The end of the long freeze does little to make life easier. Once the undead spread beyond the northern wasteland, fights become more about keeping momentum and cutting through crowds before they overwhelm the party. Skill cooldowns are already removed, so abilities can be fired off freely, which makes the heavier encounters considerably more satisfying.
The setting sticks to a chilly dark-fantasy look, with ruined outposts, dead landscapes, and undead hordes doing most of the atmospheric work. There is less fuss about heroic speeches and more emphasis on fighting, upgrading, and seeing how far the roster can be pushed once the real trouble begins.