It has been a long time since we first set foot in Grim Dawn. Over the years, Crate Entertainment has expanded this rich universe in meaningful ways. With Fangs of Asterkarn, the studio is asking veteran players to return once again. This isn’t an expansion that stands on its own, either; it requires both Ashes of Malmouth and Forgotten Gods, making it very clear who this adventure is aimed at. If you’ve spent countless hours chasing legendary loot and experimenting with builds, Asterkarn feels like another excuse to lose yourself in Grim Dawn for dozens more. Read on to find out why!
New Beginnings
Sometimes, starting fresh is the best course of action. While importing an existing character is certainly an option, rolling a brand-new Berserker felt like the best way to experience everything the expansion had to offer. It took a spell for the familiar gameplay loop to settle back in, reminding us of so many sleepless nights. We’re still carving our way through packs of enemies, collecting mountains of loot, comparing resistances and bonuses every few minutes, and constantly wondering if the next drop might finally be the upgrade we’ve been waiting for. Such is the way of Grim Dawn, and you’ll be happy to hear that the formula hasn’t changed. You’ll be even happier to hear that it’s still just as satisfying as it was years ago.
Exploring the Snowy West
We got surprised in so many different ways with this DLC, but the biggest surprise came from the new region itself. Asterkarn doesn’t satisfy by simply adding a handful of snowy maps. No, this full-blown expansion introduces an enormous stretch of wilderness. The world keeps unfolding the farther you venture into it, to the point that you start wondering if there’s ever an end to it. It’s satisfying to see how dense forests give way to frozen mountain passes. We enjoyed discovering abandoned settlements hiding beneath thick blankets of snow, especially how icy caverns eventually open into unexpected pockets of warmth where natural hot springs break up the otherwise unforgiving landscape. We know it’s a mouthful, but Grim Dawn has always excelled at atmosphere, and we were ecstatic to see that Asterkarn continues that tradition. The engine is beginning to show its age, but the environmental design does a remarkable job of making the world worth exploring.
Mastering the Berserker
The Berserker quickly became the star of the expansion for us. Grim Dawn’s dual-class system has always been one of its biggest strengths, and adding a tenth mastery creates even more room for experimentation. Please don’t think that this is just another warrior swinging an oversized weapon. The Berserker focuses on brutal close-quarters combat built around cold damage, bleeding attacks, and—boy oh boy—shapeshifting! We paired it with the Nightblade and ended up creating a fast-moving werewolf that constantly threw itself into the middle of enemy packs. Our doggo was reckless, aggressive, and yet surprisingly effective. Every leap into combat felt rewarding as life steal kept us alive while enemies collapsed around us.
Binding Powers via Devotion
We remember a while back, when we played the base game, how huge the freedom to experiment was. To this day, that’s one of the key things that separates Grim Dawn from so many other action RPGs, and this expansion knows it. Every new level opens another opportunity to reshape your character, while the Devotion system adds yet another layer of customization. We enjoyed looking for and cleansing shrines scattered throughout Cairn, unlocking constellation points that can dramatically change the way your build plays. We didn’t waste time, and soon enough, we attached a blizzard effect to our primary attack. With just that, we held the power to make every critical strike cover the battlefield in freezing storms. As you know from the base game and the previous expansions, small decisions like these slowly transform an ordinary character into something that feels entirely your own. The cool part is that we usually can’t even guess what this game can do until it completely surprises us and blows our mind. Building those synergies through experimentation remains one of the most satisfying aspects of the entire game.
Customized Potions at the Cauldron
The expansion also introduces several new systems that make character progression feel less dependent on pure luck. One of our favorites is the potion customization system found in Kurnhold. If you’ve played Diablo, Torchlight, or any other hack-and-slash, then you know that healing potions are treated as simple panic buttons. Well, this expansion changes things by allowing us to modify potions with additional effects that complement our build. Now, we tend to chug a potion even before difficult encounters just to gain extra protection and offensive bonuses before charging into battle. It’s a small but novel addition that changed how we looked at consumables and made things far more interesting than simply restoring lost health. You can alter the standard Tonic of Mending by adding an aspect that grants a short burst of physical armor and another that boosts elemental damage. Talk about turning a basic survival item into an active tactical tool.
