Grim Dawn: An Enjoyable ARPG Side Game
As a side game to Elder Scrolls Online, I have been enjoying an old school ARPG called Grim Dawn lately. It gives me titan quest vibes with a more modern take on its leveling and class systems, and I have been playing it on hardcore mode as of late to test my ability to survive with the builds I am choosing. The first build I choose was melee in nature and I only made it to level 13 on my first run. My current run is still ongoing, and I am going a ranged build that has me at level 15 at present. The demolitionist skill tree is the line I am going down for this run, and so far, it is going quite well.
The reason why I believe this playthrough is going much better than the first hardcore playthrough is because I decided to invest in my early level skills rather than continually invest in progressing skills later in the tree, giving me an early game power spike that has carried me so far. The very first Demolitionist skill is Fire Strike, and I fully maxed out its potential which has allowed me to one shot most mobs with the ranged weapon I have managed to obtain. I also am maxing out two supportive skills called Flame Touched and Vindictive Flame, both of which reserve a portion of my mana to activate immediately upon dealing damage (flame touched) and taking damage (vindictive flame), providing for a large boost in damage output whether I am dealing or taking damage.
Once I finish maxing out those two skills, I will then max out an additional node attached to my first ability of Fire Strike called Explosive Strike. Explosive Strike essentially adds an AOE damage component to my Fire Strike while also increasing my weapon damage and burn damage that I apply over time to my enemy, allowing me to further become a true destruction and demolition specialist. Looking beyond those skills, I have a lot more points that I will eventually have to invest in this skill line. For instance, Static Strike will eventually add the ability to stun or knock down my enemies while increasing my fire damage and adding lightning damage.
I am very new to this game, so I don't have all that much to say about it for today's blog, but I just wanted to share that I have been enjoying something other than my main game MMORPG of choice, Elder Scrolls Online, as a side game to keep me balanced and avoid burnout. Since the elder scrolls online servers are down for 14 hours this morning, I plan on checking out Grim Dawn to pass the time, and I hope the people on stream enjoy it as much as I have been enjoying it.
Until next time,
Blackboa