, there is "So much customization!" but most of it is meaningless. The only things against this one are that it's indie, and 10 years old. But it's good, and it's got an expansion coming out next year. Robust, but not over complicated. Lots of options without any of the built-in time…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →The enemy level scaling killed this game for me after a certain patch/update. Playing on normal mode barely half way through a campaign, and enemies constantly spawning 3-10 levels above me, with plenty of 1-shots to go around, is extremely frustrating. Yes I'm a more casual player, and I've tried to read around about reversions or mods to revert it, and they're unfortunately not available if you want to be able to experience all the game has to offer in current version. I've noticed a…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim Dawn is often spoken of as though it were merely a distant echo of Diablo, born in its shadow and destined never to escape it. Yet this is a misconception. Yes, its lineage is impossible to deny — the isometric perspective, the relentless combat, the endless hunt for loot, the dank caverns and infernal beasts — all these remind one of Blizzard’s legacy. But here the similarity ends. Grim Dawn is not a tale of a world fighting against damnation. It is a tale set long after damnation has…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim Dawn is my personal favourite ARPG. It has more depth than Diablo without too much of the complexity that comes with Path of Exile. The game has vast amounts of replayability with near infinite builds and class combinations, it has no microtransactions or demanding live service slop and its still being updated and supported with a new expansion on the way. Jump in, grind, level up, farm gear and come back to it when you are ready and pick up where you left off. Fantastic value ARPG…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Beyond the Firelight Grim Dawn is one of those games that makes me feel like I have only just begun to scratch the surface. Cairn is broken, corrupted and full of things that want me dead, yet somehow I never feel tired of walking through it. Every road seems to hide something: a forgotten note, a strange ruin, a creature I have never seen before, or another piece of a world that existed long before I arrived... I love the feeling of leaving the safety of a settlement and stepping back into…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A better Diablo-style game than Diablo, and avoids the scummy corporatization of the bigger companies. Still getting updates 10 years later. Only downside is that its age is definitely starting to show.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim Dawn is real good, real big. It's got the colors like the garden after the rain, but darker, like the soil underneath. I play it on the computer and the monsters go pop and crunch just like the beetles in the grass. It’s got the Dual Classes. That’s like having two shovels instead of one! You pick a soldier man and then maybe a magic man, and you put them together like grafting a rose to a rootstock. It makes the character real strong, real fast. I like the clicking. Click, click, click.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is probably the best ARPG out there, maybe even the best one ever made. Pros: (lots of pros): Graphics are optimal and efficient without looking dated. There is no loading of shaders or anything redundant like that. The mood is darn near perfect for the setting. Its a little desolate and sometimes creepy. The music fits completely, although after countless hours in game, I'll sometimes just turn off the sound and listen to something else while I grind. That is simply due to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →So far, this is my favorite game on Steam, but keep in mind that I am an ARPG newbie. TL;DR This game has no drawback except that I feel like a criminal for buying the complete edition for only $50. This is seemingly thousands of hours of QUALITY exciting gameplay and I didn't even want to review it yet because 70 hours still wasn't enough for me to see everything... With a single character... On a single difficulty. NUTS! Even the story and environments get interesting. First, if you're…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best ARPGs I've ever played. The atmosphere is fantastic, each class feels different and the build variety is endless. I also love the devotion/constellation system. I think the biggest draw here is this game respects your time- no FOMO shop skins, no seasons (unless you want to participate in community ones), and you can play the game FULLY OFFLINE. That's right....in current year a developer made a game that doesn't need an internet connection. It's a classic that you can take a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing quite a bit of ARPG lately. Path of Exile II, Diablo 4, Last Epoch, Titan Quest II... and now I came back to the classic. Grim Dawn is heads and shoulders above the rest. Only TQ II gets even close. The graphics are becoming quite dated, but a texture mod helps with that quite a bit. The gameplay is solid. Builds are meaningful. The atmosphere is gloriously dark and fighting visceral. Everything feels meaningful and crafted, not generated by an algorithm to make it…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Just have to throw this out there, that one of my fav games ever and the best ARPG out there Grim Dawn is just 2.49 right now. The only game I ever did a 100%. Have to support these guys. store.steampowered.com/app/219990/G...