Crafting with Affix Transmutation
We were happy to discover that the same philosophy carries over into gear progression. Previously, it was frustrating to find an item with nearly perfect stats—stats that you can only dream about—that boosted abilities you’ll never use. There were times when we had to go through all five stages of grief when we got our hands on items like these (we’re looking at you, rare boots that had great health bonuses but useless spirit stats!). We audibly exclaimed in joy when we discovered that Affix Transmutation offers a way to salvage those disappointing drops by rerolling unwanted modifiers. It doesn’t remove the excitement of finding great loot—far from it—but it certainly makes the grind feel less punishing when fortune isn’t on your side.
Escalating the Threat
Once you join the elite and become a veteran, you’ll be looking for a serious challenge. That comes from spending most of your time in Ascendant Mode. Boy, did we underestimate this mode. Confident in our older high-level characters, we assumed we’d breeze through the opening areas. We wish you could have seen our cocky expressions. If you blinked, you’d have missed how our smirk turned into pure disbelief as enemies wiped the floor with us. Our first time in Ascendant Mode reminded us of two things: 1. Grim Dawn can still be brutally unforgiving. 2. We have massive egos that hurt like hell when bruised. Here, enemies hit significantly harder, larger groups appear more frequently, and every careless decision can send you back to town. Just don’t have people around you when that happens—it’s embarrassing for all parties when a grown adult cries. Thankfully, the mode isn’t simply about making numbers bigger. New progression systems tied to the Ascension Altar allow you to influence loot drops, create more dangerous encounters for greater rewards, and eventually upgrade your equipment beyond its original limits. It gives experienced players—or those who think they are—another reason to continue perfecting their builds long after finishing the campaign. We never watched the sun set before. It has a special glow now…
Outside of combat, there is still plenty to keep you occupied, so there’s no reason to go where you’re not wanted. New factions offer additional quests, reputation rewards, and exclusive equipment. There’s a central hub packed with useful vendors and crafting options. We spent a lot of time here—maybe just as much time planning our next upgrades as fighting monsters.
Without any sugarcoating, Grim Dawn still expects a lot. The last time we played the base game was several years ago. Jumping back in can feel overwhelming. Character sheets are packed with statistics, crafting materials quickly overflow your inventory, and understanding exactly how certain mechanics interact often requires reading lengthy tooltips or refreshing your memory through community guides. There were moments when we felt paralyzed by the sheer amount of content, not knowing how to move forward. At those beginning moments, simply staring at the screen was a gameplay feature. None of this is new, but Asterkarn doesn’t just improve systems; it adds even more systems on top of an already complex foundation. Whether you’re a newcomer or a returning player, be prepared to find yourself a bit or completely lost. There is a (re)learning curve before everything starts clicking again.
Visually, Grim Dawn shows its age, but it still looks capable of competing somewhat with newer action RPGs. Character models and animations clearly reflect the game’s age, but the art direction can stand shoulder to shoulder with modern titans. Snow-covered landscapes, dark caverns, and the contrast between icy environments and colorful spell effects create memorable battles just like five years ago, despite the aging technology. Performance was excellent throughout our time with the expansion. Even during the busiest fights, where the screen filled with enemies, particle effects, and layered abilities, everything remained smooth and stable. More importantly, we never encountered crashes or technical issues, which is a massive plus.
Fangs of Asterkarn reminded us why we spent so many hours with Grim Dawn in the first place. We played the base game to death during quarantine, and we remember how every time we thought we were finished for the evening in those late hours, another idea for a character build crept into our minds. The same happened this week while we were entertaining ideas about how maybe the Berserker would work better alongside an Arcanist, or if it was finally time to revisit an old poison build using the new Ascended gear. That constant desire to experiment has always been one of Grim Dawn’s greatest strengths, and this expansion gives us even more reasons to keep coming back.
10/10 – Grim Dawn came out back in 2016, and while most devs move on after a year or two, this game just keeps on giving. The latest expansion is the perfect example of how a decade-old game can still feel fresh, exciting, and completely brand new again.
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