Info about Expeditions: Samurai:

Official game description:
Expeditions: Samurai is an expansive roleplaying game set in our world during **real historical events**, with an intricate, branching story and a **vibrant cast of characters**. At every turn, you will be faced with life-or-death choices that will challenge your resolve.
Create the character you want to be and choose your own path through history. Even the smallest of your decisions can have **far-reaching consequences** for yourself, your crew, and - in many cases - the people of Japan.
**In the year 1600**, the navigator William Adams arrived in Japan. He would soon become the first European granted the title of "Samurai".
In Expeditions: Samurai, William Adams never leaves England; **_you_** will beat Adams to the punch and sail to Japan aboard **the Dutch frigate De Albatros**.
You arrive in Japan as the newly elected leader of a motley crew of privateers and are quickly swept up in an ongoing **civil war** that is nearing its climax. Navigate the politics, intrigue, and **drama of feudal Japan** as you and your crew catch the attention of powerful warlords whose struggle will determine the future of the nation.
Every crewmate has their own story to uncover - if you manage to **earn their trust**. Build your relationship with each companion into a meaningful friendship, a lifelong rivalry, or possibly even **a new love**.
Outnumbered but never outgunned, engage your enemies on your own terms in a **fast and freeing turn-based combat** system where movement, attacks, and interruptions can all play out simultaneously.
Use **stealth and clever gadgets** to toy with your opponents. Split up your team to position them in real-time and set up devastating ambushes. Utilize a vast array of weapons and abilities to maintain the upper hand - from mainstays of the pirate arsenal to iconic Japanese weapons.
**Craft your own items** and experiment with different loadouts to survive deadly and diverse enemies.
For the first time ever in an Expeditions game, experience the tense combat and deeply branching narrative of Expeditions: Samurai in **drop-in/drop-out co-op**. Play in single-player as your own Captain Flynn, or invite your friend and play as a pair of twins.
In co-op, talking to characters at the same time lets you wrestle for control of important decisions or compete for a companion's affections. **Coordinate sneak attacks or clever combat maneuvers**; throw a distracting firecracker at just the right time to let your partner sneak past a sentry, or execute a flawlessly timed **double stealth takedown**.

Release date: Aug 7, 2026

Categories: Tactical RPG, Turn-based Combat, Stealth Gameplay, Choice-based Narrative, Cooperative Multiplayer, Character Progression, Historical Setting

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well on Proton; summary: User feedback indicates strong Linux/Proton compatibility with no required tweaks or issues.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Playable with major UI issues; summary: 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.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 5.5h
  - Story completion: 5.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The first quote directly states completing all current content in 5.5 hours, establishing a game completion time. The second quote estimates 5-6 hours for Act 1's quests, which represents the playable story content in early access, supporting a similar story completion time. Both metrics are set to 5.5 hours as a precise midpoint of the reported range. No reliable data exists for average session length or endgame content, so those are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The player enjoys the game from the first four hours despite minor initial disappointments and tutorial issues, indicating immediate fun with some early friction.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - 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
  - Conditions: N/A
- Player Archetypes:
  - Expeditions Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: To revisit and enjoy the familiar gameplay and setting of the Expeditions series.
    - Playstyle: Tactical RPG with emphasis on roleplay and meaningful choices, continuing the series tradition.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Expeditions: Rome
  - Cautious Pragmatist (sale)
    - Motivation: To experience the game without financial regret and to support promising development.
    - Playstyle: Low-risk, cautious approach: try within refund window, accept early access state, and support developers only if setting appeals.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Critical Disenchanted (no buy)
    - Motivation: Expected a historically immersive, dialogue-rich tactical RPG, but was disappointed by stylistic and mechanical changes.
    - Playstyle: Critically compares the game to its predecessors and other titles, focusing on flaws in dialogue, art style, and immersion.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Zelda Wind Waker


