Expeditions: Viking is the next game from Logic Artists, the makers of Expeditions: Conquistador. I had the opportunity to check this game out at PAX East 2016, and again am currently previewing this game before launch sometime during Q1 2017.
The game takes you back to when Vikings ruled, and puts you as the newest appointed chieftain of your tribe. Previously led by your father, you will need to show your strength as a leader quickly, as their are others amongst the tribe who do not feel as though you should lead. What’s great about the game is that while the story seems to (I haven’t completed it, given that the game is fairly lengthy from what I can gather) have a linear path, you have a wide choice of options you can go through to progress that storyline.
As I mentioned earlier, you have recently risen to the leader of your tribe, but one member in particular challenges you for your role. At the celebratory gathering of your “promotion” one of the tribesmen calls you out, and demands you battle him for the right to lead the tribe. You have to face him, but you have several options you can take to prepare. You could opt to visit the local potion maker in town, to attempt to weaken him with poison.
Even then, when you do eventually battle him, one of your closest allies offers to battle in your place. I refused this offer, as I was afraid that if they were to lose in battle (since it would be run via the NPC), they would be dead in that particular save file, and I wouldn’t have them alongside me for the rest of the game. My triumph over the challenger left me with again several options; I could banish him from our tribe, never to return again; I could kill him and end his life right there; or I could recruit him to fight for me, as he proclaimed that his loyalty would never falter from that moment as I had shown my strength to him and succeeded. My decision to keep him alongside me was more because a good fighter amongst my group is always a valuable thing, and in this situation the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.
Without giving too much away about the rest of the game, I’d rather just talk about the game instead. For an RPG game that mixes heavy strategy and combat, it is really enjoyable. In full transparency these aren’t games I would normally play (the RPG games I play are the Tales series, Zelda, and Pokemon), so for me the perfect window of playing is between 1.5-2 hours at a time before I feel like I need a change of pace. That said, for the 1-2 hours I am playing it I do like the game, I just have trouble with games that tend to progress at a slower pace, because you control the pace of the game. If you want to venture off and complete side quests, or take a particularly complex path towards completing your objective, it will certainly extend your gameplay. That’s a positive and a negative, depending on your viewpoint. The safer bet might be to complete several side quests before tackling the main objective, so that the end result (as all your choices have consequences) is most beneficial to you. Opting to just hit the ground running head on might lead you to several battles, or potentially losing members of your team along the way.
The ultimate take-away is that the game will offer a ton of enjoyment to those who enjoy Vikings, and a really story driven RPG experience. Keep your eyes peeled for it’s release soon, and if you want you can follow the game’s progress on their website! Also, you might want to follow the game or add it to your wish list on Steam.
Source: Logic Artists
-Written by Andrew (@SoAfterISaid)
