Crate Entertainment recently announced plans for a new action RPG called Grim Dawn. The game places the player in the world of Cairn; where a once proud empire has crumbled into total chaos. A gruesome war has brought two colliding otherworldy forces together: one uses human bodies as a source of their power, the other wishes to destroy the human race before they can be utilized as a weapon. Very few humans remain, holed up in small communities across the region. A few of these survivors have discovered new abilities after having confrontation with the supernatural beasts that roam the land. In a desperate attempt to save the remainder of humanity they begin to use these powers to their advantage.
Crate Entertainment is fairly new as a developer however, it contains veterans of Iron Lore Entertainment, the creators of Titan Quest. Grim Dawn will utilize the same engine as Titan Quest with a few modifications to give it an updated feel. In addition to the tweaked engine, they’ve released a huge list of game features which include:
- Five distinct skill classes with multiple skill trees for specialization. Other classes will be periodically released through downloadable content. Also, class mastery can be advanced to level 75.
- Destructible environments – Massive battles will cause area damage that can be seen as it’s happening. Additionally, collapsed stonework and pieces of wrecked furniture can be used in combat.
- Blueprint collection throughout the game allows the player to combine salvaged components into uniquely crafted items.
- A balanced loot system that drops less junk and allows better drops from hero and boss monsters.
- Meaningful NPC interaction that allows the player to make relationships with certain factions in the game. This will lead to merchant discounts, new items, and additional quest lines. You’ll have to choose your side carefully because aiding one faction may make you rivals with another.
- Gore. Lots and lots of realistic gore (that you can disable in the options. But seriously, why would you?
More features and information will be announced as the game progresses through development. An official release date has yet to be announced but Crate mentions the strong possibility that it will be sometime in 2011. Grim Dawn will be digitally distributed through services like Steam. The tentative price is around 20 dollars. Here’s some pre-alpha gameplay to pique your interest:
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