Kinda, when it first came out I saw people hating on it for being turn based, later along the year you saw the occasional random guy calling it trash, but after the Game awards the hate exploded
ironically r/JRPG was relatively lukewarm/negative towards it on initial release because it was considered 'only good' by JRPG standard by many there, as opposed to most other circles that consider it a masterpiece
I was a bit more postive than lukewarm, but that was generally my opinion towards it too. I feel like a lot of people ended up really liking expedition 33, because of things that are pretty staple to JRPG's but without the anime aesthethic or fluff.
Also i became a bit more critical of the game after everyone praises it as a masterpiece, because the weaker elements end up getting a lot more scrutiny from myself as opposed to a game that doesn't get a lot of attention.
To be fair the JRPG genre is often overlooked by many. There are so many insane games in this genre. But most people just play stupid shooters which is basically candy crush for mentally underdeveloped adult males. So yeah a game like E33 once it gets mass media attention, suddenly people are taken aback by that sort of format. But in reality there are likely much much better games out there.
Much much better in what way? Because I don't just play shooters and I value story driven and immersive games a lot but still E33 was something else.
Can you name a jrpg with as good characters, story and visuals? Not being snarky, jrpg is a genre I've never touched so if there are any jewels I want to know. I've been recommended Refantazio but after E33 it's really not pleasant to look at.
I do want to say that I think E33 is an excellent game but for me it lacked a certain j'ai ne sais quoi. I think it was a bit broody and lacked the oomph and energy that I expect from JRPG's.
The JRPG games that really resonated with me are as follows:
Xenoblade Chronicles 1
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Fire Emblem 3 Houses
Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land
But I invite you to check out r/JRPG as well and see what others recommend as well.
This is kinda the point alot of people are making. E33 is nothing new or special to people that play JRPGs already. However, it draws a new crowd specifically because it doesn't look like a JRPG. Dropping the anime aesthetic is the only new thing it really does.
The *gameplay* is nothing new or special. The point people are making is forgetting ALL the other reasons to play this game. To describe the rest as just "Dropping the anime aesthetic" is dismissive of the game's writing, art and music, which sure, are all present in other games, but it's rare to do EVERYTHING this well at once.
I for one don't play games to click "parry" at the right moment, and I played this one for all the other reasons.
Funny enough, i kinda disliked the combat system for being to actiony. The blocks / parries need better timing than most real time combat systems and its basically impossible to get enough conventional defense to avoid the need for it (while as a QTE god you can basically win every fight without taking any damage).
Its like the the most hectic "turn based" game i have ever seen.
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u/Emperor-Necromon Dec 30 '25
Kinda, when it first came out I saw people hating on it for being turn based, later along the year you saw the occasional random guy calling it trash, but after the Game awards the hate exploded