Expedition 33 Was Underwhelming, and There’s Another 2025 Game I Enjoyed Far More

I think it’s fair to say, at this point, that Expedition 33 is a massively hyped game. Everyone who played it seems to have loved it, and there’s no small amount of gushing in fan spaces across the internet.

I didn’t play it at first, so I had to do my best to avoid spoilers while waiting for a less busy time. And while I was expecting truly great things, I was a little let down. Maybe the hype was too much for any game, or maybe some aspects of the game could be better. Or maybe it’s just me and my aging tastes in video games.

Whatever it was, let’s talk about it.

Why E33 Didn’t ‘Do It’ For Me

I loved Final Fantasy VIII almost as much as VII, so knowing that this game was inspired by it got me plenty excited. I also love turn-based combat and the strategy behind it.

Sadly, Expedition 33’s opening lets it down. It’s slow, and there’s a significant lack of stakes or action. We learn that there are 32 more expeditions to go after us, and so it just doesn’t feel as climactic as it should, I guess. The pace is what gets to me the most, however.

The combat is a little confusing at first. Admittedly, it took me a few goes to really get the hang of it. Once I did, it was amazing. What an innovative approach to turn-based combat – I understand the hype on this aspect, although you can’t zone out in E33 fights, or you’ll get your butt kicked. It’s not the traditional turn-based system where you can sit back and chill out while your team does their thing.

As soon as we leave Lumiere, things get exciting. Here’s where I was pulled into the game, with the appearance of the white-haired man. This should have been the opening scene, in my humble opinion. It’s a badass sequence, and the cinematography here is outstanding!

After finally being sucked into the story, we get to explore different areas now, visit a limited overworld, and do basic RPG stuff (like explore to our heart’s content). The Gestrals are fun, and Esquie is one of my favourite characters in gaming now, as is Verso. Until, of course, we near the end of the game.

Now, if you’re trying to avoid spoilers, look away now. But if you didn’t see that twist coming since the early stages of the game, you probably haven’t played many RPG games. The not-so-subtle hints dropped by just about every character in the know made it quite clear that the paintress was not the enemy. But that’s not quite what upset me.

I had heard whispers that the game is set in a painting, but finding that out for myself just didn’t sit well with me. After all this time spent with these characters, finding out that they’re just a figment of a dead man’s imagination was a bit of a blow.

I mean, it’s a high fantasy setting and all that, so it has room for this kind of madness, but essentially, there are only three real characters here, and none of them mean much to me. Maelle is just a frustrated child, and her parents are plain weird and don’t get enough character development for me to give a hoot either way. Verso, the coolest character, is basically nothing but a ghost.

It all just left a bitter taste in my mouth, if I’m being totally honest. Great game, no doubt! And I really do understand all the hype – it’s a graphical masterpiece, the gameplay, for the most part, is super innovative, and the story certainly has gravity.

The themes of death and grief are evident throughout; the whole experience feels heavy, but that ending just makes me not care anymore.

I think that Expedition 33 certainly earned its awards, and so I take nothing away from what a masterpiece it is. It’s just that, personally, I have a different idea of what makes a story good.

Games I Enjoyed More in 2025

As much of a bummer as the ending of Expedition 33 was, it was still a great game and was only outshone by two other games. One might be expected, given my preference for games based on realism, but the other will 100% shock you.

The predictable game first, then, and it’s Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. This game blew me away, even though replaying it after E33 makes it feel a little goofy (what a graphical masterpiece E33 is!), it still has a far better story (my opinion, of course), and everything just feels more real. I also really like the combat and how it never gets old. E33’s combat began to bore me a little towards the end there.

Obviously, for KCD2’s combat to stay fun, you can’t learn and abuse the Master Strike, since that’s basically just a cheat code at this point.

Now, onto the other game, and folks, it’s a Roguelite. Can you guess which one? No? Well, it’s Ball X Pit. Yeah, this game was a ton of fun! I spent 30 hours on it quite easily, getting some amazing value for money.

Everything about this game was sublime, from the charming pixel art to the effects, character combos, and even the little town harvesting mini-game. It was all engaging, fun, and will keep me coming back every so often.

Is it objectively a better game than Expedition 33? Of course not, but you know what, it’s in my #2 spot for best game of 2025, just a sliver ahead of Verso and crew. If there’s anyone out there who feels the same, please feel free to validate my opinion with a comment. It’d do me wonders to know I’m not completely insane.

Or maybe I am, and in that case, also let me know in the comments!