December 20th - 22nd, 2025 - The End of The Expedition

// December 20th, 2025 //

The End of The Expedition Pt. 1

It’s really hard to wake up, I dunno why. I shouldn’t be tired I’ve gotten plenty of sleep in recent hours; and yet waking up is a struggle, an intense battle.

I awake. Kimchi is fed as am I and I load up Percy Jackson’s newest episode. I still enjoy the direction season 2 is taking. I think Percy and Annabeth, and Clarisse, and Tyson are all firing on all cylinders.

Then something catches my eye, FALLOUT?!? I didn’t realize the newest season was even coming out this year. I boot it up. Twas’ good. In truth I cannot rightfully recall it after the Expedition 33 marathon I’ve just had though I’m sure as I switch gears from gaming to game inspired television I’ll remember. I just know that this first episode has me ecstatic for the weeks to come.

So… I started this journey six months ago. I still find it in me to cry for these characters, but as for the game? I need it done, finished, completed. I tire of picking it back up to leave it truncated. Also, on the topic of six months ago, this game has a very unique and distinct art style that six months ago I thought was so amazing, so unique that it had this unpolished, inhuman feel to it. All the oddities made it so beautiful. These days? Where A.I slop is so inhuman, this uncanny valley of art, a part of me hates how this game looks. It hasn’t changed, but the world certainly has. There isn’t a day of my life that goes by where they aren’t forcing A.I into my eyes. I hate it; this incorporeal thing. Untouchable. Then to see something so gorgeous now represent- No. That’s not fair, you cannot hate the original piece for looking like the copy. And yet?

// December 21st, 2025 //

The End of The Expedition Pt. 2

This game is- gorgeous. I know what I said yesterday about the art direction but- I truly don’t have the words.

Expedition 33 has you follow Verso and Maelle the entire time and refuses to let you in on the secrets of the D family. For a whopping 30~ hours you are left wondering, dawdling and confused. It isn’t until the epilogue that the final puzzle pieces are slotted into place, until the entire world is gone that you understand your place in it. What an absolute gut punch piece of art.

I’m very close to finishing the story, I’ve only Renoir to beat and then I think I’m done. Though I thought that 20 hours ago when I still had the Paintress to beat. Now however I’ve opted to finishing the quests of my companions before venturing forward. There is no greater victory than absolute. There is no greater achievement than completion.

The game is gorgeous, its gameplay is amazing, the score is astounding, everything is so phenomenal… I really like these characters-! That twist that ties the entire plot together is brain breaking. I can understand why this won GOTY. It deserves every accolade it received in spades. and yet? I cannot wait to wash my hands of it. I have been “playing” this since before my sisters wedding; I want nothing more than to be finished. I’m so tired of relearning the games mechanics, it’s intricacies. I yearn to finish the story so I might move on. This sword hanging over my head is one I do not wish to hold any longer.

I love this game, I cannot wait to stop playing.

// December 22nd, 2025 //

The End of The Expedition Pt. 3

Urghhhh, I doomscrolled for 2 hours last night far beyond my bed time.

The Canadian climate in the winter is hardly one of the harshest in the world, however, that doesn’t negate my feelings for such a rough temperature. I hate the cold with everything that I am, it brings nothing but disease, uncomfortability, and terrible driving conditions; my one and only solace in this frigid ice scape is seeing my family during the holidays and the rare times I am to enjoy snow.

——

Work was nothing. I moved the stuff in the standing freezer over to the walk in. I just served whatever was in the freezer. No real cooking today. Annjelette passed by to give Tita some Rum cake. Twas delicious. We finished up around 2.

—-

It just feels hollow… after six months of on and off playing. Ending it doesn’t feel right. Maybe life should’ve imitated art and I’d’ve put the controller down before the final blow. The canvas will always exist if I just stop playing. I felt so good going into the penultimate battle, ready to fight my father (As all good games should end) and rebuild the world. In place of that I am given one final fight with the two characters that mean the least to me. Verso fights to stop his soul from painting, to finish the canvas, Maelle fights to keep the painting going indefinitely, to give herself a different life than she has outside. Either way it’s suicidal, and either way it’s selfish. I hate this ending in truth. I had both of the siblings together against their father ready to rebuild the world and create new lives whatever that may mean for them.

Do you know what I’m given instead? I kill a facsimile of my brother just so I can create his world in my own image, to resurrect him as a child so I might create a facsimile of our relationship… I don’t fuck with this ending. Not because Maelle is going to die here, I think that’s her best case scenario because she becomes god and it doesn’t feel earned. I have serious doubts that Sciel or Lune or even Gustave wouldn’t have issue with her recreating her brother as a child. Also, I FOUGHT for Gustave to come back and when I see him again it doesn’t feel, again, earned! This whole ending just feels like fan service expect it isn’t for me it’s for Maelle. This entire game has loved to follow the film rule of “show don’t tell” but this epilogue? It’s all just telling you what happens without showing you how, it’s all reward and no earning it. It falls so flat for me. It almost has me wondering if Verso was right…

There’s a new game + option…