Once upon a time, when I was a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed university student, I wrote a dissertation on L.A. Noire. While my main focus was its portrayal of PTSD in 1940s America, it's the ending that sticks with me most. I, like many, found protagonist Cole Phelps to be thoroughly unlikable, even arrogant, yet the conclusion of his story still hits hard because he's so convincingly written. That sort of high-stakes, shocking storytelling is threaded throughout Expedition 33, one of the year's best RPGs, which arguably goes one step further by frontloading its most devastating surprise.
Please note that this article contains major spoilers for both Expedition 33 and L.A. Noire. Tread lightly, expeditioner.
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