by: Nabila Rhapsodios
In a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set on The Continent, where lies a beautiful but bleak city called Lumiére. The people of Lumiére send out squads on a journey to destroy the Paintress so she can never paint a countdown on a monolith yearly. The countdown numbers she paints mean every person of that age or above is forced to disappear, or "Gommage", as the people of Lumiére dubbed the phenomenon.
So often meet a failure, the faith of Lumiére residents toward the expeditors' effort grows descendingly low, impacting the number of volunteers yearly. The majority of Lumiére accepts that the Gommage is unavoidable. The recent squad, Expedition 33, consisting of Gustave, a devoted engineer, and Maelle, a sixteen-year-old orphaned girl, like their fallen comrades, carries hope in their hearts that the unjust deaths looming Lumiére for a century can be broken. Gustave and his team soon learn a more complex truth about their world and the Paintress' motives.
I didn't expect to love Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as much as I do. I have difficulty finding and saying bad things about Expedition 33. This game is phenomenal and so fun to play. It deserves all the vast amounts of pluses. But I will try my best to be as objective as a reviewer. There have to be strengths and weaknesses in any review. Here's my impression after tasting the game firsthand.
First, let's discuss the cons. Why the cons first? Well, because I will not stop writing my praise for this game. It's going to be a long text (believe me).
(-) Cons
a. Scrappy Mechanic: The Platforming
Seriously, the platforming in this game is awful because the movement controls from the dual-sense wireless controller and the characters' in-game moves are not precise and incisive enough to complete the task. It's a legitimate criticism of the game from me. Thankfully, this platforming hardship appears mostly in some optional zones that revolve around it, like The Painter's Workshop and specifically the obstacle sessions at GESTRAL BEACH (I am so sorry for the emphasis; because I still remember playing at Gestral Beach, where I swore a lot. Some lunatics designed the platforming at Gestral Beach. I bet they wanted to make it even harder, but someone had to say "Non").
Platforming has been my recurring nightmare; this game sadly has the platforming. Platforming sections are mostly unnecessary in this game. Moreover, the merry music at Gestral Beach, which taunted me after the 10th time or so to finish the task, did not keep me from going insane. Yo, the Gestral Beach minigames & the fun music traumatize me!!!! I hate them.
b. Overreliance on Dodging & Parrying Too Much
I speak from experience; y'all better heed my warnings: This game demands mastery of real-time protective mechanics, such as dodging and parrying enemies' coming attacks. Players who do not master dodging and parrying, most enemies potentially one-shotting you.
Expedition 33 demands your keen attention throughout the entire duration of a fight. Dodge, parrying, and another important note is memorizing enemies' moves; these are key to survival.
This overreliance on dodging and parrying makes the game difficult for me, who prefers a less reflex-based and more strategic approach. Another is that this overreliance makes the game more like a rhythm, as a turn-based game should not have dodge or parry mechanics; it should be stat-based.
c. Audio Mixing
My audio system and TV are in 100% prime condition, and my ears are perfectly fine, too. However, the voice volume feels more like a relative 50-60. This is especially bad during cutscenes because the character voices and music are very low. I remember continuously increasing and lowering the voice volume using the remote whenever the game played a cutscene.
d. No Mini-map
Most of the time, not having a mini-map is not a big issue, yet all areas in this game are confusing. While playing the game, I was often lost and walked around in circles when trying to make advancements. More mini-maps for more locations would have been helpful.
Ultimately, these cons are minor inconveniences on my part, four things that keep the game from being literal perfection. Let's flip the script: The highlighting Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 strengths.
(+) Pros
a. Narrative & Voice Acting
One year ago, I did not care too much about the game's narrative premise because it tells a group that aims to break the cycle. Nothing surprises me anymore about it. Then, I finished it. Wow, the story was, no, is authentic, unlike any other 'break the cycle' I've known. It sends an intense shock wave to the core of my mind and heart. The story only spells out a sliver of information in the beginning, and that's suitable for this game. Like the characters, I know as little as they do, as if we are on an expedition together. Nothing is as it seems.
With deeper immersion and devotion to the game, this masterfully written narrative is deeply saddening and full of layers of metaphor. The game doesn't present a conventional narrative of bad vs good, evil vs angel, and hero vs villain. Instead, this game offers a profound and sobering exploration of grief. It is remarkable how, when left unresolved, grief becomes an eroding influence that distorts even our good volitions. Each character acts out of what they believe is right, yet in doing so, they end up repeatedly hurting one another. This game is a deeply personal journey for them through the tangled intricacies of loss, love, and the unintended consequences of pain and grief. It's hauntingly beautiful and wholly enthralling for me, who has finished this game.