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Combat system is fun (weight 0.68): 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 (weight 0.54): 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 (weight 0.51): 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 (weight 0.45): 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 (weight 0.45): 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.
- Game is very fun (weight 0.41): Overall, the game is considered very fun and enjoyable, with engaging gameplay that is quick to learn. Several reviews mention the game being entertaining and satisfying.
- Feels like Expeditions: Rome (weight 0.38): Reviewers note the game feels familiar to Expeditions: Rome in a good way, retaining the great tactical gameplay and strategy. Fans of the franchise are eager to play, and it satisfies the Expeditions itch.
- Battle system improved (weight 0.26): The battle system is well-received and improved from Expeditions: Rome, with combat being polished and more RPG-like. This enhancement adds tactical depth and makes fights complex and fun.
- Has player choice consequences (weight 0.25): The game features consequences for player actions, with decisions coming frequently and unpredictable outcomes. This makes choices exciting and gives weight to conversations, enhancing the RPG experience.
- Combat animations are satisfying (weight 0.19): Combat animations are specifically praised as good and satisfying, contributing to the overall enjoyable combat experience. The animations enhance the feel of the battles.
- Great tactical depth (weight 0.19): There is a good level of tactical depth available, and the tactical turn-based combat is excellent and very readable. The combat is well-received and engaging.
- Progression is more complex (weight 0.19): The progression system is more complex and RPG-like, allowing freedom in character building despite the class system. This adds depth to the gameplay.
- Many voiced dialogues (weight 0.19): All dialogues are fully and quality voiced, which enhances the immersion and overall experience. Voice acting is beautifully done for most characters, including NPCs and merchants.
- Great launch price (weight 0.18): The launch price is excellent, making the game worth buying, especially for fans of previous games. It is considered a good deal.
- Co-op support praised (weight 0.11): Co-op support from the beginning is praised, adding value to the game. This is a feature that enhances the multiplayer experience.

Common complaints:
- Art style widely disliked (weight 0.93): 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 (weight 0.86): 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 (weight 0.86): 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 (weight 0.64): 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 (weight 0.54): 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.
- Clunky controls and navigation (weight 0.52): Players report unresponsive mouse controls, clunky movement, and pathfinding issues, with commands sometimes not registering. Entering/exiting stealth and doors can be problematic, and camera controls are not well explained.
- Story and prologue rushed (weight 0.5): The prologue is rushed, with a predictable twist and forced character introductions, making it hard to invest in the story. The narrative is linear, cliché-ridden, and not fleshed out, with a setting that feels overused and not authentically Japanese.
- UI is cluttered and confusing (weight 0.45): Multiple reviews describe the interface as messy, unintuitive, and stressful, with inconsistent visual design and hard-to-distinguish elements. The UI issues detract from usability and overall polish.
- Companions underdeveloped (weight 0.45): Companions are introduced too quickly, feel stereotyped, and lack depth, making it hard to care about them. The player can't ask them for information about Japan, and their reactions can be illogical.
- Visual and audio polish lacking (weight 0.43): Graphics are low-resolution and blurry with haze filters, and the world feels empty and lifeless. A vendor lacked voice-over, and the visual design language is inconsistent, with portraits that bug out and disappear.
- Content sparse and early access (weight 0.42): The game feels like a demo or barebones, with only about 5.5 hours of content and only the prologue available in early access. The story is not fleshed out enough to justify early access, and there are no achievements yet.
- Leveling system confusing (weight 0.4): The skills/leveling system is chaotic and unstructured, splitting points between Perks and Abilities without clear guidance. There is no way to reset, and mechanics like restoration are not explained, leading to fights starting at low health.
- Character identity and setting mismatch (weight 0.38): The protagonist is an English crew member rather than a Japanese character, and the first samurai met is a woman, which feels out of place. The setting, based on the 1980s TV series Shogun, is overused and does not show interesting moments from a Japanese perspective.
- Underwhelming character creation (weight 0.35): Character creation is limited with few options, lacks Asian appearance choices, and is generally worse than in Expeditions: Rome. Male and female characters look nearly identical, and portraits are cartoonish and non-distinctive.
- Movement and interaction issues (weight 0.35): Clicking to move sometimes doesn't work, and interacting with highlighted objects may do nothing. Navigation feels slightly irritating, and characters glitch through buildings, adding to the frustration.
- Limited language options (weight 0.3): The game is currently only available in English, despite advertising multiple languages, and lacks Chinese localization. This is a significant barrier for non-English-speaking players.
- Modern humor and tone clash (weight 0.28): The writing sets a poor tone with Marvel-like jokes, sitcom humor, and sarcastic millennial dialogue that breaks immersion. This modern sensibility conflicts with the historical setting and detracts from the serious storytelling expected.
- Tutorials poorly timed (weight 0.17): Tutorials pop up as text windows at inconvenient moments, such as during conversations, stealing focus. Additionally, the tutorial fails to explain certain controls, like holding the scroll button to change camera angles.
- Economy and looting cumbersome (weight 0.16): Looting and selling items is cumbersome, and the barter system is strange because item values are unclear. This makes managing inventory a tedious chore.

