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The action RPG (ARPG) genre has seen its share of titans, with Diablo 3 often holding a prominent position. However, in 2016, an indie title, Grim Dawn, emerged as a strong contender, earning praise and the frequent accolade, “This is how Diablo 3 should be.” Grim Dawn’s success sparked curiosity: how could a small studio, Crate Entertainment, create such a compelling experience? The answer lies in the team’s pedigree, boasting veterans from Ironlore (Titan Quest), Blizzard North (Diablo), and Irrational Games (Bioshock). Now, with the release of Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth, the question arises again: how does this expansion stack up against the competition, especially in light of Diablo 3’s own Necromancer update? This review explores the additions and improvements Ashes of Malmouth brings to the already impressive Grim Dawn experience.

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A Continuing Epic Narrative

Grim Dawn’s original story depicted a world ravaged by the Aetherial blight, a catastrophic event that unleashed otherworldly spirits upon Cairn, possessing the living and transforming the dead into grotesque monsters. Amidst this chaos, the fall of Cairn’s ruling dynasty allowed the C’thonian cult to rise, creating a two-pronged threat to humanity. The hero, Ulgrim, vanished into the Void after a climactic battle against C’thon, leaving the survivors with a bittersweet victory and lingering threats. Ashes of Malmouth extends this narrative, adding two new chapters to the original four.

The expansion’s opening cinematic sets the stage. Inquisitor Creed attempts to open a portal to the Void to locate Ulgrim, but inadvertently attracts a powerful entity attempting to breach into Cairn. Creed quickly seals the portal, preventing a repeat of the Aetherial disaster.

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Further complicating matters, Captain John Bourbon of Devil’s Crossing arrives, bearing news of a renewed Aetherial assault featuring powerful new enemy types that threaten to overwhelm even the fortified walls of Devil’s Crossing. He is accompanied by Amara, a survivor from Malmouth, the city where the Aetherial blight originated. She describes Malmouth as a living weapons factory for the Aetherials, creating increasingly deadly creatures. Stopping them becomes the ultimate objective.

Creed devises a plan: the player character, capable of creating Riftgates, must infiltrate Malmouth and end the Aetherial threat. The journey leads through the Ugdenbog, home to the Eldritch, who may hold the key to finding Ulgrim and understanding the connection between the Eldritch and the Void. The player is once again tasked with saving the world, embarking on a challenging and engaging new adventure. Ashes of Malmouth’s narrative expertly builds upon the original, resolving existing plot threads and expanding the game’s world.

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Expanded Class Options

Building upon the dual-class system inherited from Titan Quest, Grim Dawn allows players to combine two of the six base classes: Soldier, Demolitionist, Nightblade, Arcanist, Occultist, and Shaman. Each combination offers multiple build paths, creating a vast array of character possibilities. Ashes of Malmouth introduces two new classes: Inquisitor and Necromancer.

The Inquisitor, historically serving Cairn’s rulers, is a master of magical artifacts and runes, adept at wielding dual pistols and manipulating fire, cold, and lightning elements. The Necromancer, wielding the forbidden art of necromancy, commands skeletal minions, raises the dead, and drains the life force of enemies, providing a distinct playstyle reminiscent of the iconic Diablo 2 Necromancer. With these additions, the total number of class combinations reaches an impressive 64, offering unparalleled build diversity.

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A Plethora of New Features

Ashes of Malmouth also introduces numerous quality-of-life improvements and features. Addressing previous storage limitations, the expansion increases stash size by 20% per tab and adds more tabs to both shared and personal stashes. The ability to reset Mastery Bars allows for greater build flexibility, and a potion for resetting attribute points offers a way to correct early game mistakes. The level cap is raised to 100, and the Devotion cap increases to 55, with 14 new constellations added to the Devotion system, further enhancing build customization.

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Hundreds of new items are added, many specifically designed for the Inquisitor and Necromancer, with new affixes that directly impact skills. Finally, the Illusionist NPC allows players to change the appearance of their equipment, offering a welcome cosmetic customization option.

Conclusion

Grim Dawn: Ashes of Malmouth delivers a substantial and enriching experience, expanding upon the already excellent foundation of Grim Dawn. The engaging narrative, new classes, and numerous quality-of-life improvements make this expansion a must-have for fans of the ARPG genre. Crate Entertainment continues to demonstrate their commitment to creating a compelling and deep ARPG experience, proving that even indie studios can rival industry giants.