#Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 overview

It’s not typically a brand new gaming IP catches my eye from its debut, will get an increasing number of thrilling with every reveal, after which really lives as much as the hype. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is considered one of these uncommon video games, which is much more spectacular contemplating this gem of an journey was crafted by a staff of about 30 individuals.

The turn-based RPG and debut title from French studio Sandfall Interactive fully delivers on its promise in refreshing the style, taking inspiration from video games of the previous and the Belle Époque period of French historical past to craft an exquisite, tragic, and memorable expertise that can possible go down as the most effective video games of 2025.

Like a portray come to life

Expedition 33’s world is vivid, attractive, and hauntingly lovely, very like its storyline. The idea is darkish however easy: a mysterious, large enemy identified solely because the Paintress wakes every year and paints a quantity on an enormous monolith that may be seen internationally. And every year, everybody who’s of that age dies in an eerie, heartbreaking method in what is known as the Gommage (which is outwardly a French phrase which means to “erase” or “rub out”) as all these painted to die wither and disappear perpetually.

The sport begins with the Gommage for 34-year-olds, illustrating how disturbing and bleak it feels because the residents of the world collect collectively to have fun the lives of those that are about to die, say goodbye to them, after which prepared one other Expedition to aim to take the Paintress down, irrespective of how futile.

Together with the imagery of portray (Clair Obscur interprets to chiaroscuro, which is an “artwork method employed within the visible arts to signify gentle and shadow as they outline three-dimensional objects”), one of many themes of the story in Expedition 33 is studying from the previous, not repeating errors, and the mantra of “tomorrow comes.”

For the a number of dozen expeditions that got here earlier than 33 and your playable characters—equivalent to Gustave, Lune, and Maelle—it’s all about taking what was discovered prior and appearing on it, because the expedition heads off in the direction of the Paintress to try to use the instructing of the useless expeditioners earlier than them to determine one thing out. A quote from Metallic Gear Strong 2, “constructing the long run and maintaining the previous alive are one and the identical factor,” instantly sprang to my thoughts whereas taking part in the sport. It was my highschool yearbook quote, really, so this sort of theme resonates lots with me.

The theme carries by with the fight; you’ll want to check enemy strikes and time their assaults to correctly dodge them, be taught the muscle reminiscence of the button presses, and ultimately parry as a substitute for larger injury to maintain your self alive and pushing ahead with the group. You’ll shortly be taught parries, though tough to grasp, grow to be vital for most of the recreation’s harder battles.

“When one falls, we proceed,” the expeditioners say. The individuals of this world have come to anticipate demise and failure, pushing ahead in fruitless makes an attempt to beat the Paintress and her rule of demise over them. However “for many who come after,” they proceed. And I really feel like there’s a real-world lesson in that sentiment.

Flip-based evolution

Even with a voice forged boasting Hollywood expertise, the true attract Expedition 33 is the fight and every thing that goes into the gameplay. Injecting Ultimate Fantasy-style turn-based RPG fight with QTEs, dodging, parrying, and even a bit little bit of aiming and capturing at weak factors, creates one of many extra participating playstyles I’ve loved in fairly a while.

Every battle all through the 30-plus hour story and dozens extra through sidequests and exploration is a pleasure, maintaining you locked in by each battle with each gratifying good dodge or devastating parry. The grotesque Nevron enemies require your full consideration, together with each pre- and post-battle.

At its hardest elements, Expedition 33 requires planning, technique, and build-crafting for every of the sport’s playable characters, rewarding those that take the time to degree up, unlock expertise, and mix them between social gathering members to devastate foes.

A number of fights take a number of wipes and restarts to really grasp the timing of enemies and their diverse assaults. The change-up in cadence of assault speeds is paying homage to From Software program boss fights in video games like Elden Ring or Darkish Souls, so you must be on the prepared always.

As a lifelong fan of turn-based video games, with early Ultimate Fantasy titles being a few of my favorites, this feels prefer it must be the norm for turn-based titles shifting ahead. I do know Sandfall didn’t precisely invent the mechanic on this type of RPG, however it has been mastered right here.

Character builds have the potential to be enjoyable and versatile, permitting for distinctive mixtures of skills that, when utilized accurately, are extremely satisfying to drag off in the case of executing a recreation plan towards a well-known enemy or boss battle that raked you over the coals prior.

Like conventional video games within the style, Expedition 33 additionally doesn’t embody a lot in the case of monitoring quests on the earth. Typically, an NPC will point out one thing to you as soon as, and that’s all you need to go on. There’s no option to observe the quests, and I typically discovered myself forgetting that I progressed one and needed to discuss to another person, however it didn’t detract from the general expertise an excessive amount of. However that makes exploring the open world, preventing its twisted creatures, and assembly new whimsical associates that rather more price it.

All the celebs

One of many greatest preliminary promoting factors for Expedition 33 was its forged. The sport options the voice skills of Charlie Cox (Marvel’s Daredevil), Jennifer English (Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3), Ben Starr (Clive in Ultimate Fantasy XVI), and Andy Serkis (Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings, Klaw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and far more) to flesh out the world with top-tier performances.

However in the long run, I felt so engrossed by the world of Expedition 33 that I ended listening to Matt Murdock and Smeagol and Shadowheart, and as a substitute felt myself invested within the characters and their seemingly hopeless journey, all set to a stellar soundtrack on prime of every thing else the sport boasts. And that features some genuinely humorous moments on prime of the entire dread.

I felt compelled to discover as a lot as potential in my time with the sport, and I’ll achieve this extra now that my overview is accomplished, however Expedition 33’s world map is paying homage to basic RPGs prior to now. Because the story progresses, you’ll be able to discover extra of it, encountering towering and highly effective enemies as a part of more and more tougher fights, together with the attract of looking for no matter else is hidden within the visible feast of a map whereas touring together with your social gathering and companions.

Sadly, some quantity of the characters’ backstory and exposition takes place inside non-obligatory cutscenes whereas at camp, however I really feel it’s essential to additional flesh out the world to search out out simply how bleak life is for many who are born figuring out precisely when they may die because the Paintress’s countdown continues every year. I might recommend gamers be sure that to exhaust all dialogue choices to get every thing out of those characters and their world, as a result of the primary story doesn’t add sufficient of the worldbuilding and character moments by itself.

The continued thriller of the Paintress, its creations, and the sport’s increasing forged of characters unravels extra with every battle and cutscene, as Expedition 33 builds to a crescendo and solidifies itself as one of many extra memorable, distinctive, and thrilling RPGs in current reminiscence.

And as for what tomorrow brings, with Sandfall Interactive on the helm, I feel RPG followers are in good fingers.