Gameplay feedback:
- Turn-based tactical combat (weight 0.74): 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 (weight 0.45): 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 (weight 0.42): 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 (weight 0.4): 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 (weight 0.38): 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.
- RPG with multiple options (weight 0.38): The game is an RPG where combat is one of several options, alongside dialogue, stealth, and choices. It is described as a mix of Baldur's Gate 3 and Shadow Tactics.
- Sequel to Expeditions Rome (weight 0.38): The game is a sequel to Expeditions: Rome, with systems inherited and slightly improved. It is a continuation of the franchise.
- Story with choices (weight 0.37): The game has a story with choices, difficult decisions, and consequences that can be unclear. Choices in dialogue can lead to game over, and the story features a foreigner as the main character.
- Complex progression and systems (weight 0.35): Progression has become more complex, making the game more RPG-like, with a skills/leveling system, a barter system, and a perk and class system overhauled from Rome. However, mechanics are introduced all at once rather than gradually.
- Character customization options (weight 0.25): Players can choose between a male and female protagonist, with four starting classes and freedom to build characters with any skills. Companions can also be assigned to any class.
- Early access and missing features (weight 0.23): The game is in early access, and there is no crafting system yet. Light village management is planned for later.
- Combat complexity and flow (weight 0.23): Combat flows well and feels good, with complex fights. It includes early firearms and a different array of weapon types, but the legion fight macro layer from Rome has been removed.
- Interesting characters and companions (weight 0.17): The characters are interesting and diverse, and companions can be used for specific roles like scouting. Their reactions to player choices add depth.

Performance notes:
- Game is generally stable (weight 0.31): 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 (weight 0.2): 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 (weight 0.17): 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 (weight 0.09): One player experienced two crashes in an hour, but restarting the game fixed it. This is a minor stability issue but not widespread.

Recommendations:
- Not recommended at current stage (weight 0.51): 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 (weight 0.25): 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 (weight 0.18): 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 (weight 0.09): 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 (weight 0.08): 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.
- DEI criticisms misplaced (weight 0.07): One reviewer warns against dismissing the game for 'DEI' reasons, calling such criticism misplaced. This is a non-gameplay external comment with limited value.

