Well, I jumped on the Expedition 33 bandwagon after hearing praise like “Game of the Year” candidate. It’s been a while since I tried a JRPG-style game. I used to have a love for them in my younger years, so nostalgia definitely kicked in when I downloaded it. Having it on Game Pass made it a very easy decision, too.

I’m not going to conduct a thorough review, as if I have any insightful or unique observations about the game. However, I would like to discuss why I decided to quit the game today and what it taught me about my gaming preferences.

For starters, I do love how the story is a mystery to both the player and the characters. We don’t fully understand the world we’re entering, and exploring it alongside the characters in the game is intriguing to me. The slow, methodical unfolding of the story kept me engaged, which kept me immersed in the game. Where things fell apart for me was the exploration part of the game.

When you get into a zone or area, there are a few things that are missing from the game that I didn’t realize were a crutch for me. For starters, there’s no “objective” system or icon. In open games like this, I like to have a clear understanding of where I’m headed. Part of it is because my spatial awareness in 3-D environments isn’t strong. My sense of direction in-game is pretty poor. When you don’t have an objective location system in your game, I end up spending a lot of time wandering around, trying to find where I’m supposed to go. I felt this heavily in this game. I would spend 2 hours in a zone, wandering around with no idea if I was moving in the right direction.

To make matters worse, the zones are beautiful, exotic, and designed in a way that feels targeted to confuse me. Similar patterns across pathways, rock formations, and floral patterns make it difficult for me to get my bearings. (Again, a personal fault)

Below is an image of the current level I’ve been stuck in.

a picture of Stone Wall Cliffs from Expedition 33

When you’re lost in a JRPG-style game, you end up in this awful game loop where you’re doing the same combats over and over again. You lack a sense of progress, killing the same enemies over and over again. Before long, you’re bored, a little exhausted, and extremely frustrated. This is definitely my own flaw and game preference style, but it’s also a complaint I hear amongst friends when it comes to open-world games.

I’ve tried the walkthroughs, but honestly, I probably opened them a bit late. I’m already lost at this point, so having to backtrack through the map or try to find my location in the walkthrough has varying degrees of success, depending on the quality of the walkthrough.

Some games aren’t for some people, so I’ve stopped feeling guilty about not enjoying a universally beloved game. The story is strong enough that I might consider watching a playthrough or an assembly of cut scenes. This says a lot because I’m typically nauseated by the idea of watching someone else play a video game on YouTube. But I’m old school that way, I guess.

This leaves room for a new game to fill the time. I’m currently doing a replay of Cyberpunk 2077, mainly to check out the Phantom Liberty DLC, which I skipped previously. I also decided to fire up DOOM: Dark Ages as an alternative. Something I can hop into quickly and get that frantic arcade-type action with minimal fuss or setup.