The game launched with a rocky start, with plethora of bugs that plagued it. 3 months later, however, the developers managed to get most if not all of the game breaking bugs out.

the game itself is really great. it's a great turn based RPG akin to its previous entry Expeditions: conquistadors. you fight in a hex-grid battlefield with several people. with great, engaging gameplay and well written, personal story it is worth to dip your time into.

the gameplay itself consist of combat and exploration. while abandoning the old conquistador's exploration format, i welcome the new, more classic rpg like exploration. instead of big overworld map, there are locations with its own map you can visit. you cannot camp anywhere anymore, instead you take over campsites from unwary travellers. despite the format change, the survival/management elements still exist and arguably are more complex if you count the excellent camping system that allows you to heal and rest your party.

with this format change, however, it feel less like an epic exploration that conquistador's grand expedition feeling. the random encounters are noticeably less numerous and less varied. that said, the trade between grand exploration and a location map that you can explore, NPC's to interact, secrets you can discover are a fair trade that make Expedition: Vikings isn't a re-skinned version of conquistadors.

the story itself is simple. your clan is in danger, other clans turn their backs on you, so you have to sail across the sea to gain allies and resources. in the vast island of brittania, you will encounter intrigue, plots, politics and everything that entails. ally yourself with certain faction to seal your alliance, or trample them all beneath your mighty vikings boots and pillage their wealth.

in its simplicity, there is beauty though. you don't set out on a grand adventure to defeat evil, you're forced to set sail to save your family. the story is supported with excellent writing and great moments, and reinforced with choices and consequences that entails. the quests and choices are done pretty well in this game, and more often you will make alot of uncomfortable actions in the world of gray morals.

with 2 major factions in play and plethora of quests that can be solved in a different way, Expeditions: Vikings is a highly replayable game. you might want to try to at least finish the game twice to try out the story of each majaor factions.

the characters are well balanced, with their own stories and personalities. unlike the characters in conquistadors, they're more developed, feel like a person instead a pawn. the trade though, is the lack of variety of characters that you can bring. in conquistadors, your first and second playtroughs can consist of totally different characters, and backstory. in vikings, the exchange for freedom are rewarded with the more detailed characters and their story arcs, although your first and second playtrough will consist of more or less the same people with the same player character backstory. you're always the firstborn of gunnolf, your parents, village, your childhood friends are all predetermined and there are not alot of wiggle room ro create your own character backstory. is the exchange worth it? other types of players might say not, but i think it is a great direction to bring the game into.

it is still a shame that the game launched with such a bad condition, but after the hard work by developer constant patching, listening to community feedback, i think it is a good time to finally set sail gain into the lands of Expedition: Vikings. there will still be updates, fixes, tweaks to come and the long promised ironman mode, etc.

The game launched with a rocky start, with plethora of bugs that plagued it. 3 months later, however, the developers managed to get most if not all of the game breaking bugs out. the game itself is really great. it's a great turn based RPG akin to its previous entry Expeditions: conquistadors. you fight in a hex-grid battlefield with several people. with great, engaging gameplay and well written, personal story it is worth to dip your time into. the gameplay itself consist of combat and exploration. while abandoning the old conquistador's exploration format, i welcome the new, more classic rpg like exploration. instead of big overworld map, there are locations with its own map you can visit. you cannot camp anywhere anymore, instead you take over campsites from unwary travellers. despite the format change, the survival/management elements still exist and arguably are more complex if you count the excellent camping system that allows you to heal and rest your party. with this format change, however, it feel less like an epic exploration that conquistador's grand expedition feeling. the random encounters are noticeably less numerous and less varied. that said, the trade between grand exploration and a location map that you can explore, NPC's to interact, secrets you can discover are a fair trade that make Expedition: Vikings isn't a re-skinned version of conquistadors. the story itself is simple. your clan is in danger, other clans turn their backs on you, so you have to sail across the sea to gain allies and resources. in the vast island of brittania, you will encounter intrigue, plots, politics and everything that entails. ally yourself with certain faction to seal your alliance, or trample them all beneath your mighty vikings boots and pillage their wealth. in its simplicity, there is beauty though. you don't set out on a grand adventure to defeat evil, you're forced to set sail to save your family. the story is supported with excellent writing and great moments, and reinforced with choices and consequences that entails. the quests and choices are done pretty well in this game, and more often you will make alot of uncomfortable actions in the world of gray morals. with 2 major factions in play and plethora of quests that can be solved in a different way, Expeditions: Vikings is a highly replayable game. you might want to try to at least finish the game twice to try out the story of each majaor factions. the characters are well balanced, with their own stories and personalities. unlike the characters in conquistadors, they're more developed, feel like a person instead a pawn. the trade though, is the lack of variety of characters that you can bring. in conquistadors, your first and second playtroughs can consist of totally different characters, and backstory. in vikings, the exchange for freedom are rewarded with the more detailed characters and their story arcs, although your first and second playtrough will consist of more or less the same people with the same player character backstory. you're always the firstborn of gunnolf, your parents, village, your childhood friends are all predetermined and there are not alot of wiggle room ro create your own character backstory. is the exchange worth it? other types of players might say not, but i think it is a great direction to bring the game into. it is still a shame that the game launched with such a bad condition, but after the hard work by developer constant patching, listening to community feedback, i think it is a good time to finally set sail gain into the lands of Expedition: Vikings. there will still be updates, fixes, tweaks to come and the long promised ironman mode, etc.