Looks like we are starting off 2013 right, with the 13th Grim Misadventure (I swear this was by accident)! Things here are chugging along on the road to alpha. Bugs are getting squashed, icons are getting iconed, and final alpha levels are being finished up. That last bit is what we would like to share with you today. Gray-boxed alpha areas that had previously just been playable are now visually up to standard. Gazer is pleased.
Pleased Gazer (not to be confused with angry/depressed Gazer)
The following is a compilation of various underground side areas you will have a chance of finding on your adventures throughout Cairn.
Disclaimer: the following images May reflect the final product and should be viewed in moderation. Excessive use of images may result in blindness, dehydration, and expensive power bills.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get tantalizingly near alpha! The next misadventure is coming at you on 01/20/13! Do not let Evil Gazer get the best of you in the meantime.
Woot! Thanks for the update Zantai! Looking really cool. However, that green tinge is a little too heavy I feel, really reminds me of TL2, which is not good in terms of atmosphere. Maybe the screenshot just doesn’t do it justice and we have to see it in motion to realise how good it really looks. So how about a video… eh… come on… you know you want to…
Wow! The second image (hanging corpses) is by far the creepiest, I can only imagine that the atmosphere will only be better in-game, can’t wait to find it in the alpha. I wonder when that is anyway? Have you by any chance considered May? Ha! I caught you out Zantai! This will make front page of the next Grim Misadventures:
As you have spelt May with a capital, Zantai, I can only assume you were trying to drop a hint as to the release of the Alpha/Beta, in the month of May. I see what you did there
Cheers for the update,
Younghappy
The distance fog is more pronounced in some of the screenshots as the angle shows a greater distance than you’d see in-game. I think also though that the more colorful fog is justified in this area as it is meant to represent Aetherial energy in the air - it isn’t just random atmospheric fog.
Can’t wait to blast hordes of enemies as I travel through these places!
I wonder just how open the world is going to be though.
One of the selling points of this game to me was the open-world ARPG in which it was touted that you could travel anywhere - even if that meant running into really powerful enemies way above your level and getting stomped. But, from what I saw of the world map in State of the Game Address 2, it was looking pretty linear on your way to that town that has the laboratory beneath it. I’ve also heard that you need to repair bridges and such until you can head over to different regions which has me a bit worried.
I take it that Grim Dawn isn’t gonna be as open world as Sacred 2 but I do hope its not just broken up into 1 long run -> get to the end and kill boss -> some item you get from boss opens up another long run -> get to end, boss, etc. I DO want to be able to head into harder areas or maybe even skip 1 in favor of another that are around the same level.
Thanks for the info Medierra! I suspected as much.
I still think the images shown could do with a darker atmospheric vibe to them, I don’t think the screenshots do the game justice, I’m sure it will look much better in motion. Don’t get me wrong, it looks great and I am quite impressed. I just think the dark areas should be darker and the lights should be lighter, giving it that real contrasting effect and making it seem that touch more eerie and creepy.
I wish I had the skills to show you exactly what I mean, but hopefully my short description is enough to give you an understanding. Just picture this image, but with the areas where the physical light isn’t touching being darker and the actual physical light source being more powerful lol. I can picture my character now, surrounded by shadow and causing small effects of glare and glints coming off reflective armour as you stand in the light source. I’m sure there is a technical term for it, though I can’t think of it at this moment.
Sorry, thats all I have lol. Who knows, maybe it is already like I am describing, or the contrast and lighting haven’t been completed yet (which I believe to definitely be the case), but I just wanted to express my opinion.
EDIT: I think the best thing that demonstrates what I’m trying to portray would be the unreal engine 4 demo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOvfn1p92_8
Looking specifically between 3:50 - 4:40 is what I am getting at with the contrast, glare and glint of light and reflective surfaces. Now, I know the engine for Grim Dawn is not capable of this, I know, but it can be somewhat simulated by adjusting the contrast of the darkness against the light and/or vice versa. The image below from the upcoming game Blackspace might provide a better and more realistic example however haha:
This looks awesome. I’m grieving because I didn’t have enough funds for the 50$ version when I decided to buy the game. Now I’m stuck with the 35$ version. I’ll just have to drool while alpha drags along.
you might still have a chance of upgrading your key, but it might be better if you buy a new key and sell your $35 one, as there will be a few people that might not be able to buy the game for various reasons,
but on the screenshots themselves, WOW!!! WOW!!! WOW!!!
I can’t wait for alpha, when the game is looking to be this good, I simoply can’t wait,
I love those screenies. In fact, I love those screenshots so much, I want to take them behind an adult vocational school attended by consenting adults and have a planned pregnancy.
I see what you did there 
I’ll just have to drool while alpha drags along. 