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[Sakura]

I bought it a few months ago, played it for 5 hours, and haven't touched it since.
The story was ok I guess, though the characters didn't make a lot of sense to me and weren't particularly interesting.
I really did not like the art style.
I didn't think the gameplay was very fun. Adding dodge/parry mechanics doesn't really do much for me, because the core gameplay just doesn't feel that fun to play. I honestly think something like Star Rail has better gameplay, even though people might say it is much more simple.
A lot of the people I see praising the game, in real life at least, are people who don't actually play turn based RPGs. You even have people who seem to think it is the first time they've put QTE mechanics in a turn based game.

 

[Seiryu21]

Please explain what « too French » means.
Alice in Wonderland was written by Lewis Carroll so not French at all.

True that the game is setting the melancholy meter way higher than other games but it's mostly at the beginning.

I'm mainly commenting on the art style and presentation, the style of dress and the setting. I don't like it. It reminded me of the tim burton alice in wonderland movie. Just not a fan at all.

The too french comment was just immediately where my mind went taking in the game. Like im walking the streets of Paris and it just bored me to death. Just way too artsy fartsy while also having janky movement and stiff animations idk.

Also the haircut the guy gets in the intro just took me all the way out. Looks ridiculous. Sometimes you play something and everything about it just rubs you the wrong way.

This is by no means an objective viewpoint, but that's just how I feel.

 

[Fbh]

I was talking about the guys saying it is the game of the decade. People who have this weird habit nowdays to call any good thing GOAT or iconic. I don't even think they played it, they are just going with the flow and trying to convince themselves that each experience is the best ever because they need their dopamine fix.
And frankly compared to the depth of a game like Persona 5, E33 is really a shallow experience. You have seen everything in about 20h which i argue is the time needed to finish one playthrough.

It is cool that you love the game, but it really isn't that deep gameplay or storywise, as im sure you'll find out eventually.

Which is in no way less annoying than people like you who seem so committed to this idea that "everything sucks now and things used to be better when I was younger" that you refuse to accept any new game might actually be one of the best games in the genre.
It's bad for someone to say Expedition 33 is their favorite game of the decade or one of their favorite JRPGs, but back in 2016 when everyone was bending over backwards to praise the newly released Persona 5 you probably didn't have a problem with it, right ?

If you like Persona 5 better that's good for you. But E33 reviewed just as well among critics and users and sold better (compared to the P5 in the same time frame). By every metric we have, it's just as good of a game as P5.

 

[Boneless]

It has QTE's. QTE's are stupid, particularly in turn based RPGs where strategy and stats should prevail. For this reason, I do not play it.

Xxx FF7 and chrono trigger love

 

[Boneless]

Not liking the Witcher 3 should be against the law and punishable by hanging. Spent 100 hours on that gem and still have not touched the DLC'S which many say is better than the base game.

Terrible combat, pretty lousy progression in terms of becoming more powerful (other than playing as Ciri). Good game overall though, but couldnt finish it.

Elden Ring is much better.

 

[Mister Wolf]

It has QTE's. QTE's are stupid, particularly in turn based RPGs where strategy and stats should prevail. For this reason, I do not play it.

Xxx FF7 and chrono trigger love

You can turn the QTEs off in the options. I know I plan to.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

It has QTE's. QTE's are stupid, particularly in turn based RPGs where strategy and stats should prevail. For this reason, I do not play it.

Xxx FF7 and chrono trigger love

Oh man yeah FF7 and Chrono Trigger, featuring deep strategic gameplay such as "pick attack from menu over and over until you win"

 

[Boneless]

Oh man yeah FF7 and Chrono Trigger, featuring deep strategic gameplay such as "pick attack from menu over and over until you win"

Nobody is forcing you to like JRPG, but that is JRPG.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

It has QTE's. QTE's are stupid, particularly in turn based RPGs where strategy and stats should prevail. For this reason, I do not play it.

Xxx FF7 and chrono trigger love

QTEs is not the core of E33 gameplay. Enemy attacks don't get a QTE warning, you have to LEARN their patterns, when you can parry and when to dodge. It's also strategic, more than FF7 remake and it's not even close.

 

[touchfuzzy]

I am a big fan of the genre ever since my 7 year old brain had to figure out what 'RPG' stood for in 'Super Mario RPG'

Is it an excellent turn based RPG? Yes. Is it a genre-defining absolute masterpiece? No, I don't think so. I think it's drawn a lot of people to the genre that don't usually interact with it and they're experiencing a great game in this genre for the first time, and that leads to a lot of "WOW this is the best game ever made!" type comments (see also: original Final Fantasy VII in the 90's). A lot of those people have low or zero tolerance for the anime-style art design and plotting that is very common with RPGs developed in Japan, so they will completely discount any of those as a result. For example, I think Metaphor is a better game with more interesting plot, better battle system, better music, etc.

