When comparing Kathy Rain vs Grim Dawn, the Slant community recommends Grim Dawn for most people. In the question“What are the best adventure games on Steam?” Grim Dawn is ranked 22nd while Kathy Rain is ranked 61st. The most important reason people chose Grim Dawn is:
Basically you choose 1 class and select skills as you level up. At level 10 you can select a second class, which already gives you 5x5=25 character type possibilities. Each character has dozens of skills, plus you have this additional passive skill tree that you unlock through cleansing shrines. Then there is item customization with crafted "modifiers", adding additional unique stats and skills that you can use, all this adds literally to thousands / millions of character possibilities. Do you want to use a double weapon shooting lightning bolts? You can do that. Do you want to summon your creatures and support them with fireballs? You can do that as well, you can push it wherever you want.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Kathy is a very interesting protagonist
Kathy is tough on the outside - she rides a custom motorcycle, puffs on her favorite brand of cigarettes, and doesn't take lip from anyone. On the inside, however, she is battling her own personal issues such as her strained relationship with her family and coming to terms with the loss of her grandfather. These issues come to surface as the game goes on and help to flesh her out as a very dynamic character.
She also has a very curious side. She is a college student majoring in journalism which helps to highlight both this inquisitive nature and refusal to back down from complicated situations. It is these aspects of her personality that send her out on the game's main adventure.
When she returns to her hometown from college for her grandfather's funeral, the secrets of his life and the mystery surrounding his death strongly intrigue her and prompt her to take action. Notebook and cigarettes in hand, and cruising around on her motorcycle, she sets out into the town to question the locals, search multiple locations, and get answers by any means necessary.
Throughout all her adventures and interactions, her sarcasm and wit shine through - she is both quick with words and very resourceful when it comes to solving her problems. By the game's end, she has proven to be a very capable protagonist whose many sides are revealed.
Pro Strong detective vibe
Much of the game consists of going from location to location questioning people, searching the environment for clues, and chasing leads, while Kathy keeps track of it all in her notebook. When she makes note of something in this notebook - either through a conversation or an environmental clue - it opens that topic up for dialogue with every character you interact with.
This means that the bits of information you learn in one conversation or area will have you going back for round 2 or round 3 with a previously interviewed character or going back to an old area to comb for new information. Running around, discovering clues, interviewing the same people multiple times, and putting all the pieces together really drives the detective theme home.
Pro Mysterious characters keep the "whodunit" theme strong
Throughout the game, Kathy's search for answers sees her run into about a dozen different characters around the small town. Upon first glance, they all seem to be normal, everyday people. Throughout your investigation, however, their secrets are slowly revealed, and in most cases, people aren't quite who they claim to be. Just enough information is given where you really want to keep digging in and uncover more, helping to keep you guessing what each one's motives and goals truly are.
Pro Retro point-and-click style is handled extremely well
Kathy Rain is a nod to the point-and-click games of the 90s era, so much so that is uses retro pixel graphics and the story itself takes place in the 90s. The interface is the typical click to move and hover over an item to interact. For example, hovering over a book will allow you to look at or pick it up. Everything you pick up is stored in your inventory, where you can then combine inventory items or use them on other objects in the environment to solve puzzles. All in all, it's smooth and easy to use, making it a great throwback game.
Pro Excellent soundtrack that fits each location
The accompanying background music for each location you visit fits the atmosphere incredibly well. Exploring a dark attic queues an ambient synth track with a creepy vibe. The church features a synth organ slowly playing a haunting tune. While visiting the cemetery, a reflective mellow melody plays out. The biker bar features a wailing guitar and drums in a catchy upbeat rhythm. In total, there are 25 songs, all original and made exclusively for this game.
Pro Free demo available
You can try a small portion of the game before you buy.
Pro Complex leveling system with thousands of possible builds
Basically you choose 1 class and select skills as you level up. At level 10 you can select a second class, which already gives you 5x5=25 character type possibilities.
Each character has dozens of skills, plus you have this additional passive skill tree that you unlock through cleansing shrines. Then there is item customization with crafted "modifiers", adding additional unique stats and skills that you can use, all this adds literally to thousands / millions of character possibilities.
Do you want to use a double weapon shooting lightning bolts? You can do that. Do you want to summon your creatures and support them with fireballs? You can do that as well, you can push it wherever you want.
Pro Great homage to old school ARPGs
This game is very dark, and grim. It harkens back to games like Diablo 2 or Titans Quest. While other ARPGs have come out since then, none have hit all the marks of what fans of the genre have been asking for. For those that wish for an updated version of Diablo 2, Grim Dawn is the game for them.
Pro Exploration
Pro Highly modifiable
Relevant in modern gaming because the community can keep products like this fresh and varied, even if the developers eventually decide to slow down their updates (which they have not!). The possibilities are great with modding, while the experiences in Diablo 3 and Path of exile are a lot more static.
Pro Drop-in co-op (online and local)
Co-op is pretty convenient as players can drop in and out of your gaming session at any time. This way there is no wasted time jumping out of ones game in order to find players to play with.
Cons
Con A few puzzles are not integrated well
While a majority of the game consists of average difficulty puzzles, some puzzles are so abstract and obscure, that they become difficult solely due to poor design. There is one particularly frustrating puzzle in the latter portion of the game that uses a very vague poem to provide clues. It is not entirely clear what you're supposed to be doing whatsoever, and results in a lot of trial and error or simply consulting a walkthrough.
Con Voice acting isn't the greatest
Many spoken lines throughout the game are delivered flat and devoid of much emotion. This is especially bad at the very start of the game, but thankfully it improves to passable levels as the game progresses.
Con Only some builds are fun
There is a definite meta, with superefficient vs non-viable builds.
It's easy to mess up a build, and attribute and spec-bar points are non-respeccable (you can use a cheat editor, but devs want you to reroll a new char).
Con Difficult to move when fighting, especially when you are ranged
Con Static pre-rendered levels
This may cut down on replayability a bit as all the levels in the game are pre-rendered, meaning that each playthrough will have the exact same layout, making for something that can get tiring and too familiar. Similar games have gone with randomized levels, which can keep the game fresh. While Grim Dawn is meant to be a throwback to earlier games in the genre, some newer features found in more recent released would have been welcome.
Con Lots of trips to town
The majority of loot in the game can be useless, with odd stat restrictions or repeats of vendor items. This means the user will need to make many trips into town to sell it all off in order to have room for even more loot they will not necessarily need.