Grim Dawn: Crucible Mode DLC Review (Artibius)
DLC verdict: Get it on sale OR Get it in the Definitive Edition bundle
Comment:
Originally designed as a Kickstarter reward/stretch goal, this DLC is just a small arena (you can choose the layout) with monsters "zerg rushing" you from all sides. It can be started separately - next to the campaign option you can choose Crucible. There's 150 waves in a run (170 with Ashes of Malmouth DLC) with 147-170 being absolute madness with crazy stuff coming at you, even the Mad Queen uber boss. Every 10 waves you get a pause to build up defenses, get blessings and sort your gear. You also receive tribute at this point, the higher the wave level the more you get. Tribute can be passed on to higher difficulties so doing waves on a lower ones to earn tribute can be a strategy. New monster mutators are applied in higher waves and these also increase in count/difficulty. There's three difficulty options and you unlock the next by beating the 100th wave in the current one. To help you out there you are given five types of defense beacons/towers, each for 5 tribute (with upgrades costing 8 and then 12 tribute). Also, you can buy the four timed celestial blessings (25 minutes), each for 12 tribute. Gotta say it's not my favorite DLC. It was meant to substitute leveling a character as you can opt out to leave and cash out rewards at any time. And you also get something if you died (not on hardcore, you lose you character there) but of course it is much less than you would otherwise. Get it on sale if you want an alternate way to get loot or leveling up. It is also part of the Definitive Edition bundle. However, I vastly prefer how Shattered Realms on the Forgotten Gods DLC handles the alternate leveling and loot.
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