Expeditions: Samurai Review Summary

Fun combat, well-written dialogue, and efficient storytelling in an appealing setting, but the art style is widely disliked and it falls short of Expeditions Rome.

Combat system is fun: Multiple reviewers praise the combat system, highlighting its enjoyable mechanics, satisfying feel, and good flow. The tactical turn-based combat is described as excellent and readable, with great depth.

Dialogue is well written: Dialogue is well-written and engaging, with fully voiced lines that are beautifully done for most characters. The dialogue system is well-implemented, with companion reactions based on traits, and conversations carry real weight.

Storytelling is efficient: Storytelling is efficient and good, with a promising story that has a good setup and an intriguing opening. The narrative is engaging so far, with well-written dialogue and exciting choices.

Setting is appealing: The game's setting is highly appealing, with reviewers noting the intriguing Edo period, full of violence, conflict, and intrigue, and the concept of a stranger in a foreign land. The cool setting and map design are also praised.

Characters are entertaining: Characters are considered entertaining and more interesting than expected, with companions being a highlight. Reviewers find them easily recognizable and understandable, and the character animations are improved.

Art style widely disliked: Reviewers consistently criticize the cartoonish art style, comparing it unfavorably to Fortnite, Sea of Thieves, or a poor Wind Waker copy. The visuals are described as jarring, low-resolution, and a downgrade from previous titles.

Inferior to Expeditions Rome: Fans of the previous Expeditions games feel this title is a downgrade in combat, storytelling, graphics, and character customization. The lack of features like army management and overworld maps further disappoints series veterans.

Poor writing and dialogue: The writing is criticized for being cliché-ridden, with un-serious, jokey, and modern-sounding dialogue that breaks immersion. Companion interactions feel forced and underdeveloped, and the main character's choices are often silly or lead to unfair game overs.

Bugs and technical issues: The game suffers from various bugs including crashes, freezes, glitching characters, and interface issues. Some bugs are game-breaking, such as one that forces a combat loop with no fix via save reload, and another that impedes progress entirely.

Historical inaccuracies break immersion: Several players note the inclusion of women sailors and samurai in a 1600s Japanese setting as historically inaccurate, citing the first companion as a black female pirate doctor and a butch woman samurai. These anachronisms undermine the game's claim to historical authenticity.

Turn-based tactical combat: The combat is turn-based and tactical, with strategy elements. It remains similar to previous games in the series, particularly Expeditions: Rome, with some polish and RPG elements.

Historical setting with events: The game is set in a historical period (1600s) in Japan, during the Edo Period, and includes real historical events. Some mention an alternative timeline.

Dialogue-driven experience: Dialogue is a core part of the game, with fully voiced dialogues, character models and portraits, and a system where stats unlock diplomatic options. Companion reactions are based on their traits.

Improved animations and visuals: The game features improved character animations compared to Expeditions: Rome, and combat animations are well done. The visual style is stylized and distinctive, similar to Fortnite or Sea of Thieves, and differs from older titles.

Stealth mechanics new addition: Real-time stealth is a new addition to the series, reminiscent of Shadow Tactics. It can be used as an optional approach and requires some getting used to but is enjoyable.

Game is generally stable: Multiple players report the game runs smoothly, with no crashes, graphical issues, or performance dips, including on laptops and Linux systems. This suggests the game is technically stable for early access.

Shadow preset causes performance issues: Setting the shadow preset to high causes severe performance issues, while setting it to low results in black lines instead of shadows. This indicates a graphical bug that needs fixing.

High technical requirements: The game requires a lot of technical specs, and character creation can feel laggy. This indicates that performance may be demanding for some systems.

Occasional crashes reported: One player experienced two crashes in an hour, but restarting the game fixed it. This is a minor stability issue but not widespread.

Not recommended at current stage: Multiple reviewers caution against buying the game now due to unfinished state. They suggest waiting for improvements or full release before purchase.

Positive conditional recommendation: Some reviewers give a hesitant or conditional recommendation, often tied to enjoying the setting or wanting to support developers. They suggest trying it with refund options if not satisfied.

Worth price on sale: One reviewer says the game is absolutely worth $20 on sale, while another notes it may be worth full price if you are comfortable with early access. This suggests value at a discounted price.

Not for immersive players: One reviewer would not recommend the game for players seeking an immersive experience, implying a lack of depth or polish in that area. This is a niche concern.

Avoid unless loyal fan: A reviewer suggests not buying unless you are a diehard fan of the previous game and want your voice heard, indicating the game may not appeal to a broader audience. This is a narrow recommendation.

Game completion: 5.5h.

Story completion: 5.5h.

The player enjoys the game from the first four hours despite minor initial disappointments and tutorial issues, indicating immediate fun with some early friction.

Friction: initial disappointment about playing a foreigner protagonist; tutorial fails to explain camera controls; excessive lampshading in first hour.

Unlock drivers: understanding the narrative angle that justifies the foreigner perspective.

Expeditions Veteran: Tactical RPG with emphasis on roleplay and meaningful choices, continuing the series tradition. Motivation: To revisit and enjoy the familiar gameplay and setting of the Expeditions series. Stance: buy.

Cautious Pragmatist: Low-risk, cautious approach: try within refund window, accept early access state, and support developers only if setting appeals. Motivation: To experience the game without financial regret and to support promising development. Stance: sale.

Critical Disenchanted: Critically compares the game to its predecessors and other titles, focusing on flaws in dialogue, art style, and immersion. Motivation: Expected a historically immersive, dialogue-rich tactical RPG, but was disappointed by stylistic and mechanical changes. Stance: no buy.

Steam Deck: The game runs flawlessly on Steam Deck/Linux with full controller support, but the user interface text is far too small with no scaling options, creating significant friction for handheld play.

Linux and Proton: User feedback indicates strong Linux/Proton compatibility with no required tweaks or issues.

Comparisons to Expeditions Rome: Many players compare this game to Expeditions: Rome, often unfavorably, citing a lack of heavy storytelling, hard choices, and missing features like army management and customization. Some also note it feels like a downgrade or a familiar but inferior experience compared to previous titles in the series.

Early access concerns: Numerous reviewers highlight that the game is in Early Access, feeling unfinished and offering only 5-6 hours of content (Act 1). Concerns are raised about the risks of Early Access for a single-player RPG, and some suggest waiting for the full release planned for Q1 2027.

Localization language support: The game currently only supports English, despite advertising multiple languages. Several players request German, French, Chinese, or other localizations, noting the lack of language options as a significant drawback.

Historical liberties questioned: The setting in feudal Sengoku-era Japan takes historical liberties, such as having female sailors and a female Dutch Caribbean ship's doctor. While some players accept these changes for fun, others miss the historical context provided in Expeditions: Rome.

Set in feudal Japan: The game is set in 1600s feudal Japan with European characters, a setting many players have always wanted to explore. The setting and map design receive positive mentions, and it draws from real Japanese encounters.