There was a time when I found ARPGs exciting, my buttocks glued to the tiny swivel-stool before the one-armed bandits of Diablo II and Titan Quest, hoping that they would spew shiny loot into my lap. In recent years I’ve managed to shake the habit. I poked at Diablo III for a while but kept my distance and even though I enjoyed Path of Exile in its early days, I haven’t felt compelled to revisit its blighted shore. Grim Dawn tempts me though. My memories of Titan Quest have become rosier than dawn’s fingers and Alec’s impressions of the team’s long-awaited follow-up were pleasing. Act II of the Early Access release is now available, and it introduces choice and consequence.

If you don’t trust my word about the introduction of dramatic choices, perhaps the developers can convince you:

Act II showcases the consequences of choice. Desperation has driven human survivors to extremes and nothing is what it seems. Tough decisions will leave significant impacts upon the world. Strangers on the road, families, and even entire villages may live or perish based on the player’s actions. With the development of Grim Dawn, Crate Entertainment is adamant about giving players true replay value; not a glorified loot-grinder. In Grim Dawn, players will find quests with game-altering choices, a powerful dual-classing skill system, secret areas to uncover and new challenge dungeons where enemies grow stronger the deeper you delve.

It’s a tempting proposition, particularly if the combat has the weighty oomph that I crave.

Truth be told, I didn’t grow out of ARPGs at all. I discovered that Soldak had shattered the apparent constraints of the genre and I’ve found it hard to step back inside the box.