unlabelledView post →Why haven't I reviewed this game before? You don't need to know much. This is one of the best ARPGs ever made. If you're buying in 2026 or beyond, the graphics and UI will feel quite dated - but push past that to experience one of the richest game worlds, chock full of interesting lore and characters and an ASTOUNDING amount of build variety. No online BS, no live service, no battle pass, no seasons - just an endlessly replayable world to experience with a plethora of different characters.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →After 1150 hours, I can confidently say that Grim Dawn has earned its place among the great action RPGs. I am currently playing an Elementalist (Shaman/Demolitionist), and I am still discovering new synergies. It is the kind of buildcraft that respects your time: complex enough to reward theorycrafting, yet flexible enough that you can respec when inspiration strikes. The dual-class system remains the standout feature. With dozens of mastery combinations available, each character feels…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Straightforward ARPG. No microtransactions, still active even tho its an old game. Its legendary. Plus its cheap.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Do I recommend this game? Yes. But with a HUGE caveat for anyone wanting to play on controller. It SUCKS! I wish they could make it work as fluid as Diablo does. Also I'm playing on a big screen TV and the words and icons are SO small. Please fix this. The game has been out for so long, there is no excuse to have these issues. As far as gameplay goes overall, SO solid and so much fun! I just prefer controller sometimes and this NOT intuitive for controllers.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Had this game forever and always come back to it. One of the greatest aarpg for your money
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim Dawn is a game of sharp contrasts. It wraps top‑tier ARPG depth in an outdated engine. If you love theorycrafting and the thrill of loot drops, and can overlook its aged visuals and weak narrative, it may well become your personal masterpiece. But if you prioritize graphics, story immersion, and a gentle learning curve, it will likely frustrate you.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Used to really enjoy this game, but the last DLC appears to have been vibe coded without proper balancing or effort. For example, the final boss currently has a bug where invisible lightning bolts one-shot any character regardless of build, and it has not been fixed for a couple of weeks. Grim Dawn plays completely differently from how it used to, with frequent one-shot deaths while playing as a tank (due to developer bugs rather than build or skill issues). It appears to have been morphed…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →10+ years of support single player game without mictotransactions and subscription.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm going to gush for a while so bare with me. I came to Grim Dawn after hearing it was the spiritual successor to Titan Quest, one of my favourite old-school ARPGs. I’ve poured a ridiculous number of hours into this game and don’t regret a second. Everything about it is superb. The post-apocalyptic/invasion/cataclysm setting — full of magic, guns, and bombs — stands apart from other fantasy ARPGs, allowing for fascinating conversations with NPCs and enemies about how humanity might survive a…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I really love this game, in fact it's easily one of my favourite (if not THE favourite) ARPGs. The new mastery is fun and the overall quality of the content is high. Rich lore, tasteful music, amazing art. But IMHO there are some weird balance decisions... The game currently almost feels like a "souls-like", which is also a genre I very much enjoy, but I believe it to be dissonant with what this game used to be. In fact since this game is built with an ancient engine, it feels wrong having…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Mid-year resolution. Instead of letting my executive dysfunction make me lose entire days' worth of time, whenever I catch myself doomscrolling, I will immediately open up Grim Dawn or Diablo 4 or Path of Exile 2 and play a game I enjoy instead of sitting there feeling shitty.
unlabelledView post →The REAL sequel to Diablo II. Constant updates, and new expansions years after release. This is peak ARPG gaming.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have returned to this game every time a new expansion got released to have some fun, kill some mobs, get some loot, happy me. This time however the fun is mediocre at best. The game now feels it shifted towards long time players who grinded out all the gear. This wouldn't be much of a problem if it was only on higher difficulty levels but it's also apparent in normal difficulty, the one were you start your journey when you're a new player. The bosses nowadays either wreck you because you…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →DLC Update: I wrote this review before the release of the final DLC (FoA). The DLC expanded on the campaign with new quests and beautiful new world areas, a modifiable endgame difficulty and further gear progression with new materials. The DLC is absolutely worth it and is a contender for the best GD expansion yet. Most of the review is still up to date, but keep the above in mind. --- I've been putting off writing a review for Grim Dawn until I put at least 500 hours into the game, but I…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I’ve played Grim Dawn for years now. Still playing. No micro transaction, no ads and very stable. I play on linux (Fedora 44 currently). Game runs well, lots of fun, single player is my primary but the online community is still going strong. I play the content I’ve paid for with no rug pulls. Gameplay over graphics, have fun!