I am not here to ask any questions, I am just here to share my thoughts.
I was a huge fan of Titan Quest in my childhood, but, since I was a kid, I never knew how to properly play this game, so I just used cheating to beat the game and to see the ending. I simply enjoyed the atmosphere and locations.
Came 2016, a new game from the creators of Tiran Quest comes out, Grim Dawn. Bought it, played it... and found it boring and unappealing, and too complex. I was going to resort to cheating, I mostly picked up items that increased my damage, and skipped on the story and lore completely. I dropped the game. I didn't like it. I found it boring.
Came 2020, I bought Malmouth and Forgotten gods, and decided to give it another go. I started doing research, spent hours on choosing optimal class, and could figure out what I wanted. I restarted the game again and again, and repeated my mistakes. I was so focused on following guides, and yet I ignored resists, and again simply focused on dps. I killed Krieg and dropped the game. It was boring, frustrating and dull.
Now, 2026, the new dlc comes out. I bought it and decided to give it one last chance.
I didn't read on any guides. I simply sat, and did something I hadn't done before - I didn't rush. I warched the opening cutscene, walked around the Crossroads, talked to people. I found the beggining engaging, and I got curious where the story will take me next.
As I was now more invested in the lore, I started having an idea what type of character i want to have, that might fit this world based on what I know. I didn't go to what guides suggest, I went for what looks appropriate to this world and fun for me. I didn't care for "optimal", i figured, worst case scenario, I will finish the game once I will be done with it.
I started reading every note, talk to every character. The world drew me in with how messed up it is, with how hopeless everything else, but at the same time, I wanted to help this world fight back, to rebuild.
I still got my ass handed to me, but i percievered. By the time I got to Arcovia I started to think more and more about mechanics of the game. I stopped prioritizing pure damage. I started figuring out how to up my resists. I started figuring out crafting. I realized how well made this game is, how balanced it is. How every mechanics matter!
And it clicked. It finally clicked. When I managed to have 60 - 80 resists on most of damage times, while having a good enough dps, when I started focusing on 2 damage types for myself, when I started figuring out what happened to Arcovia. It clicked just what a masterpiece this game is.
I've only just arrived to Homestead with my 39 lvl Purifier. I realize that there is still so damn much of this game ahead of me, and it exciting, and fun, because I don't know what my build will end up being in the end, I don't know what happens next in the story, I still have a long way ahead of me of befriending factions, and see what benefits it will bring.
But I am excited to figure it out.
One of the best rpg's I've ever played, hands down. What a game.