Other player notes:
- Comparisons to Expeditions Rome (weight 0.78): 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 (weight 0.78): 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 (weight 0.51): 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 (weight 0.42): 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 (weight 0.4): 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.
- Art style controversy (weight 0.32): The art style is described as blurry, washed out, or distinctive compared to other Unreal Engine games, with mixed opinions. Some find it grows on them, while others see it as low-budget, and it doesn't always stand out during gameplay.
- Gameplay feels diluted (weight 0.32): Some reviewers feel the game is a diluted mix of Better games like Baldur's Gate 3, Shadow Tactics, and XCOM, without reaching their quality. It compares unfavorably to these titles, suggesting it falls short of the high standards set by genre leaders.
- Technical performance mixed (weight 0.3): Performance varies, with some experiencing smooth runs and few bugs, while others encounter interface issues and minor glitches. Works on Linux without compatibility settings, and has controller support.
- Weak stealth mechanics (weight 0.25): The developers promoted stealth as a selling point, but it is currently weak, with firearms being effective for stealthy takedowns because noise draws enemies. A reviewer suggests looking at Colony Ship's stealth system as a better example.
- Character choices problematic (weight 0.23): The game is implied to be ruined by character choices, and there is a lack of the sexism present in Rome. Some negative reviews focus on diverse characters, but a reviewer counters that this is not a valid issue.
- Price consideration (weight 0.21): The game is on sale for $20, and some reviewers consider it worth full price if Early Access is accepted, while others wait for the 1.0 version.
- Not recommended at current stage (weight 0.19): The game is currently not recommended due to its Early Access state and unfinished nature. Some reviewers note that with fixes, the basis of a good game is present, but it's advised to wait for full release.
- Better than BG3 comparison (weight 0.16): Some reviewers point out that the game is more like XCOM than BG3 and is not and will not be Baldur's Gate 3, setting different expectations.
- Combines series best features (weight 0.16): Comparisons to previous series entries like Rome and Conquistador note that the game combines their best features, appealing to long-time fans.
- Early access includes bugs (weight 0.14): Early Access is likened to a QA test, with minor bugs mostly in the interface and menu, and one reviewer encountered a bug requiring a restart.
- Empty game world (weight 0.11): The game world is described as empty, flat, and dead, with NPCs standing like mannequins. This makes the environment feel lifeless and reduces immersion.
- Lack of companion bonding (weight 0.09): The protagonist spends months at sea with companions, but the player doesn't get to know them, reducing narrative investment.
- Co-op support available (weight 0.09): The game supports co-op from the beginning, which is a notable feature for a single-player RPG.
- Low-budget production (weight 0.09): The game feels like a low-budget Embracer production, with a blurry, washed-out art style and overall lack of polish.
- Review bombing dismissed (weight 0.08): Some negative reviews are based on diverse characters, but one reviewer counters that this is not a valid issue, dismissing review bombing motivations.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.31): Players feel a significant drop in quality compared to Expeditions: Rome, citing poor graphics, empty world design, and a disjointed gameplay mix. The game lacks features like army management, localization, and historical authenticity, while the art style and characters feel cartoonish and out of place.
- Frustration (weight 0.24): Frustration stems from clunky controls, unintuitive UI, pathfinding bugs that break stealth, and progress-blocking issues. The linear story with harsh consequences, small text, and lack of language options also hinder immersion, while the early access prologue limits content.
- Excitement (weight 0.1): Excitement is driven by the sequel to Expeditions: Rome and the intriguing Edo period setting, with players anticipating future content and the full 2027 release. The game's start is promising, offering complex choices and battles that generate enthusiasm.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.1): Players enjoy the fun combat system, well-written dialogue, and appealing setting, with the tactical turn-based battles being highly readable. The graphics also match some players' tastes, contributing to a positive experience despite minor flaws.
- Annoyance (weight 0.06): Annoyance arises from tutorials popping up at inconvenient times, a clunky console UI, and unexplained controls. Buggy character portraits and historical inaccuracies, such as women on 1600s ships, further irritate players.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.06): Satisfaction comes from gameplay improvements over Rome, satisfying combat, and a flawless performance on Linux. The launch price is also seen as excellent, making the early access feel like a good start.
- Confusion (weight 0.06): Confusion results from unexplained mechanics and overwhelming tutorial information, leaving players uncertain about the game's identity and quality. Historical references like Franciscans and Jesuits also puzzle some, and the UI feels odd compared to the rest.
- Displeasure (weight 0.06): Displeasure is caused by a clashing art style and shallow characters, despite voice acting. The inclusion of non-Japanese female characters in a Japanese setting feels out of place and breaks immersion.
- Disapproval (weight 0.06): Disapproval stems from being forced to play as a European in Japan, which undermines the samurai fantasy. Unreasonable companion reactions to politeness and cartoonish graphics also draw criticism.
- Disgust (weight 0.04): Disgust is triggered by the horrendous art style, poor dialogue choices, and forced diversity that feels historically inaccurate for a samurai game. These elements severely detract from the experience.
- Liking (weight 0.04): Players like the game due to enjoyable gameplay, visuals, dialogue, characters, story, and combat. Overall, the positive elements outweigh the flaws for these reviewers.
- Irritation (weight 0.02): Irritation is mainly due to somewhat irritating character navigation, which disrupts the flow of gameplay.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Anger arises from the game being English-only, which the reviewer finds unacceptable, limiting accessibility and enjoyment.
- Dislike (weight 0.02): Dislike is driven by the bad art style, horrible character appearances, and forced character and story choices, which fail to resonate with players.
- Dissatisfaction (weight 0.02): Dissatisfaction stems from the player being unhappy with how their character turned out, likely due to limited customization or narrative options.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight comes from enjoyable voice acting and character interactions, which enhance the overall experience.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise is triggered by unexpected consequences of early decisions, such as a merchant overcharging, which adds depth to the game's choices.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is shown for the inclusion of co-op support from the start, which enhances the game's value.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is expressed for the stealth system after players get used to it, indicating a positive learning curve.
- Approval (weight 0.02): Approval is given for the overall positive impression from combat, story, and characters, indicating a well-rounded experience.}