Curious Expedition 2, developer Maschinen-Mensch’s 19th-century rogue-like exploration sequel, is leaving Steam Early Access and launching in its version 1.0 guise on 28th January.
Likes its predecessor, Curious Expedition 2 casts players as late 19th century explorers, packing them off to distant climes – in this case, a series of mysterious, storm-shrouded islands in the Atlantic ocean – in search of daring adventure and priceless treasure.
In gameplay terms, that manifests as an unusual, but effective, blend of strategy – requiring players to manage their limited resources in order to survive and stave off madness as they make explore each mission’s procedurally generated map – alongside trading, dice-based combat, and enjoyably pulpy choose-your-own-adventure-style narrative vignettes.
So far, so similar to the original game, but Curious Expedition 2 expands on its predecessor’s engaging core in a variety of interesting ways. There are new expedition types, for instance, introducing different completion objectives for missions; there’s more meaningful customisation for party members; there are new combat mechanics, enemies, and biomes, different Explorer Clubs to align with – each with their own mission focus and rewards – even online challenges. And it’s all gathered up into a more structured, narrative-driven campaign.