 

[diffusionx]

I am a big fan of the genre ever since my 7 year old brain had to figure out what 'RPG' stood for in 'Super Mario RPG'

Is it an excellent turn based RPG? Yes. Is it a genre-defining absolute masterpiece? No, I don't think so. I think it's drawn a lot of people to the genre that don't usually interact with it and they're experiencing a great game in this genre for the first time, and that leads to a lot of "WOW this is the best game ever made!" type comments (see also: original Final Fantasy VII in the 90's). A lot of those people have low or zero tolerance for the anime-style art design and plotting that is very common with RPGs developed in Japan, so they will completely discount any of those as a result. For example, I think Metaphor is a better game with more interesting plot, better battle system, better music, etc.

Even if you like anime-style, and anime-style is very popular with young people, this game is new and different and feels totally different from everything else. Not just JRPGs, but also western games. It feels earnest and real in a way not much else does (so much is written like a shitty marvel movie these days). Not to mention the attractive and stylish character design and the extremely unique world designs, it's extremely novel.

 

[Nocty]

it was a 7/10 for me. I don't necessarily disagree that it's a great game, I just didn't really gel with it. The story was mediocre, combat passable, I played far better and more unique games this year.

 

[Magic Carpet]

I still have not played Exp33 yet and it's installed on my PC gamepass. I do want to play it because it looks good.

But I also think I had my fill of turn based gameplay. Standing across from the enemy, trading numbers back and forth is not fun anymore for me.
Hopefully there is more 'tactics' involved.
If that is the gameplay then I think you really do have to dress it up as fancy and attractive as possible.
Blocky 8 bit style graphics are not going to get my attention anymore.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

I really enjoyed E33 a lot, its damn good game but best turn based RPG? FUCK NO!

Finally someone who actually plays these games drops an opinion.

 

[Danjin44]

Finally someone who actually plays these games drops an opinion.

I like the game and I like it a lot but when people go hyperbolic about how this game "outclass any turn based game" or "game of generation" I just can't agree with that.

 

[CrimsonTide]

I like the game and I like it a lot but when people go hyperbolic about how this game "outclass any turn based game" or "game of generation" I just can't agree with that.

Agreed. Dark Souls is the greatest game ever made, everyone knows that.

E33 is on my "play sometime before the end of the year" backlog list

 

[TintoConCasera]

I like the game and I like it a lot but when people go hyperbolic about how this game "outclass any turn based game" or "game of generation" I just can't agree with that.

People just love hyperbole. Nowadays it's either "the best thing ever" or "absolute trash", there are no in-betweens.

 

[CrimsonTide]

People just love hyperbole. Nowadays it's either "the best thing ever" or "absolute trash", there are no in-betweens.

It's really the whole past 15 years it feels. Social media

A movie, song, game, anything comes.

IT MUST be the GOAT or must be SHIT AWFUL

Never can be "it was fine"

 

[Danjin44]

People just love hyperbole. Nowadays it's either "the best thing ever" or "absolute trash", there are no in-betweens.

It's really the whole past 15 years it feels. Social media

A movie, song, game, anything comes.

IT MUST be the GOAT or must be SHIT AWFUL

Never can be "it was fine"

Yup that how social media became these days, be hyperbolic and overreact to everything.

 

[Draugoth]

I can confidently say that Expedition 33 is one of the best games in the decade alongside Elden Ring, and Baldur's Gate 3

 

[cireza]

Persona 3/4/5 combat is the dumbest turn based combat ever. You can't really say you have played a proper turn-based RPG when you have played these games.

Clair Obscur is certainly more interesting, but I think that nothing can beat true classics such as Final Fantaxy X or Lost Odyssey for example. You don't need to be that over the top to provide excellent turn-based combat, and Clair Obscur tries so hard the screen is bloated with effects.

 

[meech]

I got a question for turn based peeps, as someone that's always hated turn based games but actually like Expedition 33 with it's active parries and what not, what turn based games are similar when it comes to active gameplay?

Just picking options from menus the entire time just isn't for me.

Well, Costume Quest

Real time parry/dodge = not turn based.

And annoying quicktime prompts for abilities that at least can be disabled. Since when people started to like quicktime events?

 

[CrimsonTide]

Well, Costume Quest

And annoying quicktime prompts for abilities that at least can be disabled. Since when people started to like quicktime events?

