Renowned Explorers: The Emperor's Challenge DLC

Another very nice DLC, with a very good new expedition that expands the variety of level four expeditions and rounds out the balance of the game with more uses for previously underused skills. The new characters are all great and the new game mode is interesting if you've done a ton of expeditions and want a mode that will give you reasons to explore unusual but not necessarily high scoring parties, and that's a nice addition for experienced players. Very much worth the cost.

This DLC feels weaker to me compared to the 'More to explore' DLC. The additional expedition is nice (like I said in the base game review, the base game feels a bit lacking in that department), the 4 new characters I could take or leave (didn't feel like the base game really had a shortcoming in that regard) but it's nice anyway. But the thing that should sell you or not, is the Emperors Challenge mode. It presents an alternative for developing your crew while playing the game; essentially giving the main game a twist. If you are the kind of person who likes the idea of having to adapt our of your regular mold, then this DLC is probably worth it to you. If you are the kind of person who likes the win optimally and likes to stick to a predetermines strategy, then maybe this DLC isn't for you (or might get it at a deep discount, just for the extra expedition and characters)? (For me personally, the Emperors Challenge is an okey alternative to mix things up, but I like the regular game mode better)

Got a board gamey feels to it, very innovative playstyle, also there's a Thai character so me likey.

I got the DLC thinking I'd get a few characters and a new zone but I was surprised with a new game mode. The new mode feels very fresh after a few playthroughs of the base game and very much worth playing.

4 new characters and a new area to explore! Freaking awesome. The new game mode is interesting, but maybe not my cup of tea, I prefer to keep focus on getting as much renown as possible. Overall, I still like the game after 3-4 years and will play it for many coming!

The new content for the classic game is good. I like the new crew members. They have a nice range of abilities that should appeal to a variety of playstyles. It is always nice to have more options to tune the gameplay to you. The new game mode will appeal to people who want more randomness in their gaming or enjoy a digital scavenger hunt. If you like REIS but thought it needed more randomness, this is for you. I do not enjoy dialing up the randomness in my strategy games, so I cannot recommend this. See a longer review at http://www.killtenrats.com/2017/05/28/the-emperors-challenge/

A great addition to the game that add a lot of replayability for people who have played the original to the ground. This DLC gives you four new explorers, but the main addition to the game is the new Challenge mode, where instead of collecting renown, you compete to do random challenges. The challenges are randomized, and your team most likely can't win them all, but that's the whole point. It's a whole new mode where you have to throw away all your well-honed strategy for efficient renown collecting and do things that seemingly insane if you do it in normal mode. And since usually you can't do them all, you have to effectively choose which challenge you want to pursue. It's definitely not for newcomers to the game, you have to already know the ins and outs of the system to successfuly win the challenges. But for those who are new for the game and getting this DLC, those four new characters are great addition to the cast.

It's perfectly delightful - but of course, if you are looking at this review, you already know that it must be. Abbey Games keep up the great work, and while perhaps this is not as big an expansion as Time To Explore (for a very casual, a-game-in-the-evening-with-a-glass-of-wine kind of player like me), it is wonderful, whimsical and brilliant, just like the rest of the game. Buy it, play it, enjoy it.

Four new explorers! The Scientist, Min-Jeong, is incredibly powerful with her Excite and Sadden AoEs, and has one of the strongest captain's perks in the game, although she doesn't do well when people get on top of her and she's vying for the strong speech-based scientist spot with Agata. The Speaker, Phaillan, is very unique being able to be both friendly and super aggressive, and her campfire story is pretty exciting. I won't spoil it, but trust me, it's fun. The Scout, Hojo, is Quick Thinking personified. He can give everyone a free quick thinker perk. He's super serious too, and when they say he'll sweep you off your feet he's not kidding. He does really well in friendly crews since he can almost negate the penalty vs Aggressive enemies, and if need be he can quickly swing the mood back to Friendly. The Fighter, Wang Yu, is probably the weakest of the four but is still incredibly strong. Great AoE effects and yet another really interesting campfire story. I bet you won't be able to guess what happens in it, seriously. On top of those, which honestly I'd think would be enough, you get a whole new expedition, taking you between some islands where a strange super happy cult is gathering. There's some really fun challenges on these islands, and its pretty easy to navigate thanks to a lot of supply nodes. It's my favourite 4-star expedition actually, unless I have a team built specially for one of the others. And, as if that wasn't enough for a DLC that costs no more than the price of lunch, you get a whole new gamemode too! Two main goals and loads of small ones - some make for really creative teams. It's really fun and a great alternative to the main mode (although you don't get achievements per captain victory which is a bit lame :( ) All in all, I cannot recommend this enough. It's so good and it's astounding that it costs this much because it's so worth it.

Though it is not as game-changing as the "More To Explore" expansion, the "Emperor's Challenge" remains an excellent addition to the base game. The new, very good, "Indonesian" expedition fills a void among the rank 4 expeditions - and is probably the must-have part of this DLC. The 4 new characters offer (very) original Captain Perks and aptitudes and provides for some interesting renewed gameplay. The new game mode, "The Emperor's Challenge" itself, with its randomly generated challenges compels you to approach the game in ways you would have not thought before. Though very fun the first few times, in its current form, it may feel a little gimmicky after a while. Outside of the new expedition that a new player can immediately take advantage of, the new content is more adapted for players who have already some experience with the game. Note: My impressions are based on the beta-test I was part of. Hence the early review.