Imagine you're deep into a game of Eldritch Horror, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. You've battled cultists, faced unspeakable terrors, and just when you think you've got a handle on things, you realise there's a lack of variety in the Ancient Ones. It's like watching a thrilling film with only one plot twist—it leaves you craving more.
Enter Forsaken Lore, the expansion that promises to shake things up. Fantasy Flight Games has heard your cries and responded with a fresh set of challenges and mysteries. While it only adds one new Ancient One, Yig, it compensates with a treasure trove of new cards and conditions that breathe new life into your game.
Gameplay of Forsaken Lore
One of the focal points of Forsaken Lore is the introduction of a new Ancient One, Yig. Fans of the original game will appreciate the fresh challenge posed by this Serpent God. Yig brings six unique mysteries to solve, breathing new life into your encounters. And it's not just about solving mysteries; you'll also deal with 24 new Yig research encounters and eight new Yig special encounters. These additions keep the gameplay dynamic and unpredictable.
That's not all. Forsaken Lore cranks up the variability with new encounter cards. You get eight new location encounter cards for each of the American, European, and Asian decks. Fancy a general encounter? There are four of those too. Expedition enthusiasts? Six new ones await you. Plus, you'll find six new Other World encounter cards and six new Mythos cards to spice things up.
The fun doesn't stop there. Forsaken Lore introduces eight new mystery cards, with two tailored for each Ancient One from the base game. This gives you new paths to explore and challenges to overcome, keeping every game session fresh. With 64 new research encounter cards—16 for each Ancient One—you'll find the game has gained even more depth.
For the seasoned players looking for more variety in their arsenal, Forsaken Lore comes loaded with 28 new spell cards, including two brand new spells. Not to forget the 24 new condition cards featuring two new conditions, 16 new asset cards, and eight new artefact cards. With each game, you'll uncover new strategies and combos to stay ahead.
Pros of Forsaken Lore
In the "Eldritch Horror Forsaken Lore" expansion, you’ll discover a plethora of positives that significantly enhance the base game. First off, the expansion introduces a wealth of new content that keeps the gameplay fresh and engaging. The addition of new Research cards deepens the lore for each Ancient One, offering you more intricate and captivating narratives to explore. If you love the thematic richness of Eldritch Horror, this expansion takes it up a notch, adding layers of mystery and intrigue.
Moreover, Forsaken Lore integrates seamlessly with the base game, ensuring that the new elements don't feel tacked on. Instead, they blend perfectly into the existing mechanics, enhancing rather than overcomplicating your gaming experience. You’ll appreciate this if you crave complexity without the game becoming overwhelming. The new Spells and Assets provide additional strategic avenues, allowing you to craft your gameplay strategy with even more precision.
Another notable pro is the introduction of new Artifacts. These mighty items can significantly tilt the balance in your favour, offering powerful abilities that make your investigators more formidable against the Ancient Ones. Spells like these not only add a strategic depth but also make every game session unique, ensuring no two adventures are the same.
The inclusion of Yig, a new Ancient One, ramps up the difficulty and adds a fresh challenge for seasoned players. Yig’s cultists and Serpent People introduce tough new adversaries, making your quest to save the world even more nail-biting. If you’re someone who thrives on challenging gameplay, you’ll find this aspect particularly satisfying.
Cons
When it comes to the "Eldritch Horror Forsaken Lore" expansion, several drawbacks are worth mentioning, especially if you're a seasoned player. First off, the additional content inevitably increases both the game's length and setup time. If you thought the base game's 2-4 hour playtime was already pushing it, brace yourself for even longer sessions. With more cards and components to shuffle through, what used to be a relatively brisk setup might now evolve into a laborious task. And let's be honest, nobody enjoys spending precious game night minutes arranging dozens of cards and pieces.
Then there’s the spike in difficulty. The new Ancient One, Yig, and its associated mysteries have been described as "unrelenting" and particularly challenging. Even for seasoned players, the added complexity can become somewhat frustrating. While some enjoy the heightened challenge, it may alienate those who prefer a more balanced encounter. Collectors and new players might find it discouraging as they progress through the game.
Despite packing a wealth of new content, the expansion doesn't introduce any groundbreaking new mechanics. For those hoping for a fresh twist or new gameplay systems, this might be a letdown. Essentially, "Forsaken Lore" is more about expanding existing elements—adding more cards, Ancient Ones, assets, and the like—rather than revamping the core gameplay loop. So if you were looking for significant changes or added game modes, you might not find this expansion as fulfilling.
Box size is another thing to consider. Being a relatively small box expansion, it's somewhat constrained by how much new physical content can be packed in. For players yearning for a substantial upgrade, something more akin to the larger box expansions like "The Dreamlands" may be a better fit.
While the "Eldritch Horror Forsaken Lore" expansion offers rich additional content, it brings a fair share of cons, particularly if you value a quick setup, balanced difficulty, and significant gameplay innovations.
Final Thoughts on Forsaken Lore
Forsaken Lore was the first expansion made for the Eldritch Horror game and it is a great addition to the game, it could very well be the best expansion out of all of them. If you are new to the base game then we recommend that you first play that and get familiar with that game as it will take some getting used to. For more experienced players it is really a why not as you can get the expansion for less than £25.00.
