When comparing Primordia 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 Primordia is ranked 49th. 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 Thought-provoking story
Within the first few minutes of gameplay, it may appear to solely consist of self-aware robots surviving in a harsh world long after man has disappeared. However, the story takes a sharp turn into many ethical, religious, and moral issues which ultimately result in an extremely well-written and thought-provoking story.
As the game unravels, the robots go as far as to ponder their creator, the meaning of consciousness, and the difference between right and wrong. The player is presented with many different morality choices during gameplay that will determine the ending, and ultimately the fate of their world as a whole.
Primordia is especially known for its symbolism, especially as to how it relates to religion in our world. Some of the robots believe they were created by Man (God) and others don't believe it, or refuse to accept it. Since man no longer exists in Primordia's world, it is a constant source of debate among the robots. Horatio, the character we assume the role of for the duration of the game, even has an inventory item called "The Book of Man" which is symbolic of the bible. This type of symbolism runs deep in the game, and for the careful observer, all sorts of parallels can be found between our real world and the game world.
Pro Characters feel fleshed out and detailed
Many of the robot denizens that populate the game world have their own goals, personalities, and quirks. Their personalities change over time based on the player's interactions with them, and what choices the player made. Whether it's the comic relief from our sarcastic sidekick Crispin, to the lone robot who guards the Shrine of Man, each and every character no matter how minor is given a level of unique detail and depth that makes them feel alive and a part of the world.
Pro Multiple puzzle solutions and story paths
Many of the puzzles in this game have multiple solutions which lead to different story paths. For example, during one scene, the robots can attempt to persuade a self-aware virus to stop its destructive behavior, or they can simply just smash the computer terminal to end the threat. This choice of action leads to different results later in the game.
These kind of choices persist throughout most of the game, making the puzzle-solving a breath of fresh air in the adventure gaming genre. Primordia gives the player real choices with real consequences. Some are minor choices, some are major events - but all of them will influence how the story plays out and concludes.
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 tedious puzzles
There are a few tedious puzzles in the game which will require either a photographic memory, or a pen and paper, to solve. One glaring example is a puzzle where you need to stop an argument between two robots that results in a rather complicated math equation.
Another such example is having to use a computer terminal which, when accessed, simply gives you an open-ended 'Search' query and not much else to go on. It's only through some trial and error that you ultimately figure out how you're supposed to be using the terminal, but it's pretty unintuitive in how it's presented.
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.