Expeditions: Samurai

3 hours in, and it is a very fun game. No graphical issues or bugs that I noticed. The dialogue is well written and I am enjoying the characters. I am missing some of the historical context behind the story though-- I have no idea what a Franciscan is, nor why the Jesuits hate them, for instance. Rome did a better job of explaining that sort of thing, but I guess I'll learn. The combat flows pretty well. If you liked Rome's combat, then you'll probably like this, too. The stealth system took some getting used to, but after playing around with it, I love it. Antje is an excellent scout to soften up the enemy if you're going into an area where you expect a fight. Is it worth the $20 on sale right now? Yes, absolutely. Will it be worth full price after the sale? Yes, if you are okay with early access.

So far I like it but it could be better. Controls for mouse and keyboard are awkward for example. Another problem I've run into is that sometimes during combat the script breaks and the AI just doesn't move. The game Baldur's Gate 3 also has this issue, but there the game will skip the AI's turn if the AI takes too long to do it's turn. I'm sure because the game is in early access and the roadmap does list a lot of pollishing still left to be done, it means issues like these will get fixed in due time. For an average gamer like me it's been good fun so far and I'm looking forward to November when I can play the next act.

The long-awaited sequel to Expeditions: Rome (which was fantastic from my perspective, great tactics gameplay and strategy, interesting branching story, a few weak spots in e.g. the mostly-hated overworld map mechanics which are gone from this one)! Early Access was a bit of a surprise, but not unwelcome. I'll try and come back and update this as I make my way through it, but the bones are good and the developers seem to have a clear vision for what they want from the game (that aligns with what I think players will enjoy) and a pretty solid timeline (full release approximately Q1 2027 isn't that far away); based on the excellence of the last game things look like there is little cause for concern. I've seen enough to recommend so far. The setting is cool, the gameplay is up to snuff and seems to so far take plenty of the good stuff from Rome, and the voice acting, characters, events, and story have all been engaging so far. There's some polish jank, but so far it hasn't been anything Cyberpunk-level, just some UI stuff needing a bit more love and some inconsistent visual design language. Judging by Rome, you'll usually have 3 full acts plus a sort of half-act finale, and so far there is Act 1 only, though I haven't reached it yet. There seems to be a good level of tactical depth available, although no crafting yet. The devs described Act 1 as "feature complete" and that essentially does seem to be the case so far. I also LOVE that they are supporting co-op from the very beginning, even though I will not be using that feature, such games are rare and sadly so. I would caution everyone to strongly ignore the "DEI" type criticisms, which seem misplaced. There's a fun middle ground of historical fiction games where you aren't disrespecting history but also allowing for some interesting, fun, and new stories to be told. So for example, sure, there's a Dutch Carribean ship's doctor who is a woman, and another woman stowaway. The story is loosely based on a real Japanese encounter of Shogun fame, and the people don't instantly accept you. I think that's all totally fair game for a branching-story party-based game like this that offers fun variety in personalities, although so far it doesn't seem like Samurai will go the full Rome route where if you are a female Legata people are regularly sexist to you and it affects certain parts of the story. I think people understand that games are designed to be fun, and so e.g. not every piece of architecture will be perfectly historically accurate, and that's fine all around. A game can be both respectful without being overly purist, and inventive/engaging without pushing an agenda. Versus Rome, they've overhauled the perk and class system a bit, which seems rich with potential, brought in some early firearms and a so-far significantly different array of weapon types, added some stealth (jury's out on it so far, but initial impressions are it's OK), dropped the weird legion fight macro layer no one liked, changed the setting obviously, some tweaks to the art style (it grows on you), and I think later there will be some light village management. All in all, pretty much the sweet spot for new vs old systems as far as I'm concerned.

Great Game, it´s a lot of fun. Altough by now it is just the first part of the story, so don´t expect a full game. It doesn´t have all of the features of Rome yet but still it is very fun and if you like samurai´s and Japan it is definitly a game you should try. The sneaking has also been improved altough there are still some bugs but I am sure that they will be fixed. I have finished the first (and currently only) chapter of the story now after about 5,5 Hours. If you dont want to spend your money right now, wait as the game is set to fully release in March 2027 and the next chapter will come in october. Right now it is mostly a try-out

The developers estimated 6-8 hours of content in the current build, but if you play optional side quests I think it could easily take you twice that amount of time. I played on Insane difficulty and found it provided a decent challenge, but I certainly wouldn't mind if they tweaked most combat encounters to be a bit harder. Pros *Fun tactical combat similar to Expeditions: Rome *Likeable companions *Engaging story with choices & consequences *Great character building system. Developers clearly put a lot of thought into the perks *Stealth system- works pretty well, though it is real-time and I'd personally prefer a turn-based stealth system like in Colony Ship. But I still found it good except for the lack of the ability to pause. Cons *Bugs (as expected with Early Access) there are some bugs, though I didn't encounter anything major or gamebreaking *Controls- you have to use right click for movement and most interactions which feels odd. I had a few misclicks where I wanted to attack and moved instead. Also, outside of combat I occasionally found my clicks didn't register and had to click again. *Some of the perks / class abilities need better explanations. The tooltips do not provide enough info on what they do before you take them. I have seen a lot of complaints about the visuals, in particular the character portraits (this game uses 3D models in dialogue). While I think it is a bit of a downgrade from the high quality portraits in Rome, I also think it is not nearly as bad as some people apparently do. In my opinion it looks better in game than it does in screenshots. I also appreciate that it shows characters reactions with facial expressions and the gear the character is wearing. The developers have stated that everything is a work in progress so I expect it will look better in the future. That said, if visuals are really important to you, you need to have realistic expectations. This is not an AAA game, so it's not going to look like one. Overall I've really enjoyed my time with the game and highly recommend it. If you've enjoyed previous Expeditions games I think there's a great chance you'll enjoy this one.

Pros: - The writing is still good - The combat is also fun Cons: - The portraits need some work - The UI is confusing and there are some annoying bugs Overall, I'd recommend it, but I'm a fan of a series and the genre. If you're hesitant, wait for it to be a bit better, then check it out.

Really good in this early build.The progression and weapons and armor builds i liked a lot,better than rome,in my opinion.The only thing i didnt like where the art style.Rome had an realistic art style that i mutch preferred than this one.other than that, i cant wait for the full release!!

Почему разработчик не может оптимизировать игру до сих пор? Приходится играть на пониженном разрешении в 1280х720 на средних настройках. При этом ещё и сделать лок фпс на 24, чтобы ноут не грелся свыше 85 градусов. Последний Асассин летал на высоких в 60 фпс и все норм было около 73 градусов! Это бред полный разработчик! Сделайте пожалуйста что нибудь с оптимизацией, ну это полное безобразие! Why can't the developer optimize the game yet? I have to play at a reduced resolution of 1280x720 on medium settings. I also have to lock the FPS to 24 to keep my laptop from heating up above 85 degrees Celsius. The last Assassin's Creed fly at 60 FPS and everything was fine, with the temperature around 73 degrees Celsius! This developer is completely nuts! Please do something about optimization. This is a complete disgrace!