Expedition Agartha
- September 21, 2023
- Matrioshka Games
- 4h median play time
"Expedition Agartha is a medieval extraction looter game set in a dark fantasy world inspired by real mythology. Players embark on expeditions to fight enemies, loot resources, and complete quests, all while seeking the legendary Kingdom of Agartha. Gameplay is designed for solo or co-op play with up to two other friends."
Reviews
- The game has a fun and engaging combat system that combines elements from various genres, making it enjoyable for both solo and group play.
- The developers are responsive to community feedback and actively work on updates and improvements, showing a commitment to enhancing the game experience.
- The game offers a unique blend of PvPvE mechanics, allowing for interesting interactions with both AI and other players, which adds depth to the gameplay.
- The combat feels clunky and unresponsive at times, with issues such as hit registration problems and inconsistent animations that can frustrate players.
- The game suffers from a low player base, making it difficult to find matches and leading to encounters that often feel unbalanced, especially for solo players.
- Many players report bugs and technical issues that detract from the overall experience, indicating that the game is still in a rough state despite being in early access.
- gameplay116 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the combat mechanics as clunky and poorly executed, leading to a repetitive experience. While some appreciate the core gameplay loop of looting and extracting, they note that the mechanics can feel simplistic and unrefined, with issues like lag and hit detection affecting the overall enjoyment. However, there are also players who find the game engaging and fun once they adapt to its systems, highlighting its potential for improvement as the developers continue to address feedback.
“Overall, it has simple but good combat mechanics.”
“The core gameplay loop is already fun and engaging.”
“Super addictive gameplay loop.”
“Besides that, the gameplay loop gets repetitive really fast and classes feel all the same; there are not enough unique features and abilities to distinguish them.”
“Within the first ten seconds of the tutorial (which is the only level you can play for free), you can tell that every basic mechanic is horribly executed.”
“The gameplay is terrible, and the voice acting is very bad, and the quests and other game mechanics are scuffed as hell.”
- story58 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's story and quest system have received mixed reviews, with many players finding the quests to be basic and lacking depth, often revolving around typical MMO-style kill and collect tasks. While some appreciate the variety of quests and the progression they offer, others criticize the confusing mechanics and the need to grind for currency to unlock content, which detracts from the overall narrative experience. Overall, the story feels underdeveloped, with many players expressing a desire for more engaging and meaningful questlines.
“The quest board holds story quests, which can be obtained by NPCs, daily quests, weekly quests, and monthly quests.”
“If you can get past the initial clunkiness, this game gets very fun; the quests are enjoyable to complete and customizing gear when you get further to 'end game' is quite satisfying.”
“There are loads of quests, so there is always a ton to do, which levels the traders and allows access to better gear.”
“Quests lack depth and don't really tie into any real story, offering the worst of MMO-style kill/collect quests without any real purpose or motivation beyond its own reward (which you won't know until you accept it...).”
“My first mission made basically no sense, and the 'new player guide' is just a bunch of YouTube videos and the game's Discord.”
“The gameplay is terrible, and the voice acting is very bad, and the quests and other game mechanics are scuffed as hell.”
- graphics45 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the unique art style and decent visuals for a free game, while others criticize the low-poly, cartoony aesthetic as dated and unappealing. Many comments highlight a disconnect between the graphics and gameplay experience, with some finding the visuals charming and others deeming them an eyesore. Overall, the game's graphics are seen as a polarizing aspect, with opinions varying widely among players.
“The game's graphics look amazing for being a free game; it’s a reality and cartoon mix.”
“An amazing concept and graphics.”
“Graphics were amazing, movement of character and fighting both NPCs and other players was fun and challenging.”
“The slightly low poly/cartoony graphics might also be a turn off for many; I can get that, I don't really like the visual style.”
“Did not enjoy the art style or graphics at all, to be quite honest.”
“Graphically it's an eyesore; you have a choice of the game looking extremely blurry like you have cataracts, or you use no anti-aliasing and it looks like Duke Nukem.”
- stability19 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is widely criticized for its numerous bugs and stability issues, including combat glitches, lag, and AI problems, which can detract from the overall experience. While players acknowledge these technical shortcomings, many find the core gameplay enjoyable and believe the game has potential, especially given its early access status. Overall, the stability is a significant concern, with many recommending caution due to the game's janky performance and frequent glitches.
“Overall buggy game, dev team makes rash decisions, would not recommend to a friend.”
“Understandably it is in early access, but the bugs/glitches can be game breaking (expedition ruining) for sure.”
“The community itself is cancer; so have fun with this buggy, unbalanced, exploit-ridden, hacker-infested, dead game if you can but don't say I didn't warn you.”
- optimization15 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from users. While some players appreciate its decent performance and find it better optimized than many other titles, others report significant issues such as lag, stuttering, and poor graphics quality, particularly on lower-end systems. Overall, there is a consensus that while the game shows potential, it still requires further optimization to enhance the overall experience.
