Developer: Abbey Games
Publisher: Abbey Games
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Renowned Explorers: More to Explore DLC – Review
Renowned Explorers: International Society by Abbey Games has been well received over the past six months and rightfully so. The base game offers a deep tactical adventure game with turn-based combat in procedurally generated expeditions. To top it off, the game offers a steady variation of characters, only adding to the high replay value. The expansion pack More to Explore only has one goal and that is to allow the player to explore even more.
The storyline in Renowned Explorers: More to Explore hasn’t changed from the base game. You are still on your way to become a member of The Society, based in London, as you explore more islands and uncover their precious secrets. Instead of adding more narrative, the DLC pack More to Explore only adds content so that players can explore even more in the form of two new expeditions.
The Andean Adventure is a 3-star expedition that will pop-up once in a while in the procedurally generated world and offers the player insight to the ancient Incan mountain territory. Treasures are discovered by helping the various cities scattered across the island to fight the oppressive Emperor. The Llama Express allows for fast traveling from and to these intriguing areas but this is only available in the Andean Adventure. As for the second expedition, The Lost Island is an expedition meant for end game if you ever get to that point. Pink mist surrounds the island, creating an alluring illusion of secrecy. Not many will be able to unravel the secrets of the Anti-Explorers but it is a great addition for those addicted to the game.
Earlier we mentioned that the narrative has remained unchanged, although a new mechanic has been added that weaves new storylines in the main narrative. The campfire mechanic is a cardgame-like mechanic that offers you four cards which you need to choose one from. Each card can explore your crew’s past by telling stories but they can also yield you much needed resources or skills. Your crew members can teach the others certain abilities but the effects of the cards are nearly endless. The first few campfires are exciting as they are new but they are also slightly underwhelming. After a while, the conversations during these campfires feel repetitive. Once you’ve finished some great games or just simply died, you’ll unlock booster packs which adds some value in terms of choices but the repetitiveness stays true.
Treasures are great to discover but they’re even greater if they give bonuses that will help you progress in the expeditions. The bonuses are a new feature in the More to Explore DLC that offers the player four options to choose from. The bonuses can range from extra gold to extra status points to extra of anything if you have a crewmember with a specific trait or skillset while you complete an expedition. While some choices seem obvious and mandatory for your progression, other choices are not and the game shows you which bonus is recommended for you. Of course, you can always rebel against chairman Pinkerton and choose completely different.
Conclusion
The More to Explore DLC does not change the core of Renowned Explorers: International Society, instead it further builds upon it while extending the content with new expeditions and mechanics. Both the campfire cards and the treasure bonuses can help you a long way if you have chosen a specific path and while it does add some value in terms of content, we’re not entirely sure if it adds much to the already great gameplay experience that is present in the base game. Even so, the DLC is a great success and we are looking forward to more intriguing mechanics that do not alter the fundaments.
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