You open your eyes to the sound of creaking wood and sloshing water. Groggily you slide out of bed, and into your weathered boots. You take a swig of the flask that‘s slung over the shoulder of the chair that stands in front of your desk. You look through the window from your captain’s quarter and find a bright open ocean through the glass paired with the blue sky. Suddenly, a seagull flies past, jostling you from your dreamy gaze and makes you clamber towards the same said glass. ‘Seagulls… That means…’ before you could even finish your thought, and as if telepathically linked with the poor sap that is perched in the crow’s nest? The words “LAAAND HOOO” can be heard, followed by the sound of scurrying feet on the deck. You hurry out of the door, the bright sun shining on your sea salt blasted skin and squint… In the distance, unknown lands come rolling over the horizon, and in the pit of your stomach, you know… This is going to be a curious expedition.
Yes, if you’ve ever heard of this title? Then it wouldn’t surprise me one bit. Officially released on the PC market, Curious Expedition makes its grand entrance on the console market. Now, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought because I enjoyed it on the PC. But something drove me to test this one out. Out for a couple of months now, I thought. What better time for me to write a story about this one, now! Now that Fall has officially made its way into our lives, wouldn’t it be great to dig through our massive game store and find some … curious … games for you to play? Well, search no further weary travelers! Curious Expedition places you at the helm of some of the most famous explorers out there and makes it a race for riches and fame between your fellow kinsmen. In a game that relies heavily on RNG, you’ll set off for distant lands in search of its riches and spoils.
Now, don’t be deceived by the game‘s simple looks. Because it’s far from easy! Curious Expedition is as brutal as it is fun. Gameplay-wise, you’ll be steering your crew through all sorts of biomes, spanning from mountains and lush forests all the way to snow-covered slopes and deserts wastelands. All while trying to survive and find that lost temple where your main prize (and victory lies). Now, all along the way, you’ll have to manage your resources, be it from food and water to medicine and ammunition for your weaponry. If you’re running low? You could always try to find hidden oasis‘s, or go to a native village. Depending on how you do, you can barter and trade for supplies, sometimes you’ll get the option to try and steal some, or even fight for the town‘s goods.
But, pick your battles wisely. Especially against wild animals. A wound could maybe look innocent now, but if you don’t treat ‘m immediate? There’s a high probability that down the line and during your travel, your wound that looked like a small cut? Could become gangrenous and cost you more than just a medkit. Also, try to keep your company’s morale high, because deserters could suddenly run away, nicking half of your food supplies and/or ammo.
Another fun part about Curious Expedition is the fact that your journeys can bring along random events. These will most undoubtedly bring along some nasty side effects though. But if you manage to survive? Those events will bring extra gold and/or fame when you travel back to your country and sell them off. So be wise about how you play the game. But one thing you can rest assured of.
Don’t expect to survive your first few runs. Curious Expedition is tailored in such a way that it teaches you how to play in a hard way The game’s combat is also a nice recall to the old board game style of play. You roll the dice, and choose the ones that would suit you the best. But, don’t forget! Your company does best if you’ve got characters that have a wide variety of skills. Skills, translate into dice. These dice are your bread and butter. If you’ve got a company that is made up solely out of fighters, you’ll end up losing either way, since there is no one proficient in healing or trading. So, make a wise choice about who you bring along for the ride!
Curious Expedition is a fun game that brings you back to the old tabletop style of games. Where exploration is key, but on a time crunch. Where building your company is as important as having a wise distribution of skills and supplies. Where combat runs on luck and your starting choices result in a win or loss at the end of the day. I would recommend this one to any and all that love ‘ye olde’ games or are on the look-out for a challenge that they won’t forget. Keep in mind that the graphics are pixelated, but, that shouldn’t be a reason for you NOT to try this amazing game out!