Expeditions: Viking Previews
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We've rounded up a number of previews for Logic Artists' upcoming strategic exploration/tactical combat RPG, Expeditions: Viking. This viking-themed sequel to Expeditions: Conquistador is aiming at a first quarter of 2017 release, so now's as good time as any to learn a thing or two about it.
RPGWatch:
Impressions
My initial impressions of Expeditions: Viking were very positive and it reminded me of many things I liked about Expeditions: Conquistador, but with a more elaborate story, deeper and more developed NPCs, and just as many (if not more) important choices. On the other hand, I found that these come at the cost of exploration. I'd say this is neither bad nor good, and maybe unavoidable. It, along with the more flexible character building, makes Vikings feel much more like an RPG than its predecessor. That is despite the fact that all of Conquistador's strategy elements are still present, and a number of new ones have even been added. Logic Artists has created another interesting historical RPG and I'm really looking forward to how the finished product turns out.
In fact, one of the biggest issues I had during the time I spent with Expeditions: Viking was with this thematic dissonance between the game’s mechanics and setting. Thinking about Norse combat, my brain conjures up: brutal, vicious, visceral, primal. The game supplies me with slow, thoughtful, turn based and sterile. The characters are distinct and developed but feel a little bit too cheery and steeped in recognisable themes and caricature for my taste. The story does utilise the location, confusing names and rites of Viking society, but the rest of the game sadly doesn’t really follow suit, leading to a bit of a disjointed atmosphere.
All in all though, there’s quite a bit to look forward to in the impending release of Expeditions: Viking, especially when it comes to getting the feel of minor leadership and story freedom. While the game still needs some polish and I have some concerns about thematic unity and the lacklustre combat system, overall it feels like something worth getting excited about. For a game that puts you personally in charge of your own little nation, I have some pretty high expectations for this one.
Final Thoughts
My overall impression of Expeditions: Viking's preview is positive. The writing is solid, but needs to be supported by slightly more interesting quests. I think one reason why I would rate Conquistador a bit higher in this area is that I never got to see any CYOA sequences. As stated, the developers have confirmed they'll be in for the final game.
Another thing that I preferred in the first game is the exploration. It just doesn't feel the same now that they've tossed away the 3D world map for a 2D map with the locations being separate instances.
The game's combat mechanics are solid and the story battles are fun, though I suspect that the feeling of repetition will eventually set in just like it did in the first game. I like the character progression system, even though many skills and abilities were unavailable in this version. It seems to me that Viking is going to have a little bit more in the way of character customization than its predecessor. I also like that you gain skill points for finishing quests.
I can't really offer any further thoughts about the village upgrade system, but I do know that it will play a more important role as you progress further into the game.
I encountered many technical issues and bugs during my playthrough. My characters would become invisible or unable to move. NPCs would become invisible as well. I had a couple of freezes. Unintentionally sequence breaking a particular quest broke it, making it impossible to complete. Another quest I completed and was then offered it again. I'm not too worried about this though, as the preview build appears to be an alpha version. I had no problems with the first game when I played it, and I expect all of these issues to be ironed out for the final release.
Those are the usual preview quibbles and most are noted as being actively addressed, so no major scares there. For the most part, Expeditions: Viking seems to be following the traditional videogame sequel path of refining aspects of the original within a brand new setting. After surprising and delighting people with Conquistador, a chance to follow up that game with a rugged, robust party-RPG-meets-hex-combat in the Viking mold is no less than Logic Artists deserve.
While it might not seem like much looking at screenshots and the like, there's a fully-fledged RPG lying in wait with Expeditions: Viking that's surprisingly welcoming to newcomers. If you're even remotely invested in this historical period and have never checked out a strategy RPG before, this might be a good place to start.
On top of that, there are a couple of video previews by Cosmic Engine and Comlete Nonsense Reviews up on YouTube.
