Is Grim Dawn worth it for a solo player?

Some ARPG players just want to play solo, but what about Grim Dawn — is it a solid pick? It’s been around since 2016 and has some quality DLC, but is it a game you can appreciate as a solo player? The visuals still hold up, and the combat, story, and crafting systems are all solid, enjoyable experiences. Do I think this game is more enjoyable with a friend to run around with and demolish the forces of evil with? I absolutely do. However, that’s something that requires planning and timing as adults.

You may not always want to dive into Diablo 4, and with that in mind, Grim Dawn is an excellent pick; it’s also a very solo player-friendly game. Just because I think it’s a better co-op doesn’t mean it’s not exceptional as a solo experience. I just like to play ARPGs with a friend, that’s the only real difference.

---

Grim Dawn is an incredible solo-player experience

Grim Dawn was designed to be an amazing solo-player experience. There are no online servers to join — only local hosting is available for this ARPG. I have friends that have hundreds of hours easily, and I imagine many of those were solo. Even with upcoming ARPGs like Vaultbreakers, it's still worth taking a trip back into the past with this one.

It's incredibly easy to get into and fall in love with Grim Dawn (Image via Crate Entertainment)

For its price point — and it’s a game that’s often on sale — it will give you more than your money’s worth. The ARPG experience is top-tier, and there are several class archetypes you can try. There are more classes with the DLC, but you don’t need to pick them up right away. The vanilla experience is already solid. Sure, it can have a little bit of a learning curve, especially if you play with a controller like me, but it’s worth experiencing.

If you’re into games like Last Epoch, Diablo 4, PoE 2, and are craving something just a little bit different, you’ll find it here. It lacks the intense depth of PoE 2 and Diablo 4’s skill system, that’s for sure. Even without that, there are plenty of ways to customize your characters and build some truly impressive, evil-slaying setups.

Honestly, I just enjoy running around with a big gun, blasting holes in the undead. Grim Dawn has been in my Steam library forever, and while it also took an incredibly long time for me to get around to playing it, I’m so glad I did as a solo player.

I have yet to play with any of my friends online in it, though I will eventually. You may as well treat multiplayer as a mod that was added to the game later, it’s that unnecessary.

---

At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a fun, relaxing ARPG that’s great in both the single-player and co-op experiences, this is exactly what you want to play. It really holds up well, despite being released in 2016.