Grim Dawn, the beloved dark fantasy action RPG game often considered among the best spiritual successors to Diablo 2, is getting a brand-new expansion taking us to the frozen peaks of Asterkarn in a Norse-style adventure on Steam. If you love the settings of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and the recent God of War games, Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn promises to bring that flavor to the ARPG space in style.
Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn is the “latest massive installment” for the excellent ARPG, which holds an impressive 93% positive lifetime rating on Steam – pretty good going for a game with over 71,000 reviews. Its choice-driven narrative sets it apart from a lot of other games in the space, and its rich character development and, of course, a very generous helping of loot and items to discover make it well worth checking out, even at a time where we’re spoilt for choice with the likes of Diablo 4, Path of Exile, and Last Epoch.
In Fangs of Asterkarn, the third major expansion for Grim Dawn, you’ll be exploring the snowy mountains of Asterkarn, before diving down into “ancient forest valleys and breathtaking hot springs as you seek to purge the corruption tainting this idyllic landscape.” You’ll have to help the local Kurn tribes put their differences aside and come to terms with their bloody past to overcome the threat to their lands.
While there won’t be an increased level cap or devotion cap in Fangs of Asterkarn, developer Crate Entertainment promises a “transformative” tenth mastery, the Berserker – which brings the potential number of mastery combinations for your build up to a rather impressive 45. There will also be a new Ascendant game mode that turns the world “into a challenge worthy of ascendant demigods” to really test your skills.
There are plenty more features coming with Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn. You’ll be able to alter your potion effects for unique buffs and abilities, reroll your best gear with even better affixes, contend with an expanded Crucible mode and two new roguelike dungeons (the latter of which will be included as a free content update for all players), and discover hundreds of new epic and legendary items.
Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn is currently scheduled to release in 2024, although Crate Entertainment notes, “you never know when we’ll end up doing more than initially promised.” It adds, “Fangs of Asterkarn is another major addition to Grim Dawn and will be priced comparatively to past expansions,” which came in at $15.99 and $17.99 (£14.49 and £13.50) respectively, so expect to pay around that again.
Until then, we’ve got more of the best games like Diablo to keep the loot flowing. You might also fancy a sojourn into some of the best fantasy games on PC, if you’re looking for more weird and wonderful worlds to explore.