Grim Dawn
Action RPG set in a dark Victorian-era world.
Grim Dawn is an action role-playing game for Windows, created by Crate Entertainment and released in February 2016. An Xbox One version followed in December 2021. Built on the Titan Quest engine, the game presents a dark, Victorian-inspired world. Critics gave it generally favorable reviews, and by February 2022, it had sold 7 million copies including its downloadable content.
The story unfolds in Cairn, where a trans-dimensional war has nearly wiped out humanity. Humans first contacted Aetherial beings from another dimension, learning to open portals and discovering that possessed humans retained enhanced abilities after the spirit left. As more Aetherials entered the world, they opened further portals and sought to use humanity for their ends. This drew the attention of the Cthonians, another race, who declared war to prevent humanity’s total domination. The conflict caused massive casualties and damaged reality itself, spawning additional horrors. Survivors now live in scattered enclaves, studying their enemies and using powers gained from exposure to the warp to prepare a counterattack.
Gameplay is fast-paced real-time combat focused on collecting loot like armor, potions, weapons, and Iron Bits. The crafting system resembles that of Warcraft III’s Defense of the Ancients mod. It builds on Titan Quest’s systems with improved physics, location-specific damage, dynamic weather, a rotatable camera, dismemberment, factions, and a redesigned quest system.
There are ten character classes: Soldier, Demolitionist, Occultist, Nightblade, Arcanist, and Shaman from the base game; Inquisitor and Necromancer from the Ashes of Malmouth expansion; Oathkeeper from The Forgotten Gods; and Berserker from Fangs of Asterkarn. Each character can combine two classes and their skills.
The game includes NPC factions, some friendly and others hostile. Players can earn favor with certain factions for quests, discounts, and special items. Some neutral factions can become allies, but aiding one may make another an enemy. Hostile factions remember deeds and send larger packs and elite heroes after the player. Some friendly factions may turn hostile based on player choices.
The Devotion system adds an extra layer of character development. Players earn devotion points by finding and restoring shrines, then spend them on bonuses and abilities from a constellation map.
Crafting le
- Developer
- Crate Entertainment
- Initial release date
- February 2016
- Platforms
- Windows, Xbox One
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Engine
- Titan Quest engine
- Sales
- 7 million units (including DLC) by February 2022
Lore & Background
Grim Dawn takes place in Cairn, where humanity has been brought to near extinction by a trans-dimensional war. The conflict began when humans contacted Aetherial entities, learned they could possess humans, and released more Aetherials into the world. This attracted the Cthonians, who declared war to destroy humanity before it could be completely dominated. The war caused enormous casualties and damaged reality, with remaining human survivors residing in scattered enclaves.
Reader's Guide
Grim Dawn is notable for its development history and community-driven funding. Following Iron Lore Entertainment's failure to secure funding, former members created Crate Entertainment in 2008. The company licensed the Titan Quest engine and announced Grim Dawn in 2010. Development was supported by fan pre-orders, donations from Gamebanshee and a Penny Arcade author, and a Kickstarter campaign that raised $537,515 against a $280,000 goal. The game entered full release on February 25, 2016, with an Xbox One version released in December 2021. By February 2022, it had sold 7 million units including DLC. The game features ten character classes, a devotion system, three difficulty levels, and multiplayer for up to four players. Its expansions include Ashes of Malmouth (2017), The Forgotten Gods (2019), and Fangs of Asterkarn (released July 23, 2026).
Did You Know?
- Grim Dawn was developed using the Titan Quest engine.
- The game had sold 7 million units (including its DLC) by February 2022.
- A Kickstarter campaign for the game raised $537,515, exceeding its $280,000 goal.
- The Xbox One version, featuring all previous DLC and expansions, was released on December 3, 2021.
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