Grim Dawn
The story of the Diablo-like ARPG is the same every time. A group of people—be it the actual creators of the original Diablo or others inspired by them—get fed up by the lack of examples of the genre, so they made one of their own.
So it was in 2009, when many disbanded members from Iron Lore licensed the Titan Quest engine, and set about developing something new. It took an extraordinary seven years, and $500,000 of Kickstarter money, before the game was fully released. And boy did it live up to its title! A super-grim, and completely fantastic game that was fully reminiscent of the genre-defining Diablo II, and a wonderful tonic for those disappointed by aspects of Diablo III
The game went on to receive enormous updates for another three years, selling over seven million copies, and is absolutely one of the best examples of the genre. In fact, until Diablo IV’s release this week, it’s the last time anyone truly delivered us a successful grimdark incarnation of the format. I replayed it recently, and it’s still absolutely fantastic.