Shenmue was goated for it's QTE'S

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

"the people hyping this game are just a bunch of dopamine addicted TikTokers, and people who have never even played the game, and people who hate anime, and posers who haven't played REAL turn-based JRPGs FF7 or Chrono Trigger or Persona 5!!!"

Jesus H Christ. Ya'll sound like a bunch of salty contrarian crybabies.

Could it be that anybody actually loves this game for "legitimate" reasons, and not just because they're some filthy normie with less weeb cred than you?

Personally I've been playing JRPGs since the early 90s. I like Expedition 33 because it feels like the "Final Fantasy for grown ups" that many of us have been craving for decades. Feels like a huge breath of fresh air.

 

[Raven117]

I don't get some people's obsession with turn based.

I found it very good to great in E33. But I also did in Persona 5. The style and snappiness of it is fantastic.

I guess that's where I come down. If it's a boring slog of turn based, long animations, clunky UI, I hate it. If it's quick and snappy, it's at least serviceable. I play those games for story, music and vibes. Battles, honestly,
Are a distraction.

 

[Madjaba]

"the people hyping this game are just a bunch of dopamine addicted TikTokers, and people who have never even played the game, and people who hate anime, and posers who haven't played REAL turn-based JRPGs FF7 or Chrono Trigger or Persona 5!!!"

Jesus H Christ. Ya'll sound like a bunch of salty contrarian crybabies.

Could it be that anybody actually loves this game for "legitimate" reasons, and not just because they're some filthy normie with less weeb cred than you?

Personally I've been playing JRPGs since the early 90s. I like Expedition 33 because it feels like the "Final Fantasy for grown ups" that many of us have been craving for decades. Feels like a huge breath of fresh air.

Let the haters hate...

Between this speech, the "it's too French" one, the "I've played far better games" but gives no names of said games and the "I'm an expert of JRPG so if you're not talking about Chrono Trigger or FF7 you've not played any JRPGs before E33", people will find anything to be "special" nowadays.

It's not worth arguing over this, people just like to free hate when something gets popular

I totally agree with your take about this game being "Final Fantasy for grown ups". And as a long JRPG fan, that was exactly that, a breath of fresh air much needed in this genre while paying tremendous respect to its roots. A game made by fans of JRPG for fans of JRPG clearly

 

[Poppinfresh]

"I've played far better games" but gives no names of said games

For the record, I did.

My first response was that E33 wasn't the game of the decade, and it isn't even the best JRPG released in 2025. That title belongs to Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

So yeah, Trails 1st Chapter is 100% better than E33 as far as I'm concerned. I'd probably go so far as to say that the entire Trails series is better than E33.

Most mainline SMT games are better than E33 too. As are the Persona games, particularly 3 & 4. 5 too probably, but it's not one of my personal favorites.

Dragon Quest 11? Hell of a lot better than E33.

Xenoblade 1, 2, 3, & X - all better than E33

Same with Yakuza: LAD and IW, and if you count the action combat Yakuzas as RPGs, then all of them are better too.

E33 is a "turn-based JRPG" for people who don't play turn-based JRPGs. It's a fine game, but let's not pretend that it's some JRPG masterpiece because it isn't. In the pantheon of JRPG games, it's slightly better than mediocre at best.

 

[Madjaba]

For the record, I did.

My first response was that E33 wasn't the game of the decade, and it isn't even the best JRPG released in 2025. That title belongs to Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

So yeah, Trails 1st Chapter is 100% better than E33 as far as I'm concerned. I'd probably go so far as to say that the entire Trails series is better than E33.

Most mainline SMT games are better than E33 too. As are the Persona games, particularly 3 & 4. 5 too probably, but it's not one of my personal favorites.

Dragon Quest 11? Hell of a lot better than E33.

Xenoblade 1, 2, 3, & X - all better than E33

Same with Yakuza: LAD and IW, and if you count the action combat Yakuzas as RPGs, then all of them are better too.

E33 is a "turn-based JRPG" for people who don't play turn-based JRPGs. It's a fine game, but let's not pretend that it's some JRPG masterpiece because it isn't. In the pantheon of JRPG games, it's slightly better than mediocre at best.

No need to oppose tastes, there is no "true" answer anyway.

You found it slightly better than mediocre, that's not how I felt with the game.

I'm sure that the E33 team would be thrilled to be put to comparison with all those great JRPG series that had decades to perfect their formulas and grow a fanbase.

What they did accomplish with their first game is nothing short of amazing if your scale of comparison is DQ, Xenoblade and Atlus series instead of Neptunia, Atelier and other really mid and average series.