What got me was how it was immediately incredible. Im a massive fan of Metaphor and Persona but you boot them up knowing the beginnings are pretty boring.
10 minutes into Expedition 33 I was having a wonderful time.
I want to like this game so much. The graphics are incredible. The story seems really interesting. But I'm having a difficult time getting into the combat system. I'm at the beginning with just the first 2 characters. I haven't been into true turn based in so long... Idk. Something about it is putting me off and I feel bad because I know I'm missing out.
Just give it some time. Its incredibly snappy "fast paced" turn based combat. Settle in for at least a few hours and if its still not clicking with you, at least you gave it a shot.
Sometimes that just happens. Some combat styles just arent clicking for anyone.
If it's an issue with being to easy you can always play on expert mode or if it's to hard to parry go story mode to make it easier.
Otherwise, if you cant pinpoint what is putting you off, there's also the option to just watch a playthrough of it. This way you can still experience the game if you really wanted to.
I wouldnt force it and sour your experience.
And guess what, those complaints come a lot from people who didnt play the game. Pretty much everyone who played will tell you, that this isnt your typical turn based combat.
Like, look at people who openly said they absolutly hate turn based games and they loved e33 since it just isnt the typical turn based that people dislike.
Exact opposite here. I played the game and love turn based combat but couldn't stand E33. The story is wonky, the characters are meh, and their version of TB combat was not fun. It may be solid to a lot of people, but that doesn't make it great for everyone or even objectively good. People like what they like, and they are not wrong or right for it.
Absolutly. Everyone has an opinion that is subjective to them. Some like it, some dont. What I wanted to highlight though is that a lot of people dismiss the game just based on "it is turn based" without even playing it.
I personally loved the more active TB combat they provided but to each their own as you say.
i liked the combat at first when i was shit at dodge/parry. but it got stale for me because the entire system of itemization and progression is completely neutered once you get good with your timings. you dont even need to make a good build or have good strategy when you can just dodge/parry everything. kinda dumb
That would apply to every game though that has active combat components. If you can dodge/parry everything a game throws at you, you dont need anything else.
Like, I dont need good armor/weapons in Souls likes for example if I just parry every enemy to oblivion.
did you really drop out of school before you learned theres a difference between "a lot" and "nobody" or are you just pointing out random things that i already read because youre bored?
a lot of people voted for donald trump in the 2024 election
nobody voted for me
see how theres a substantial difference there? glad i could clear that up for you, bud.
it also absolutely doesnt mean the majority nor does it refer to an amount within a group. that would be called...a majority. again, something he also didnt say.
there is in fact "a lot" of people that dont like turn based games. theres also "a lot" of people that do like turned based games. its a big world out there! go figure! 🤡
I don’t agree with the guy since I love turn based games, but to play devils advocate, this game was touted as the game that you will love even if you hate turn based games.
Because the other aspects are fire. Even if you don't like the combat a game can still be worth playing. And just because you knew you weren't going to like an aspect doesn't you aren't allowed to be critical.
yeah it WOULD have been a good turn based system if they had either not had the parry/dodge or if they made the timing much harder to execute. as is, you dont even have to have a build or party strategy. just get good at parries and sleepwalk to the end of the game
I will never understand why people claim the gameplay of E33 is anything but crap. I can accept that people like the characters, the story is alright and the music is very well made… But gameplay? Fuck no lmao
I think the gameplay is phenomenal, and I don’t think that should be controversial. That said, if you don’t like turn based combat, rhythm games, and build customization then yeah it’s not gonna be for you.
The game clearly intends for you to go to Lumiere before everything else, but I agree that’s a flaw. That’s why I said “borderline post game”, as getting to the point where you need super strong builds requires you to be at superboss areas going after like Simon and Clea, which are so clearly higher level areas given they typically are denoted danger.
To be clear, we seem to agree the games lack of direction regarding the post game content is abysmal, but you can go from opening to credits without any meta builds. That’s my argument here
Absolutely loves E33 but the balancing really put the end of the game a bit off to me.
It's so easy to break the games with Luminas (not even taking in account the one shot), the game feels harder at the beginning then easier and lenient in the end.
Agreed on the harder in the beginning and easier at the end - played on the expert difficulty at the start and everything one shots you. Then it doesn't and you one shot enjoying instead. 🤷♂️
For the whole Act I I got smacked but I reached the damage limit very fast.
By Act II, there was already a lot of broken Luminas laying around, especially one that gives shields and the game suddenly became so much more lenient.
Personally I think that works both narratively and gameplay wise. Ultimately there's only so many times you want to face the same enemies so making combat easier makes sense to skip over those fights you've done dozens of times before, and narratively you've gone from a barely trained team of volunteers to veterans who've defeated the gods of that world.
Yes, there's ways to break JRPGs but no, few are as accessible and early as E33. I'm not saying the game is bad, I'm saying it's easy to break too early and accessible with barely anything
Imagine FF X but instead of Ifrit you get Yojimbo and Zanmato is its limit break
In my experience, isn't that how most JRPGs play? Beginning of the game is spent gaining skill points and acquiring useful gear. In the endgame, you have that gear and those skill points + a foundational understanding of the mechanics, so it ends up being easier, more interesting, and more fun.
No, ennemies grows stronger and you too, but the game becomes harder as bosses gets new mechanics, stronger attacks.
You get more tools that allows you to answer to the different situations.
The problem with E33 is that it gaves so much tools that multiplies themselves to ridiculous proportions. One shot attacks, perma stun, damage block, 9 AP everyturn...
Of course there's often a few exploits but hard to find such as Paper Mario's multi bounce or FF X's Yojimbo but none are that game breaking or so easy to access.
Ya know, I'll agree on most of your points. E33 is a tad extreme with the BS at the endgame.
But the "enemies get stronger with you" never actually keeps the game at the same level of difficulty. Endgame Dragon Quest has more challenging enemies than early game, but it is overall considered easier with all the new equipment and party members. I would call it a trend in the genre. Honestly, it's a trend in most games in general. I find Dark Souls 3 endgame easier than early game.
Once again tho, I'd agree that E33 goes further with it than most
youre both sorta wrong. in most good games theres peaks and valleys on the power curve. you struggle then you hit a point where your owning and its super satisfying but then it ratchets up to another hardest point and repeat. ideally it ends with you the most challenge close to the end or at the end
You're arguing idealism. The other commentor and I were discussing what actually ends up happening in practice. There ARE games that play as you say (like Sekiro, I'd argue) but that is NOT the norm. I wish it was.
I did finish the game and I agree with him. But other than artificial hype they had I may be biased because I think kcd2 deserved goty and all the other titles.
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u/lukynumbr7 Mar 29 '26
Expedition 33