The game does such a spectacular job of telling the tragedy of French people's dystopian environment in this mysterious tale that keeps me on the edge of my seat to unveil more and more lore and backstory of the cryptic "Paintress", "Gommage", "Fracture", "Expedition 0", "Canvas" and so on. All are explained in spectacular narrative and commendable voice acting.
Since the trailers throughout 2024, the voice cast lists and music have been the things that have sold me on buying it in 2025. It surprised me how stacked the voice cast was for this game, which was developed by a new small studio, including Charlie Cox (Daredevil from Daredevil), Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Caesar from Planet of the Apes, etc.), Ben Starr (Clive from Final Fantasy XVI), & Jennifer English (Shadowheart from Baldur's Gate 3). I was interested in how the name choices would play out in-game. I'm in 2025; the voice cast's acting is top-notch. They make the charming dialogue flow more naturally. They make their characters richly developed in a fantasy world heavily sprayed with hope, misery, oblivion, fate, and resistance that resonate with many people personally in real life. They make the characters talk like real people and interesting in their own ways. I've yet to find a character that grates on me so far.
b. Music
This aspect is what makes me hell-bent on buying Expedition 33. No matter the circumstances, I am placed by God. The songs featured in the trailers released throughout 2024 are great. In 2024, I foretold that this game's music would deserve a standing ovation in 2025. Fast-forward to the date I'm writing this review; my premonition is correct.
With my limited music ability analysis, this game's music mixes jazz, electronica, progressive rock, and orchestral with Latin and French choir throughout. I like a track, especially with the vocalist singing the song operatively and the rock violin playing that shakes the ears. Overall, this game's music is truly a work of art. It is phenomenal, rivaling the compositions from touted names to a select few like Nobuo Uematsu, Yoko Shimomura, and Masayoshi Soken. This game's music is reminiscent of the best of Final Fantasy in their most excellent orchestral forms, as seen in their albums. Every track in the Expedition 33 album is unique and gets stuck in your head for weeks. You always come back to music streaming, searching for a particular soundtrack you heard in the game. You can always hum some of the tracks outside of the game.
The music track doesn't just accompany my journey - it represents it. From the moment the game begins, I'm drawn into a world where phenomenal music respires energy into every moment — a soaring, atmospheric score that evokes emotion and wonder, perfectly complementing the game's themes and story beats. Another is whether roaming a mysterious new zone or facing an intense battle, the score elevates every moment into something memorable. The variety is stunning—every world and encounter has a sonic uniqueness.
c. Art & Visual Direction
Combining big RPG names, such as Final Fantasy, Persona, and Zelda, with French art style and aesthetic works like a charm. Each place and scene looks like a painting that tells a story. The use of color and gradients is extraordinary.
The art direction is striking, like strolling through a dream painted in strokes of surrealist fantasy and Belle Époque luxury. Environments trickle with the atmosphere. Mist coils over cobblestone paths, gilded ruins shimmer under fractured skylights, and foreign architecture twists with unimaginable grace. The lighting and reflections are beautifully executed. In short, the visual aspect of the game is breathtaking.
d. Gameplay
I don't particularly enjoy the gameplay aspect because it's too focused on QTEs; parrying and dodging are highly challenging. Lastly, it is sometimes boring because it forces me to memorize the attack patterns of the enemies well if I have to win the battle. However, for today, I would like to make a confession: The game's uses of turn-based combat hark back to the glory of the days of the '90s to early '00s of Square-Enix (formerly Squaresoft), Expedition 33's gameplay completely reinvents turn-based gameplay by revolutionizing it. It really does revolutionize turn-based. I haven't played turn-based games since PlayStation 2, but Expedition 33 is the best version of a game in the genre.
The fun part of this gameplay aspect is the variety of customizations that can be done through Pictos, Luminas, Weapons, and Skills. The set-up variety and seemingly endless battle possibilities make each of them equipped feel like a move on a chessboard. I get to have this dual action of decisions in both actual battle and setting up for a fight that never fails to feel fresh and able to reinvent itself whenever I feel necessary. The gameplay is so engaging because of this.
Again, even if some of its combat gameplay can be punishing, the satisfaction of overcoming a boss after a few tries, discovering a new Pictos or skill combo, or even simply finding some new synergy between characters is exciting every time. Building diversity that allows me to play to my taste is brilliant.
As a closing statement, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut RPG by the French new studio Sandfall Interactive, is a 9.8 stars out of ten. It is not because it's near-perfect stars but because it dares to reach for something nearly scarce from other games, even attempts like emotional, intellectual, and spiritual transcendence. I've played and finished it; every stuff presented by Sandfall Interactive for their debut is a breath of fresh air. I'm beyond excited to see what Sandfall Interactive has in store next. Remember, this is a must-have recommendation if you love games that challenge your moral intelligence and stir your emotions.
*Disclaimer: Courtesy of Google Images. The material published on this website is intended solely for general information and reference purposes and is not legal advice or other professional advice.
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