Grim Dawn - Ashes of Malmouth Expansion Review Summary

Adds new content and keeps game fresh: The DLC adds a variety of new content including areas, quests, classes, weapons, armor, and other items. This keeps the game fresh and engaging.

Highly praised DLC: The DLC is considered very good, adding a lot of content and providing excellent value for its price. It is praised for its storyline and overall quality.

Level cap increased to 100: The maximum character level has been increased to 100, providing players with more progression and gameplay opportunities.

Praised as a top ARPG: The game is praised as one of the best ARPGs, offering a complex and fulfilling experience similar to classic games like Diablo 2.

Improved storage space: The DLC includes improvements to storage space, providing players with more room to store their items.

Malmouth map navigation issues: Players find the Malmouth city map difficult to navigate and not enjoyable. The map design is criticized for being confusing and frustrating.

High difficulty and spikes: The game has sharp difficulty spikes at higher levels, making it challenging and sometimes frustrating for players.

Game crashes and optimization: The game experiences crashes and optimization issues, particularly with the expansion, affecting gameplay.

Ugdenbog area design flaws: The Ugdenbog area is considered ugly, frustrating to navigate, and too large, with performance issues such as FPS drops.

Multiplayer compatibility issues: Players cannot play with friends who do not have the expansion, causing frustration and limiting multiplayer options.

New areas and content: The expansion adds new areas, quests, factions, items, enemies, and bosses, significantly increasing the amount of content available in the game.

New classes introduced: The expansion introduces several new classes, including the Inquisitor and Necromancer, along with new skills and mechanics associated with these classes.

New items and mechanics: New items with skill modifiers, transmogrification system, and other mechanics have been added, enhancing gameplay and customization options.

Multiplayer and storage: New multiplayer features, including co-op mode, and increased storage space for items have been introduced.

Difficulty adjustments: The expansion includes adjustments to difficulty levels, providing new challenges for players.

Frequent Game Crashes: Players report various instances of the game crashing, which significantly impacts the gaming experience and needs urgent attention.

Optimization and Performance Issues: Several reports highlight optimization problems and performance issues, particularly on lower-end computers, affecting gameplay smoothness.

Demand for DX11 Support: Multiple players have requested support for DirectX 11, indicating a strong desire for updated graphics rendering capabilities.

Graphical Improvements Needed: There are calls for graphical updates and improvements, suggesting that players are looking for enhanced visual experiences.

Compatibility with Linux: The Legacy DX9 Renderer is noted to work well on Linux, indicating a need for better compatibility and support for different operating systems.

Essential for Grim Dawn fans: This DLC is highly recommended for any fans of Grim Dawn as it completes the experience and is considered an essential purchase.

Recommended for ARPG fans: Fans of Action Role-Playing Games (ARPGs) and similar games like Titan Quest and Diablo will likely enjoy this DLC.

Worth the full price: Many reviews indicate that the DLC is worth its full price, offering substantial value for the money.

Ideal for Necromancer class: This DLC is particularly recommended for players interested in the Necromancer class, including both new and old players.

Logical next step for base game fans: For those who enjoyed the base game, this DLC is seen as the logical next step to further enhance the gaming experience.

Community fair range: $20.00 - $30.00.

Game completion: 100.0h.

The game starts with a tedious and repetitive experience but can become addictive and fun after overcoming the initial slog.

Reported time to anchor: 10h.

Friction: Repetitive and tedious early gameplay; Difficulty in navigating early areas; Limited early rewards and progression.

Unlock drivers: Addictive gameplay loop; Long-term engagement potential.

Old-School Veteran: Grinding and exploring all content thoroughly. Motivation: Appreciation for classic ARPG elements and deep gameplay. Stance: buy.

Content-First Critic: Balanced play with a focus on story and content. Motivation: Enjoyment of content and value for money. Stance: sale.

Frustrated Newcomer: Struggles with game mechanics and difficulty. Motivation: Seeking an enjoyable and accessible gaming experience. Stance: deep sale.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with crashes and stability, particularly with the DX11 version of the game. However, the game appears to be generally compatible with Proton on Linux systems, with some users reporting smooth performance. The overall user experience is marred by stability issues, which are a major concern.

Linux and Proton: The game appears to have good compatibility with Linux using Proton. Most users report that it runs well with minimal issues, such as an occasional freeze during gameplay. The overall experience seems positive with only minor tweaks needed.

Monetization: The overall sentiment from user reviews is highly positive, with many appreciating the traditional expansion model and the lack of microtransactions. Some users mention the high price of the DLC, but they still find it worth the cost due to the extensive content and value provided.