A Journey of Discovery
Throughout history mankind has discovered distant lands, ancient cultures and alluring treasures hidden within the wild blue yonder. From Amelia Earhart to Charles Darwin, our history is studded with these pioneers of the modern world. In Curious Expedition by developer Maschinen-Mensch you are put into the shoes of some of the most noteworthy individuals in history as you brave lands unknown in search of fame and glory. You are not the only intrepid adventurer on this quest, however, as you are pitted against rivals who also seek the same fortune as you. As a roguelite, each adventure you go on will offer new experiences and stories to behold which make each expedition feel unique to your story of enduring discovery.
Braving the Wilds
Curious Expedition is all about finding the Golden Pyramids in each region, along with any other treasures you can find. After picking a historical figure and their own unique party you set off from England into the unknown regions of the world in a race to see which of the 5 explorers can find their objective first. While there is no multiplayer to speak of, the score given at the end of each expedition on the hex-tiled maps takes into account your placement among your rivals as you gain bonuses for finding your pyramid before they do. Along the way you will encounter various tribes, shrines, wildlife and a myriad of other happenings that alter your journey in profound ways.
Meeting indigenous peoples, braving numerous perils of the wilds and suffering the consequences of desecrating the land in search of fame and fortune all come standard in your Curious Expedition. The satisfying journal entries following each event feel like chapters in an ongoing story. This experience fits nicely on the Switch, as the pixel art visuals and slow paced gameplay works well with the portability of the console to create a nice on-the-go storybook style experience. Achieving success, however, requires careful planning and understanding of the pace of the game. Even on normal difficulty it can be a challenge to brave the unknown lands as even small miscalculations in supplies or exploration can lead to catastrophic results.
With Peril comes Profit
While the difficulty is not akin to the likes of grand strategy titles such as Age of Wonders: Planetfall nor is it as cryptic as the more intense survival games such as Don’t Starve, there is a very real learning curve in Strange Expedition that is not immediately apparent through your tutorial experience. There are quite a few elements that must be balanced in order to simply survive in the untamed wilds. Sanity is the most apparent, as it goes down with every step you take, but other mechanics such as loyalty, your standing with the locals, the fame garnered from successful expeditions and even conflict within your own party must be planned for and managed lest it spell the end of your expedition or even the entire playthrough. Securing treasures for profit or fame is another careful decision to be made, as money yields supplies but fame will attract willing explorers to your cause.
The feeling is never one of crushing defeat, as the game offers plenty of achievement milestones and unlockable explorers to keep things fresh, but the rush to find the Golden Pyramid and the consequences of not doing so makes going for these rewards a compromising endeavor. On top of these dangers, combat and other feats of adventuring require a cryptic dice-roll combo system where combining different dice results in different abilities. This will also have an effect on managing your party, as each member and even certain items such as guns add to the dice pool. This seems interesting on the surface until you realize that combos are so few and far between you will simply end up relying on one or two dependable combinations to take down foes in combat.
The Road of Least Resistance
While Curious Expedition holds a fair amount interesting mechanics, immersive dialogue, and a fair learning curve there is little opportunity to enjoy these elements in depth. Not finding your Golden Pyramid in a timely manner results in difficulty during your next expedition, as the amount of fame gained from successful adventures is not worth the sacrifice if you are looking to come out on top. This makes the game feel less about exploration and more like a time trial, which is unfortunate when there is so much to discover and experience within the huge maps you are sent to. This will result in starting your game over if you are one or two failed expeditions into your playthrough. The compass given to you as your guide to the pyramid doesn’t always lead you into the right direction, as other treasures can affect where it points which can lead your party to certain doom. These small frustrations add up quickly and can make the experience a rather draining one.
While you may find yourself engrossed in the fantasy presented by Curious Expedition the game never allows you the time to fully enjoy the lovingly crafted elements within it. The slow pace of the game gives you time to carefully plan your moves, but you will be so focused on finding your Golden Pyramid for the fame it yields that you may never get to experience the breadth of what this title has to offer. Curious Expedition is a title that may tickle the fancy of certain people and is a very lovingly crafted experience, but the conflicted nature of the game makes it hard to appreciate it all. Check it out if it’s on sale but steer clear of paying full price.
