Expeditions: Conquistador Review (Debeli)
Expeditions: Conquistador is the first entry in the Expeditions series of games, which could be accurately described as historical turn-based RPGs with heavy emphasis on players choices. I actually played Expeditions: Vikings first, without knowing it was a sequel to this game. I was pleasantly surprised by it, so I decided to have a go at the other Expeditions games as well.
The year is 1518. and the American continent was only recently discovered. You are the son of a wealthy noble who's been given commission by the king of Spain to organize an expedition into the New World. As you're already experienced with managing soldiers, you are given free hands to choose your companions and take command of the expedition. Inspired by the adventures of Christopher Columbus and encouraged by the prospect of finding fame and fortune, you and your men set sail across the Atlantic ocean.
The story of Expeditions: Conquistador is divided into two parts. The first part takes place on an island of Hispaniola (today's Dominican Republic), where Columbus erected the Spanish settlement of Santa Domingo. After completing the events on Hispaniola, you'll continue your journey to mainland, where the second part of the story unfolds. I have to say that the story of Conquistador is quite good and I was pleased with the amount of impact the player has on the storyline through choices. You will encounter various individuals and native tribes and it's entirely up to you how you'll handle them. The game also possesses a strong atmosphere, created by a mix of random world events, camp management mechanics and fitting background music.
Combat in this game is surprisingly good, considering it's a historically accurate game without magic or other such nonsense. Your companions are divided into classes and you can equip them, promote them and pick their abilities . They also have their uses outside of combat, in random events or daily tasks. You'll need to collect food, make medicine and construct various equipment used in combat. Each night, your expedition stops to camp. During this period, you can assign your expedition members different roles, which can range from guarding or patrolling the camps perimeter to hunting for food or stitching wounds. These "camping mechanics" are what the Expeditions series is famous for, and they were first introduced here.
The presentation aspect of the game is not as good. The camera outside of combat is absolutely terrible and most of the time it's impossible to tell where you're going without consulting the map. Picking up items or interacting with objects is buggy as hell. The graphics are passable at best, with no scaling options for higher resolutions. The game has lengthy dialogues and no voice acting, which can be tedious. But you eventually get used to all that.
Expeditions: Conquistador is an unpolished game, but definitely one worth of playing. If you regularly play story-oriented RPGs, you'll be refreshed by the different approach Expeditions: Conquistador takes.
Score (out of 10):
7.5