At a time when so many new games fall into a handful of overpopulated categories, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 immediately stood out from the crowd upon its reveal at last summer’s Xbox Games Showcase. Its gilded Belle Époque aesthetic was immediately captivating, while a rumbling voiceover established a unique premise: in a world where a magical sorceress can magically exterminate all citizens of a certain age, the latest mission to put an end to her tyranny sets out on a hopeless voyage.
Now having spent four hours embroiled in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s world firsthand, I can safely say that Sandfall Interactive is living up to all of that promise.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a game that dodges definition, in many ways. At first blush, its turn-based combat looks like shades of Persona 5, with its stylish UI showcasing button prompts. Once the enemies start throwing devastating haymakers and hurling lightning bolts, a keen sense of dodge or parry timing becomes critical, validating those countless hours spent honing reaction times in the likes of Elden Ring.
And all the while, the game showcases an awe-inspiring sensory splendor, a painting in motion. Characters in uniforms that could fit into the real world hurl magic at eldritch fiends that defy the tenets of reality and natural design, all staged on vast, ethereal environments. Every time I thought I’d seen what the game had to offer, I’d move into a new area and immediately be struck by another beautiful, surreal, or haunting vista.
“Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already seems like one of the most uniquely original experiences I’ve played this generation, if not in the last decade.”
The preview build offered for this occasion picked up a short distance into the story proper; after a brief synopsis of the (unfortunate) events so far, I was put into the shoes of protagonist Gustave, waking stranded and alone in an unknown place. While I had little more to work with narratively than the core conceit given in the trailers, I felt personally invested in his plight in one particularly dark scene early in the demo.
It’s the crisp battle system that universally shines in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, however. Combat takes place in a separate environment in turn-based format, taking notes from some titans of the format (like the visible display tracking the turn order). Each character has a unique mechanical specialty, and certain number of Action Points (AP) with which to perform advanced moves; using skills or firing guns/projectiles uses AP, while basic attacks and items do not.
Gustave’s specialty, for example, is Overcharge, which allows him to build up the power of his signature attack, Overdrive. Dealing damage or responding to attacks adds to the Overcharge counter, up to 10, and the higher that counter is when he next uses the attack, the stronger it will be. Meanwhile, mage Lune is granted elemental tokens called “Stains” when she casts certain spells; when casting certain other spells, these tokens are consumed to heighten their effects.
Most skills come with unique conditions in themselves, like the usual buff and debuff fare, or my quick personal favourite, burns, which can stack ongoing damage. Add onto this the “Aim” ability, where the character can freely target their personal projectile weapon for a quick light attack, and each round of combat is like a chess match.
To keep from leaning too hard into the industry’s dustier cliches, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 keeps up a dynamic presentation. The camera pans around as the player gets deeper into menus, which display and shift around the character like they’re a part of the world proper. Most skills require a timed button press Quick-Time Event to achieve their full potential.
Similarly, actively parrying and dodging enemy attacks is critical. While the party’s QTEs can be set to auto-succeed in the game options, you will need to master the fine art of parrying to survive this brutal expedition. Time all your parries correctly for an entire combo and your party will retaliate with a devastating combo, which can easily surpass the damage they would normally deal on their proper turns.
Better yet, party members gain AP in the process. It seems possible to get through by tanking the hits, but the counters and extra AP (and therefore, more versatile strategies at your beck and call) make a world of difference. So don’t let the term “turn-based” turn you away—the battles here are intense and active.
The demo also gave a taste of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s unique accessory system. Attaching an accessory, or a Pictos, grants the character a certain ability; clear four battles with it equipped, and that ability will be available to anyone else in the party as a “Luminas,” if they have the points to equip it. Nomenclature aside, the options offered even this early into the story are truly promising, and the final game should have plenty to offer the strategy-crafting crowd.
Exploration, at least in this very early chapter of the game, is less involved mechanically. And that’s a very good thing, as this leaves your eyes free to watch the beautiful world passing by. I passed through two distinct locations and a span of the world map between them, each continuing to impress with new areas and geographical features. The world map similarly impressed, and left me with the feeling of standing within some masterful painting hanging in a museum.
“Everything I was enjoying about my demo time with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was reaffirmed when a third party member, Maelle, eventually joined the ranks.”
That’s not to say that exploration is a snooze, however. You’ll have to keep your wits about you to avoid enemies and get the drop on them, and rewards await just beyond most beaten paths, so there’s plenty of reason to search all of these diverse vistas.
Everything I was enjoying about my demo time with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was reaffirmed when a third party member, Maelle, eventually joined the ranks. Her unique skill has her shift through three different fencing stances—one for offense at the cost of defense, one for boosting defense, and one for dealing 200% additional damage, plus a neutral, default stance without benefits. And of course, her skills have other additional effects, which can expand Gustave and Lune’s tactical options.
Each of the characters is brought to life by a stellar cast, with Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox, as Gustave, Sifu‘s Kirsty Rider as Lune, and Jennifer English of Baldur’s Gate 3 as Maelle. Each has absolutely given their all in this brief cross-section of the larger game, and could easily set the bar for this year’s Best Performance at the Game Awards if this continues. Again, even having minimal context for the preview’s plot, the performances and writing had me fully engrossed in the Expedition’s curious, dangerous mission, and in the bonds between each of the party members.
(Ben Starr, Andy Serkis, and Devora Wilde are among the others on the call sheet whose characters didn’t appear within the preview, making this one hell of a cast.)
Perhaps surpassing this star-studded cast, composer Lorien Testard has been crafting a truly powerful score that perfectly encapsulates the bittersweet feeling of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s world. Each area had a unique battle theme, and the choral refrains through many events are bone-chilling. I can already tell that this soundtrack is going to quickly drill its way into many fans’ hearts.
It feels inevitable that upon its release, Sandfall’s debut is going to draw plenty of comparisons to Elden Ring (the latest new offering to be drawn into its orbit) and Persona; these comparisons are apt, but only to a point. A couple of trappings might be familiar, but the thought of writing any part of this game off as “just another x imitator” does a great disservice.
Even having scratched the mere surface of the full experience, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already seems like one of the most uniquely original experiences I’ve played this generation, if not in the last decade. I can’t wait to see where the full journey leads, and how it’ll test my reflexes and break my heart along the way.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches on April 24 on PlayStation 5, Steam, and Xbox Series X|S.
