A few months ago, I stumbled into a Discord group from the Maschinen Mensch developers. Why was I lurking on this Discord, you might ask? Because I was searching for more information on Curious Expedition 2. I reviewed the first one for the Nintendo Switch, which you can read right here – and wanted to know more about part 2. I came into contact with Lorenzo, and had a pleasant conversation over Discord about the upcoming sequel, for now only on Steam. And he was kind enough to send me a key to test the early access version of the game. The full game launches later this year, so when that one starts, we will be posting a full review.
Maschinen-Mensch
As I already mentioned, this game is developed by Maschinen-Mensch; a Berlin-based independent game studio founded by two AAA developers who left the mainstream industry to experiment with new forms of generative storytelling. Their debut title Curious Expedition came out in Steam Early Access in May 2015 and has sold more than 180,000 copies to date. Curious Expedition 2 was announced in March 2019. A closed alpha phase ran from November 2019 to May 2020, and the game launched on Steam Early Access in June 2020. A full release is scheduled for late 2020. I tried the alpha version for a little bit but spent way more time with the Early Access for the sake of this preview. Since this is a preview, I’ll deliver my thoughts, but won’t grade this game with a score just yet.
Curious Sequel?
So, what do we get in the sequel? Well, Curious Expedition 2 is a turn-based expedition roguelike that requires players to manage their resources and party members to keep insanity at bay and find glory. A grand discovery has been made: mysterious islands that have begun to appear and vanish from the Atlantic as if by magic. The great Explorer Clubs are funding expeditions to these strange islands to bring treasures back for the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Are you bold enough to join the adventure?
My first adventure was with an anthropologist, a local tribesman I recruited on an earlier expedition, a dog, and a donkey. Although this does not sound like a winning combo, I cleared my first run with flying colors. The game got a visual overhaul, and they did a great job on it. Turning away from the pixelated bit style, Curious Expedition 2 looks like something coming from a Tin-Tin comic. Just like in the first game, each run is procedurally generated, with a variety of biomes, each featuring a new combination of dangers and opportunities. The main goal of each exploration is still finding a particular artifact, discovering a certain number of tribes, or mapping out certain parts of the island. It all depends on the sponsor you pick. And I went with the steampunk robot-esque guys, because… robots?
Resource management
While exploring, you’ll have to manage your resources to keep your trek alive and sanity high. Balance greed against your survival needs to find glory without perishing. Yes, you can pick up the sacred idol from the cursed temple and make lots of money, but… is the risk worth the price you have pay? I got ambushed by plants, which gave one of my companion’s jungle rot for not treating the wound soon enough. This action formed a dent in my relationship and loyalty with said companion. In the end, he acquired mental illnesses and committed suicide. If you have any suicidal thoughts, please contact your local health office and talk about it – it’s never a solution.
So, to conclude, my preview – Curious Expedition 2 adds tons of new content: new items, character types, enemies, biomes, tribes, events, and more! The graphical change turned this game into a beautiful extension of the first one, and I can’t wait to spend more time with it. To give one teeny tiny example, the fog of war (Age of Empires lingo) reveals itself as an old treasure map – it’s mesmerizing to watch. The historical representation is mixed with a touch of fiction (but I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself), which gives it the kicker any history game needs. Otherwise, you will be just pleasing the historians, and trust me – we also like the ‘what-if’ about history
