Expeditions: Samurai shows off its co-op and combat before August 7

THQ Nordic and Campfire Cabal just dropped a new gameplay trailer for Expeditions: Samurai. The footage highlights the game's turn-based combat and two-player co-op ahead of its August 7 Early Access launch on Steam.

The game was originally announced in June. You play as the newly elected leader of a Dutch privateer crew aboard the frigate De Albatros, arriving in Sengoku-era Japan right in the middle of a civil war. The story leans into alternate history. In this timeline, William Adams (the actual historical first European samurai) never left England, leaving your custom character to fill that void in the year 1600.

This is the fourth entry in the historical RPG series, following Expeditions: Conquistador, Expeditions: Viking, and Expeditions: Rome. Campfire Cabal took over the franchise for this installment. The new team seems to be keeping the core tactical DNA intact while pushing for more dynamic encounter design and multiplayer support.

Tactical combat and stealth

The trailer shows exactly how the tactical RPG handles its encounters. Players can use stealth and disguises to bypass guards entirely. The voiceover emphasizes this approach, warning players not to get too close to the local lords and to move unseen.

When violence inevitably breaks out, the game shifts to a grid-based combat system. Movement, attacks, and interruptions can happen simultaneously. You can split up your team in real-time to set up ambushes before combat officially starts. The arsenal includes a mix of pirate weaponry and traditional Japanese arms. Players will be able to craft their own items and experiment with different loadouts to survive.

Full campaign co-op and diplomacy

The most notable addition to the formula is full two-player co-op. The entire campaign is playable with a second person, allowing you to tackle the tactical grid and the game's branching story together.

Outside of combat, the campaign relies heavily on diplomacy and relationship building. The trailer shows brief snippets of dialogue choices regarding trade deals and alliances. You can earn the trust of your crewmates to form friendships, rivalries, or romances. Your political choices will catch the attention of powerful warlords and impact the broader civil war happening across the country.

The Early Access release on Steam is just over a week away. Campfire Cabal plans to develop the rest of the game alongside player feedback. The balance between early 17th-century firearms and traditional samurai weapons will probably see a lot of adjustments before version 1.0.