Expeditions Viking

by 

Logic Artists 

 By Odin and Frey, send all archers (or anyone who uses long range weapons) to Hel's Hall. For that matter, throw in all healers too. Expeditions: Viking is one hard game, but it was built from the ground up with this in mind. You will lose plenty of battles, but just because you see your party writhing in the mud doesn't mean that you have lost the war.

 The game starts at your father's arval (funeral feast). You start to hate the man from the beginning of the game. He apparently never read "How to win friends and Influence people". No one has a good word to say about him except your mother. Everyone praises him as a warrior, but as a thegn he seems to have been the most hated man in Denmark, if not a larger area. Your life in the game would be a tad bit easier if he had made some lasting friendships. So from the minute of his death, everyone in a one hundred mile radius is gunning for you.

 This is probably the most historical part of the game. I doubt that in the Viking age, the transfer of power from father to son was easy. Your dad's people skills or lack thereof, has given you a heavy task. Your first job is to fight a man in single combat (holmgang) to see which of you will lead the clan. Actually, he is just first in line. It almost seems like there is a deli ticket machine in front of your long house. The choice you are given is to make it a straight up fight or use dirty tricks against him, including giving him a bad case of the 'runs' the night before combat. I say go for the tricks. In actuality, the Viking sagas are filled with stories and praise for men who used any dirty trick they could find. Warriors are praised for sure, but especially smart and underhanded warriors.

 The game continues in this vein. Within the first few days of your rule you are attacked at least twice, the second time by a large group of raiders intent on pillaging something from your village. This is the battle where you will learn to hate archers. The game tries to be as historically correct as it can be. Logic Artists should be praised for their efforts in this direction. However, the use of so many archers seems to not be historical. Bows etc., were used during the era, but mostly for hunting and not for battle. I cannot determine if Logic Artists planned to use them to balance the game or just drive up players' blood pressure.

 The game is hard, and it isn't all at the same time. I guess you could save before every battle and replay it until you have won each encounter. But as I have mentioned, a lost battle does not mean game over. The game is very akin to learning to ride a bike. In most games the second you fall off the bike you die and the game is over. In this game the bumps, bruises, and contusions of the learning process are still there with you. I think this analogy fits the game nicely. Remember the glee , and how proud you were when you were finally astride your charger, and able to put it through its paces? You sat there with a chipped tooth and various Band-Aids, but you were victorious. Expeditions: Viking gives you a little bit of that feeling.

 Like most good party based RPGs, the game makes you balance what you think is the right course of action against the feelings of your party members. You must pet and caress them, and call them George to get the most out of them. You are also responsible for the upgrading of their abilities or arms and armor.

 Logic Artists' previous game, Expeditions: Conquistador, and this game to a lesser extent, have been slammed over the inclusion of women warriors. To me it is pretty much a nonissue. I was surprised to see so many female conquistadors, but not so much in seeing Viking women defend their homes. At least in these games the women warriors are fully dressed. I think it is pretty foolish when I am playing a hardcore RPG, and the female character in my party is dressed in a chain mail bikini.

 The game is pretty much a more polished version of Expeditions: Conquistador. All of the mechanics of the first game are here, camping with your party etc. If you liked the first game you will enjoy this one even more. If you like to watch the quasi-historical Vikings show on the History channel this game is right up your alley.  

 Some people have reported bugs appearing in some of the quest lines. I have not experienced any as of yet, other than my poor play.
There is one 'glitch' or strange developer decision. The game comes with 4 levels of difficulty: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Insane. For anyone like me who is getting pummeled in the beginning, check this setting. By default it starts the game at the Insane level.

Please see my preview of Expeditions: Viking and the Expeditions: Conquistador review.

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2016/10/expeditions-vikings-preview.html

http://www.awargamersneedfulthings.co.uk/2017/02/expedition-conquistador-review.html

Robert

Game: Expeditions Viking

Developer: Logic Artists

Expeditions Conquistador

by

Logic Artists

 This game is the first in the 'Expeditions' games series by Logic Artists. As I play the game, I can hear Procol Harum in my head. In some ways, I feel like I am with Percy Fawcett and looking for the lost city of 'Z', or with a Pizzarro brother in search of El Dorado. Hopefully I won't go as mad as Aguirre in the jungle.

 You start the game with what appears to be be a choice, between Hispaniola or Mexico. Unfortunately Mexico has to be unlocked. You then choose a random name for your character and whether you will be male or female.

 You are then given eight points to add to your characters points in six different categories.

 You can then choose your followers from the following categories: Doctors, Hunters, Scholars, Scouts, and Soldiers. You have thirty-one, and you pick ten out of them. 

 When you arrive in Hispaniola your goods and followers are confiscated by the governor.

 You have to win his favor and also win a mock battle to win back some of your goods and followers.

 Once you have battled and won his favor, it is off to the jungle to explore.

  The mock battle and your side trips around the first town are made much simpler by a very helpful and inclusive tutorial and tips.

  The real crux of the game is in your companions. You must, like Indiana Jones, 'choose wisely'. Your whole game adventure is pretty much a balancing act. Each of your companions has his class (Soldier, Doctor, etc), but he also has individual traits: Racist, Proud, Aggressive, etc. Your followers will not just follow you blindly as in other RPGs. You must judge every action of your own against how each of your followers will react to it. Do you rashly charge into battle or approach it warily?

  Even setting up camp is an involved process. You once again have to balance the different camp duties against your followers traits.

 When it comes to battle it is on a hex grid, which is good. I am not really a fan of 'Battle boards' setup like a chess board, but I am getting used to them. I started gaming with hexes, and will probably end my gaming days that way. 

 Battles are hard; as a matter of fact, the whole game is. I do want to stress this, and the point is this is not a bad thing, but is very good. This game is not a time waster or a simple rock, paper, scissors game. You need to understand that this game really shines when you put enough into it. Along with this is there is really no correct answers or play in any situation. Most of the time it is similar to the Kobayashi Maru scenario. How do you lose, but not too badly?

 The graphics are well done. They are not ones that will put a super computer to shame, but are perfectly suited to the different game areas. The music is even better than the graphics.

 Sometimes before battles you can set traps. These are especially useful with tougher enemies.

 After this, I have staggered back yet again to replenish my supplies and choose who I will heal and who, well you get the picture.

 As others have mentioned, the game is trying to simulate an incredibly harsh environment.  For every Pizarro or Cortes there were ten failed expeditions that ended in starvation, disease, and the cannibals pot. Expeditions Conquistador manages to simulate the age and environment to a 'T'. It will hopefully be the first in a long line of 'Expeditions' games. The preview of 'Expeditions Vikings' was done a bit ago on the blog, and it is looking to raise the bar from 'Expeditions Conquistador'. 


Robert


Game: Expeditions Conquistador
Developer: Logic Artists