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I can't believe I didn't know about this treasure until now. What a wonderful game! Much more fun than Diablo IV and for a far better price. It feels a little like a successor to Diablo II. Don't let the age and the graphics hold you back. The game runs beautifully on Windows 11 and the graphics are still colorful, intense and convey the appropriate mood. Highly recommended.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fun game. Glad it doesnt require an internet connection.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Listen up, loot goblins and theory-crafters. If you’ve been wandering the ARPG wasteland muttering about how modern isometric RPGs just don't scratch that old-school itch, it’s time to stop screaming into the void. Enter Grim Dawn, an action RPG that started as a humble Kickstarter dream and evolved into an absolute monolith of a time-sink. At first glance, dropping into the grungy town of Devil’s Crossing with a rusty butter knife and a plank of wood feels like standard genre fare. But then…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →base game is insane value for 5$ and anyone crying about bosses being hard is just poo at videogames sick arpg
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like isometric action RPGs (Diablo clones), apparently Grim Dawn is on sale through the weekend and I can’t recommend it enough. The base game is currently $3.74 on steam, and the definitive edition bundle with all DLC (each of them are big) is $21 If you get it, HMU and I’ll play with you
unlabelledView post →After the controversial and ultimately disappointing release of Diablo 3 back in the now distant 2012, there was a vacuum that needed to be filled by a good hack and slash/dungeon-crawler action-RPG. Aka a clicky-clicky. In the following years a number of candidates staked their claim on Diablo's orphaned throne. Only a few would have the staying power of Grim Dawn. A good 10 years after its release I found myself revisiting its post-apocalyptic victorianesque world and a fairly thorough…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Figured I should drop a review after a thousand hours. This is one of the best ARPGs I've ever played. Really enjoy the build diversity this game has to offer, and the excitement of finding an item that makes you want to immediately roll another character just to try it out. Grim Dawn is incredible. Thank you, Crate.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →This is simply one of the best games I have ever played. Enjoyable story, great game mechanics, skill trees are amazing, in general it's fun to play and experiment with different builds. ARPG done extremely right, 9/10.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I'm playing Grim Dawn again and I forgot this game has wasp nests the size of a small hill. Uuuuugh.
unlabelledView post →The old guard that refuses to die. Recommended Grim Dawn is arguably the best "traditional" ARPG on the market, especially if you’re tired of the "live-service" treadmill. It’s a deep, gritty, and rewarding experience that respects your time. However, there’s no getting around it: the engine is showing its age, and the game’s "old-school" soul comes with a fair amount of clunk. The Great: Dual-Class System: Combining two masteries to create a "Death Knight" or "Pyran" offers build variety…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A Must-Own for ARPG Veterans: The True Successor to Classic Diablo I absolutely adore Grim Dawn. As a longtime fan who has played through Diablo I, II, III, and IV, this game has firmly established itself as my go-to "alt game"—and often, my main game. The setting is brilliantly grim and dark, successfully capturing the desolate, apocalyptic atmosphere that modern ARPGs often miss. Beyond the aesthetic, what makes Grim Dawn shine is its straightforward yet profoundly deep build system.…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Why do you always nerf powerful builds? You're not even a competitive game, yet you keep weakening new strong builds whenever players discover them. This has had an extremely negative impact on my gaming experience.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →One of the best ARPGs out there, dark mood, great loot, and deep character builds. Fantastic for long-term progression.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Grim Dawn is a Dark-Fantasy ARPG originally crafted in 2016 by a studio of less than 10 developers. Having played a decent amount of ARPGs before like Path of Exile, Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing, Torchlight or Diablo 4, i will say that Grim Dawn gave me the most amount of enjoyment for the time invested. I got the base game on heavy discount but later bought all expansions full price to experience the game to it's full extend. Classes: There is no fancy character creator, you basically…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Still the best ARPG on the market, especially if you are allergic to seasons and all the FOMO mechanic that usually comes with it. It's a perfect blend of deep enough build mechanics, fun itemization, good gameplay and lore. It sits at the right point between the depth of D2 for the search of the perfect loot (while being not as absurd) and the build depth of POE (while being much more accessible), while still respecting your time. Be wary though, the pace is similar to D2 early game, and will…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Fantastic, especially because it has offline functionality. Most games nowadays can't be preserved anymore if severs shut down. This for me is a huge +
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →If you like Titan Quest, Grim Dawn is very reminiscent of that game. But here it is a more of a dark gothic setting. It is also made by essentially the same devs so you'll definitely see that Titan Quest DNA. A must play for ARPG fans!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Hey. If youre in the market for an ARPG... go check out Grim Dawn. The final expansion dropped. It is the game every other ARPG wishes it was. Yes. That includes POE and Diablo.
unlabelledView post →
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