“I finally decided to give this game a chance and despite EA is far from perfect, I regret not doing it before. I'm very surprised in a positive manner; the game is a bit overwhelming when you start, but after 2-3 hours you start getting it. I'm having a lot of fun. The combat is very fun, the classes are nice, the graphics are decent, and the game is very well optimized. I hope this game survives; it deserves more attention and less hate.”
“It usually takes me a while to tune a game's settings and NVIDIA settings to get good performance going, and Expedition Agartha seems better optimized than most.”
“- It seems decently optimized.”
“Poorly optimized.”
“Lag seems to be an issue; the server ping may seem stable, but you can still find yourself stuttering or even teleporting fifteen feet in any direction.”
“The performance is also lacking quite a bit.”
- monetization14 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 93 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of Expedition Agartha has been criticized as a "pay-to-win cash grab," with players expressing concerns about its resemblance to other early access games perceived as scams. While some users find the game enjoyable and believe it has potential, they feel that the developers' aggressive marketing tactics and lack of genuine promotion detract from its credibility and overall experience.
“Ultimately, Expedition Agartha is no different from Snail's other early access scams, apart from an even more shady monetization scheme.”
“This game was fun until it became a pay-to-win cash grab.”
“100% cash grab.”
- humor13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is largely driven by its quirky AI-generated voices and amusing NPC interactions, reminiscent of classic titles like Oblivion. Players find the comedic elements enhance both solo and multiplayer experiences, with funny moments arising from voice chat and unexpected player encounters. Overall, the game's medieval setting and humorous dialogue contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, despite some technical issues.
“Aside from that, the game is hilariously voiced with computer-generated voices that make for some funny moments.”
“Also, if you are a fan of Oblivion and the funny dialogue, then you'll love the NPC interactions in this game.”
“You do quests for NPCs which are pretty funny, by the way; the whole medieval vibe is very humorous.”
- grinding13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- -15 % neutral mentions
- 92 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience, often describing it as tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to questing and crafting. While some appreciate the classic loot-and-reward system, many express frustration with the time-consuming nature of grinding for resources and the challenges posed by aggressive AI. Overall, the grind can detract from enjoyment, but some players remain optimistic about future improvements.
“The game can feel a bit grindy at times, but the rewards make it worth it.”
“Grinding is a necessary part of the experience, and it adds depth to character progression.”
“While there are moments of grinding, they are balanced by engaging gameplay and satisfying rewards.”
“In a game where it's this grindy and I have to work for my items legitimately while others are cheating... I'm not going to join them.”
“You also lose that bag when some random group of 3 heavily armored AI come and attack spam you with unlimited stamina, and will chase you all across the map never losing aggro to kill you, then the 2+ hours you spent grinding for the one bag were literally pointless.”
“It gets a little tedious and old running back and forth between all the stations and quests.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players express mixed feelings about the game's replayability, noting that while it once had significant potential and depth, recent updates have made it feel clunky and less enjoyable. The introduction of a paywall has also frustrated some users, leading to concerns about accessibility for new players. Overall, despite these issues, some still find enough depth to warrant replayability, rating it around 8/10.
“Even in its current early access state, it has depth that gives the game great replayability.”
“Replayability: 8/10”
“After 40 hours of gameplay when it was pure free-to-play, I had high hopes for the 1.0 release. However, it still feels clunky, if not worse. The promised skill tree is still missing, and I can't justify spending €25 on a game in this state. It feels like they are gatekeeping the entire experience behind a paywall, while the game has retained its awkward tutorial and clunky mechanics. I remember it being much more playable before, and now it feels like a disappointment.”
“The game had so much potential, but the current state is frustrating. I was excited to return after the 1.0 release, but it feels like they have made it less enjoyable. The addition of a minimap, which I initially liked, seems poorly implemented and detracts from the hardcore experience I appreciated. Charging €25 for this feels like a joke, especially when they have issues with player retention.”
“I really wanted to support the developers, but locking content behind a €25 paywall is disheartening. The game used to be one of the best extraction RPGs I played, but now it feels like a shadow of its former self. The clunky gameplay and lack of promised features make it hard to justify replaying.”
- music3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The music in the game is characterized by soothing and calm melodies that evoke a sense of adventure reminiscent of pirate themes, enhancing the overall ambiance and experience. Reviewers appreciate the soundtracks for their ability to create an immersive atmosphere.
“Along with this soothing, calm music, it resembles something that is often seen in pirate games or movies.”
“I really like the ambiance and soundtracks as well.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users rating it a 9 out of 10, indicating a strong and immersive environment that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the stash feature, which provides players a sense of security and personal space, allowing them to protect their belongings and create a deeper connection to their in-game possessions.