A game that mixes exploration, combat, role playing and has a wonderful sense of history

Feb 5, 2013 14:20 GMT  ·  By

Expeditions Conquistador is a turn-based mix of role playing and tactics created by Logic Artists, using funding obtained via Kickstarter.

The game might just be the biggest surprise of 2013 for me, a delightful experience that illuminates an obscure slice of history and mixes traditional role playing, exploration, trade and combat in a manner similar to that of the King Arthur titles from Neocore Games.

The player takes on the role of a conquistador who lands in the New World and needs to use his skillset, his followers and resources to explore the land, deal with the natives, resolve quests and generally prosper in a hostile environment.

Expeditions Conquistador requires careful thought for every decision because the resources that a player can use are severely limited at all times and one or two wrong initiatives can sink the entire expedition and force a restart.

On the strategic level, gamers need to make sure that they have the rations that a long trek requires and that they don’t follow animals around the island until they are exhausted (I put myself in bad position by searching for boars that cost more rations to trap than the food they offered).

Players will also engage in conversation with other characters and there are different outcomes based on how skills are distributed.

On the tactical level, battles can quickly become massacres as long as characters are badly used.

Soldiers are the most important on the frontline, mixing long-range attacks with up-close slashing, but doctors can also change the course of a fight as long as their ability to replenish hit points is well used.

The core mechanics for Expeditions Conquistador are solid and they really manage to evoke the world that the game is set in.

The only big problem with the game so far is that it’s a little too difficult for me, especially when it comes to the tactical battles, where I cannot manage to win without losing precious men.

Worth a full Softpedia review? Yes.

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