Grim Dawn vs Path of Exile 2
Grim Dawn is an action-RPG RPG game from Crate Entertainment (2016) while Path of Exile 2 is an action-RPG horror game from Grinding Gear Games (2024).
What each one is
Steam files Grim Dawn under Action-RPG and RPG. In contrast, it files Path of Exile 2 under Action-RPG and Horror.
Enter an apocalyptic fantasy world where humanity is on the brink of extinction, iron is valued above gold and trust is hard earned. This ARPG features complex character development, hundreds of unique items, crafting and quests with choice & consequence.
Path of Exile 2 is a next generation Action RPG from Grinding Gear Games, featuring co-op for up to six players. Set years after the original Path of Exile, you will return to the dark world of Wraeclast and seek to end the corruption that is spreading.
At a glance
| Grim Dawn | Path of Exile 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 8.3/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (93%, 109,295) | Mostly Positive (75%, 224,979) |
| Critic aggregate | 83/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $24.99 | $29.99 |
| Install size | 5 GB | 100 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | playable |
| Released | 2016 | 2024 |
| Developer | Crate Entertainment | Grinding Gear Games |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Grim Dawn vs Path of Exile 2, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Grim DawnAction-RPG RPG gamePath of Exile 2Action-RPG horror gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Grim DawnAction RPG, Hack and Slash, LootPath of Exile 2Action RPG, Hack and Slash, RPGThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Grim Dawn ✓Score 8.3 · 93% on Steam · 83 criticPath of Exile 2Score 7.2 · 75% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Grim Dawn109,295 reviews · 8 add-ons · 5 GBPath of Exile 2224,979 reviews · 9 add-ons · 100 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Grim Dawn ✓$24.99Path of Exile 2$29.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Grim DawnPlayablePath of Exile 2PlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Grim Dawn takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueGrim Dawn and Path of Exile 2 on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Grim Dawn (GamingPickz Score 8.3)
- The cheaper right now: Grim Dawn ($24.99)
- Lighter on storage: Grim Dawn (5 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Path of Exile 2 (224,979 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Action RPGHack and SlashLootIsometricDark FantasyRPGDungeon CrawlerCharacter Customization
Where they differ
Co-opSingleplayerFantasyAtmosphericPost-apocalypticModdable
Souls-likeMMORPGOnline Co-OpEarly AccessInventory ManagementHorror
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Grim Dawn is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Path of Exile 2 is demanding, for players who want a challenge.
System requirements, side by side
| Grim Dawn | Path of Exile 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 960 (3GB) |
| Minimum CPU | x86 compatible 2.3GHz | Intel® Core™ i7-7700 |
| Minimum RAM | 2 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 5 GB | 100 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Grim Dawn · Path of Exile 2.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Grim Dawn and 1 for Path of Exile 2. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Grim Dawn and Path of Exile 2 in scope?
Grim Dawn has drawn 109,295 Steam reviews, ships 8 add-ons and installs in 5 GB. Path of Exile 2 has drawn 224,979 Steam reviews, ships 9 add-ons and installs in 100 GB.
Is Grim Dawn or Path of Exile 2 better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Grim Dawn rates higher (8.3 to 7.2). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Grim Dawn or Path of Exile 2?
Grim Dawn is cheaper right now at $24.99, against $29.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.