Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been on my radar since its reveal in August. The breathtaking art direction captivated me from the get-go, though I was skeptical of its gameplay as a not-so-avid fan of JRPGs.
But after playing through the preview? My mind has completely changed.
The four hours I had with the game scratched an itch I never knew I had. Like any other JRPG, it features a turn-based combat system but without any of the monotony usually associated with more traditional titles. It was fast, used many real-time mechanics, and made it feel like characters were actually fighting and not just waiting for their turn to strike. An intuitive and quick UI propelled that further, letting me go through each character’s turn fluidly.
Coupled with one of the most breathtaking worlds I have ever seen with lands as strange as they are beautiful, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 completely pulled me in. And now, I can’t wait to see more of its characters, story, and combat, which is set to be even more comprehensive in the full release.
A world full of wonder and eyecandy
Stepping into the title, I washed ashore on the mysterious Continent, where the strange Paintress paints a number each year, killing everyone of that age in the human settlement of Lumière. I was given control of Gustave, one of three playable characters in the preview, and made to progress through a scenic area, encountering ancient automata and grotesque creatures. The game immediately gave me a rundown of its combat mechanics, specifically highlighting its real-time mechanics that let you react and counteract enemy attacks even if it isn’t your turn.
This is done either by participating in quick-time events to buff your skills or dodging and parrying, which at first seemed quite overpowered by all metrics. Some enemies have to be engaged with party-dodging, since their AOE attacks strike at every character simultaneously. Successful dodging grants you the chance to counterattack, dealing massive damage. Although the developers advised me to use a controller, I used a mouse and keyboard, which I must say works perfectly well, though the camera is decoupled from the WASD keys, which the devs could improve with an alternative camera option like in The Witcher 3.
It wasn’t long before I met a true challenge, this time joined by Lune, the second character. This ordeal felt as if I had fired up a Souls game and wasn’t at all what I expected. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised and took the big brute down after a few tries. I had done this on the game’s default difficulty, though one could make the game easier or harder by picking either of the other two difficulty options. Quick-time events can also be resolved automatically if one chooses the option, with the game providing maximum accessibility to every type of player.
Further exploration of this mind-bogglingly beautiful world with incredible vistas and an eerie tower with the number 33 on it in the distance captivated me so strongly that I seldom wished to leave. The area then changed from meadows and flowers to a dark, blue forest with an enchanting atmosphere. Here is where I met my first actual boss fight, with enemies becoming a lot stronger and travelling in packs instead of one-by-one. The challenge was much less than the one I wrote of above, though its cinematic feel and enemy designs made it way more pleasurable.
Beating this fight, I was given the option to travel the overworld, which is reminiscent of the Final Fantasy titles in that it isn’t just a big regional map but an actual place you can explore. Items and valuables can be found throughout it, as can new optional areas where the toughest challenges await. One is also given the chance to set up camp, and I did so near a cliff, which actually made a difference as the explorable camp area was situated precisely on a cliff’s edge. In camp, Gustave and Lune spoke a lot, in ways reminiscent of Baldur’s Gate 3, remembering their oaths and the expeditions that came before them to lay the foundations for the ones who come after.
These conversations and interactions weren’t all-too-present during exploration except in key areas, though there were more than a few cutscenes that set the stage and story well.
This next area, Flying Waters, was one of the most unique areas of a game I’ve ever explored. Set at the bottom of an ocean with fish and whales swimming above you and marine mines floating about, it featured its own unique set of enemies and troubles and led to the unlocking of Maelle, the final character voiced by the fantastic Jennifer English of Shadowheart fame, who elevated the atmosphere and gameplay significantly.
Magnetic characters and storytelling
Other than being a unique take on the JRPG formula, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has fantastic storytelling, dialogues, voice acting and character designs that are a breath of fresh air in the sea of uninteresting and bland AAA titles. Though this is by no means a AAA game (given how it’s Sandfall Interactive’s first game), it features a jampacked all-star cast of voice actors who perform phenomenally and give the characters a ton of flair and realism. Each character feels like their own person and their designs set them apart from the rest of the cast.
From the hotheaded Gustave who’s obsessed with his legacy as an expeditioner, to a more rational Lune who believes in Lumière’s cause, to Maelle whose journey through the Continent has fundamentally changed her, each member of the party was magnetic to the utmost. I wanted to learn more about them and the short while I spent with them simply wasn’t enough, in a good sense.
There was also a handful of characters who were strange and yet incredibly fun, such as the Gestral Merchant whom you can fight to earn better options in his store. He speaks only in French (makes sense, the devs are French after all) and behaves like a medieval knight in his mannerisms and way of speaking. His Gestral brethren appear in the game’s promotional trailers and I didn’t get to see them in the preview, though I surely am holding my breath for when the game drops.
The game cannot come soon enough
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 comes out on April 24—and that date can’t come soon enough. The nature of the Paintress, the Nevrons she “paints” and creates, and the expeditioners’ quest to learn her motives and finally defeat her is a fantastic storyline to follow. This JRPG is a stellar example of how existing traditional formulas can be evolved and transformed into something new and greater, bringing folks like myself into a genre we never knew we liked.
The performance is beyond fantastic, as well, with optimization clearly being a focal point of the developers—yet another aspect of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that sets it apart from the rest of modern gaming.
Published: Mar 3, 2025 09:00 am