Tim Hill

Absolutely stunning piece of work. I never really feel the need to voice my opinion publicly online, but this is so good that I feel compelled to leave a review. The team behind this masterpiece deserves every bit of recognition possible. This is one of THE games of a generation. The combination of a unique art style, challenging but accessible gameplay, outstanding music, stunning graphics and the utterly gripping, heat-wrenching story delivered by top-tier voice actors, is a tour de force, and delivered on such a consistently high level that it makes other highly anticipated games from the last few years look quite 'mid', in all honesty. CO: Expedition 33 stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest RPGs ever made and in some respects stands taller, in my opinion. For example: Depending on how much time you have to sink into a video game around that pesky real-life stuff, in terms of pacing, I find this game to be considerably more accessible than Baldur's Gate 3 but loses none of the outstanding production values or enjoyment found in that title. Those old enough to remember playing Final Fantasy 10 for the first time, and to an extent, Lost Odyssey, will feel both the ghostly chill and the warm hug of those first-time memories as the inspiration of those old games is clearly there, yet it's delivered here in a confidently unique and contemporary way under a new IP that has a clear identity of it's own. COE33 is definitely best described as a modern combination of those games mentioned above, mixed with more hardcore timing elements found in the Souls games, mixed with a French élégance et 'joie de vivre', that quite honestly I think the world could do with a bit more of in 2025. Some players may be put-off by the linear progression and turn-based combat, but I think there's enough fresh, innovative and addictive game mechanics here to convince even the most staunch of anti-turn based players. There are a lot misty-eyed reviews like mine and perhaps are sceptical because of this, but this is likely because the way this game speaks to your soul is on a level that is rarely found, anywhere. I think it also hits quite hard for some people given the over-arching themes of grief, how people deal with it differently, treasuring what time you have left with your loved-ones, and unwavering hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable adversity. It's a story so expertly told that I think most will relate to it in some way and on a deep level. It will likely have your eyes leaking, even before the prologue is over. It happened to me, and it will probably happen to you too. I'm writing this on my lunch break, counting the hours until I can go home and get stuck back in. 10/10, buy with confidence & experience it for yourself.