Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came out of nowhere, at least for me, and it’s probably the best RPG I’ve played in recent times. I’m writing this review just after rolling the credits, and it’s easily my pick for game of the year. Had Oblivion Remastered not come out at the same time, I probably would’ve gotten on this wild ride much sooner.
It’s Sandfall Interactive’s debut game, and they didn’t just knock it out of the park, they sent that ball flying straight through the stratosphere. Here are my thoughts on the game, and I’ll make sure to avoid major spoilers as much as possible for those who want to dive into the story blind.
A Gripping Narrative
Clair Obscur is a captivating story of grief and the different ways it can affect us, all set in what appears to be a French-inspired fantasy world wherein a mysterious figure known only as “The Paintress” erases everyone of a certain age every year. It’s basically a giant clock ticking down to the complete extinction of human life, with 33 being the latest number after the intro sequence.
Following this annual erasure, a group of volunteers go on an expedition named after the current number on the monolith. Their goal? To try and put an end to the Paintress before she wipes out the entire population, or at the very least pave the way for the next expedition.
With the number of people willing to go on expeditions dwindling each year, the party is already facing insurmountable odds right from the start, further emphasizing the bleak situation that they find themselves in.
The stakes were already incredibly high to begin with, but the story somehow finds ways to keep ramping it up. From the first act all the way until the end, the game just keeps throwing in twist after twist until it finally reaches a stunning crescendo where everything finally makes a lot of sense.
To top it all off, none of this would have been as good as it is without the phenomenal performances of the entire cast. I mean, I was already hooked before I even started when I learned that it featured the likes of Ben Starr (Clive from FFXVI), Jennifer English (Shadowheart from Baldur’s Gate 3), and Charlie Cox (Daredevil).
I really wish I could forget the entire thing just so I can experience it for the first time again. It was just that good.
Innovative “Turn-Based” Combat System
Clair Obscur is often jokingly referred to as a “Je’RPG”, and rightfully so, as it does feel like your typical JRPG that just happens to be unapologetically French.
What sets it apart from its peers is its more “active” combat system, which features a dodge and parry mechanic that you’re heavily encouraged to use even if you’re just playing the normal difficulty setting. A couple more attack types with their own distinct counters are introduced later on, and enemies will make use of all of these, so you’re kept on your toes at all times.
It’s like the lovechild of a typical JRPG and a soulslike, and it allows for a surprising amount of skill expression as you can even tailor your builds around such mechanics.
Surprising Amount of Build Variety
Speaking of builds, each playable character has their own unique set of abilities and special mechanics. Maelle, for example, can make use of her different stances to maximize her damage output or reinforce her defenses. Lune, on the other hand, can generate and consume stains to add additional effects to her abilities.
There’s even a character who builds up a “rank” as they deal damage, which is uncannily similar to a system used in Devil May Cry. Gee, I wonder why.
Here’s a clip of the combat system in action:
As for your “gear”, they mainly come in the form of pictos and luminas. These allow you to add varying passive abilities to each character, which can drastically change how they play. You can even get really silly with some of these passives and make it so that having somebody in the party die actually benefits you.
There is also a wide range of weapons in the game, and you can upgrade them to unlock even more passives that enable varying playstyles. I’m already engaging with the postgame/NG+ content (there are optional super bosses!) and I’ve barely scratched the surface in terms of build crafting.
To Sum It Up…
To close this out, I really just want to reiterate how much of an exceptional RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is. It’s not just a love letter to the genre, but to gaming as a whole. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but the whole experience really is amazing. It’s got great music, smooth and fun gameplay, and a story that doesn’t drag on for too long.
While the turn-based gameplay may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I encourage everybody to at least try to play through it even just for the story. It’s a tragic tale with what I think was a brilliant set of endings (it has two), and while I did manage to kind of predict how it would end halfway through, I still enjoyed every second of it.
