Expect The Unexpected Demo

Replay value is something developers strive to deliver nowadays more than ever, given the fact that small studios cannot compete with the industry giants when it comes to graphics, storytelling and world complexity. Hence, randomly-generated content seems to be the most sought-after feature lately, especially when it comes to RPG maps and quests.

Expect The Unexpected is a top-down RPG with roguelike elements, turn-based combat and randomly-generated maps for every playthrough, which should theoretically allow you to keep playing for hours on end without getting bored. In reality, some of these features are a tad exaggerated, since you still have to deal with similar events regardless of the map, and the level design can be a bit too repetitive sometimes.

You play the role of a classic hero embarking on a great adventure, and you have the option to customize your character when it comes to the desired class and name. Don’t expect too much variety in this regard, but at least it’s possible to be either a villain or a good guy, depending on your choices. In fact, the overall story evolves depending on the decisions you make, so that’s different every time as well.

There’s a fair bit of action involved in the adventure, and it’s a relief to see that the battles take place in turns, because it’s a lot easier to plan ahead. Granted, the combat itself is as simple as it gets, given the fact that all you have to do is click on enemies when you are near them. Some foes require more work when it comes to spells and special abilities, but this is still an area that needs more work.

The roguelike elements come in the form of permadeath and free exploration, although it is possible to keep playing after you die, except that you pass into afterlife. It’s a fairly interesting concept, but not polished enough at this point. The graphics are not bad either, but don’t expect anything too grand in this regard, since it’s just a bunch of 2D tiles with decent artwork every now and again.

In the end, Expect The Unexpected is a lot of fun in the right conditions, and it also comes with a decent amount of content to keep you busy. It needs a bit of work in regards to combat and quest variety, but it certainly has the potential to be a great game.