Updated daily · 28 Oct 2026
Player reception
Expeditions: Samurai
As of 28 October 2026, 57% of 291 player reviews of Expeditions: Samurai recommend it. Early-access players find the turn-based fights and the voice cast up to the series’ standard, and fault the mouse controls, the 3D portraits and the real-time stealth.
In short
Expeditions: Samurai is in early access, with the first part of its story to play. Players find its turn-based combat as tactical as Expeditions: Rome’s, praise the voice acting and like that any companion can take any role. Their complaints are about controls that put almost everything on the right mouse button, 3D portraits that lack the old hand-drawn charm, stealth that falls apart with a full party and banter many find too modern for Sengoku-era Japan. Fans of the series are the most willing to back it now, and many others suggest waiting for the full version, planned for early 2027.
What players say
What players say about Expeditions: Samurai.
Players praise the turn-based combat, the voice cast and the open character builds. The mouse controls, the 3D portraits, the real-time stealth and the modern banter draw the complaints.211
Read in full
We read every one of these reviews on 28 October 2026 and judged each by what it says.
- The turn-based fights hold up.
- Players find combat tactical and satisfying, with cover, flanking and terrain that reward planning, and series fans say it plays much like Expeditions: Rome.211
- The voice cast stands out.
- Players praise the voice acting across main and side characters, and companions who each feel distinct.211
- Any companion can take any role.
- Every class can use any weapon and armour, so players shape each companion as they like, from a stealthy archer to a front-line fighter.211
- The controls fight the mouse.
- Moving, attacking and interacting all sit on the right mouse button, skills take a left click and then a right click on the target, and the menus are crowded. Many players feel it was designed for a controller first.211
- The 3D portraits disappoint fans.
- Players miss the hand-drawn portraits of the earlier games, and many find the 3D character models stiff and plain up close.211
- Real-time stealth is the weakest part.
- Companions get spotted, open the wrong door or walk into fights, and with a whole party moving in real time, players find sneaking clumsy.211
- The banter feels out of place.
- Many players find the dialogue modern and quippy for Sengoku-era Japan, and some find the story thin so far.211
- There isn’t much to play yet.
- Players who finished what’s there took about 4 to 6 hours. Some suggest buying it on sale, and many would wait for the full version.211
Themes raised
| Theme | Most helpful, of 80 | Latest, of 40 |
|---|---|---|
| Art style and character models | 48 | 14 |
| Compared with the earlier games | 46 | 14 |
| Story and writing | 42 | 21 |
| Controls and menus | 35 | 17 |
| Early access, length and price | 33 | 17 |
| Historical setting | 28 | 11 |
| Skills, classes and companions | 27 | 12 |
| Stealth | 26 | 11 |
| Combat | 23 | 10 |
| Performance and bugs | 19 | 8 |
Questions
Expeditions: Samurai, in short.
Is Expeditions: Samurai worth it?
Players are split. As of 28 October 2026, 57% of 291 reviews recommend it. Fans of the series who enjoy it are glad to back it early, and some suggest buying it on sale. Many others find too little to play yet for $29.99 and suggest waiting for the full version.211
Is Expeditions: Samurai in early access?
Yes. It came out in early access on PC on 7 August 2026, and Campfire Cabal plans the full version for the first quarter of 2027, depending on players’ feedback. The studio says the early-access price is slightly lower than the full version’s will be.211
What will the full version of Expeditions: Samurai add?
More quests, weapons and armour, the rest of the story, in which you rule your own village in Japan, crafting, more ways to customise character builds, and more polish and balance, according to the studio.211
How long is Expeditions: Samurai?
The early-access version holds the first part of the story, and players who finished it took about 4 to 6 hours.211
Is Expeditions: Samurai like Expeditions: Rome?
Its turn-based combat and party building work much like Rome’s, and series fans find them familiar. Many miss Rome’s hand-drawn portraits and its more serious tone.211
Does Expeditions: Samurai have co-op?
Yes. It has drop-in, drop-out online co-op, in which you and a friend play as a pair of twins. Alone, you play as Captain Flynn.211
How does Expeditions: Samurai run on PC?
Smoothly for many players, on laptops and on Linux too, though some still report crashes and freezes. Players say the first big update fixed many early bugs.211
What PC do you need for Expeditions: Samurai?
The minimum is a Core i5-8600K or Ryzen 5 2600X, 12 GB of RAM and a GeForce GTX 1070 or Radeon RX Vega 56. Campfire Cabal recommends a Core i5-12400 or Ryzen 5 5600, 16 GB of RAM and a GeForce RTX 2060 Super or Radeon RX 6700. It needs Windows 10 or 11 and 15 GB of storage.211
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Link
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Creative Cult (2026). How players received Expeditions: Samurai. Updated 28 October 2026. https://creativecult.digital/games/expeditions-samuraiBadge
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