Expeditions: Viking

Everything that was good in Conquistador is taken to its next level of evolution with the change from the Strategy/RPG formula into a more "traditional" RPG experience in Viking. Fans of Logic Artists' first game and of the RPG genre in general are sure to be delighted with this authentically Norse experience filled with intrigue, cultural conflict, exploration and conquest.

Expeditions: Viking is the rare RPG that eschews the fantastic and is better for it. Despite the small team behind it, there is a level of depth here that AAA studios should take notice of. The only downside is a tendency to spike the difficulty with no warning and a propensity for crashing that abruptly ended my adventure three separate times. Despite these issues, Expeditions: Viking is an RPG you won’t want to miss. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have villages to pillage.

Expeditions: Viking is a great mix of strategy and RPG elements, a must-have for all fans of Expedition: Conquistador, but some imperfections are still present.

This brutal saga about power and burden of choice is such a captivating adventure that you quickly forget about the game's minor flaws.

Viking isn't the most refined game, with limited camera control, repetitive graphics that lack detail, and a lack of high-production presentation. It nevertheless succeeds in immersing the player in its world through an intriguing main story focused on local politics and motivations and driven by realistic struggles and constraints. Viking effectively impresses upon the player its main themes about the illusion of choice and the binding chains of circumstance, and also offers a multitude of poignant side-stories and strong character development. To top it off, the game features a unique combination of combat mechanics and abilities that allow creativity and enable some very interesting and satisfying strategies, as well as a novel take in timed and deliberate progress and out-of-combat party maintenance. Players looking to take part in a realistic and historically-inspired world with an engaging politically-driven story should look past the game's lack of technical polish and definitely pick up Expeditions: Viking.

Solid and funny RPG with great turn based combat, and above all, great freedom in choices. And you can plunder monasteries too!
 [Issue#275]

A deep tactical - and strategic - RPG. [Issue#262, p.58]

Even though its technology is somewhat dated, this tactical-RPG has immense depth and a great “consequences” game design that offers a unique experience.

Expeditions: Viking builds on the best of the previous game. It offers entertaining strategic duels, a well-developed story, a pleasant replayability, and a realistic Viking adventure.

Expeditions: Viking is an epic and enjoyable journey. And while its gameplay mechanics are not as easy-to-learn as some more casual players would expect, once you take your time and learn through its detailed world and rules, you’ll definitely enjoy it for a very long time.

Expeditions: Viking features some admirably nuanced turn-based combat that is in service of a larger story and interesting characters. It is a game that probably demands -- and certainly rewards -- multiple playthroughs both to gain mastery over the systems and to explore different choices in the story. Relatively minor quibbles with the game's visuals, camera, controls and occasional bugs aside, playing Expeditions: Viking is an unexpectedly rewarding experience.

In the end, the positive aspects of Expeditions: Viking outweigh the problems. Creating such a complex, detailed, and varied title is an ambitious undertaking, and it’s exactly what’s needed for gamers who don’t want to rely on “enhanced editions” of classic games to find a good role-playing experience. Expeditions: Viking, however, is more than just an RPG; it’s also an epic journey through history — a field with surprisingly few entries. Why rely on adventures from DnD or fantasy realms, if history can be presented in such an intriguing way?

Expeditions: Viking, while not perfect, offers outstanding tactical combat, with excellent character and world development. You'll encounter a host of interesting characters, fulfilling quests and important decisions as you travel from Denmark to Britannia, in a quest to save your clan.

For all the beauty and the brains behind Expeditions: Viking, the one gripe of mine that chips away at its score is the bugginess.

While Expeditions: Viking won’t be winning any awards for ground-breaking storytelling or innovative gameplay, it’s compelling in just the right way that keeps commanding attention throughout. I found it to be a lot of fun, if a little unpolished in places.

Layered with enough depth and intricacy for genre veterans, but loaded with fantastic tutorials and information for newcomers, this game welcomes all types of players. A formula that has been bettered, through and through, Expeditions: Viking is an absolute joy.

Expeditions: Viking finds an excellent balance between historical realism and RPG mechanics.

Previous game from Logic Artists, Expeditions: Conquistador, didn’t leave lasting impression on me, so I didn’t expect much from Vikings either. As it turns out, I was wrong – developers really nailed the setting and gave some mechanics a much-needed makeover. [Issue#220, p.52]

Expedition: Viking is a fun slightly strategic RPG that utilizes an interesting theme to great effect. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take enough chances to really be memorable.