Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review | A Bold Artistic Instant RPG Classic

WACO, Texas (KWTX) -

I think I owe an apology to my friend Robbie for saying turn-based RPGs aren’t my jam anymore. Because, and I do not say this lightly, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is one of the greatest RPG fantasy games I’ve ever played. It’s a very French game, full of artistic strokes and deeply winding stories. Fully embracing its influences and filling them with flair to build something entirely new, Expedition 33′s adventure is nothing short of astonishingly good. Dropping you in the middle of a refreshingly original world, devoid of context, you are sent down a path that leads to one of the best openings to a game I’ve played in a while. These opening hours simultaneously set the world and stakes up while very quickly getting you into the fight, allowing you to familiarize yourself with both the universe and the combat. You are not ready for the experience of Clair Obscur. The team at Sandfall Entertainment have taken what is a genre steeped in lore dumps and slow-moving plots and eagerly leaped over these tropes to deliver a tale of grief and of resistance with confidently executed twists and turns. Its turn-based RPG combat throws in real-time defensive options and is an exhilarating, addicting loop of learning enemies’ move sets and executing beautifully animated moves of your own. As I set out for the ominous obelisk that marred the horizon of this world, I was excited to discover what lies at the heart of it all.

Clair Obscur’s world is a wonderfully creative one full of vibrant and extraordinary locations, but also an incredibly bleak one. Our key players are part of the city of Lumiere, a last refuge for those affected by something called the fracture. They live their melancholic lives under the oppressive and mysterious power of The Paintress, who with her obelisk dominates the horizon of The Continent. Each year she paints a number on that gigantic black stone that counts down, declaring the maximum lifespan of Lumiere’s people. She then returns to a weeping-like pose awaiting the next number. From the moment the people here realized what that number meant, they began to organize groups to go out on annual expeditions, seeking to undo this injustice by destroying the Paintress. We arrive as the 33rd expedition is heading out, hoping that with newly invented technology and the will of their people that they can find some resolution to this plague. Sandfall has woven an incredibly gripping tale, whose setup is expertly executed and perhaps more importantly, successfully carries its themes consistently towards a shocking end.

To quote Will Smith in his iconic role, “So what we some kind of Suicide Squad now?” and yeah, based on all we know of the expeditions that set out before, this is a straight up suicide mission. But our team persists, and riding along this adventure with them is an emotional rollercoaster. The game is an exploration of mortality, what it means to be alive, and above all else the different ways we handle grief. There is a morbid saying amongst the expeditioners, “we continue” meant to inspire the team to move forward no matter what happens. Despite its aspirations as an inspirational quote the phrase is a pitch-black way of saying we will all likely die but if even one of us succeeds it won’t be in vain. That bleakness is apparent within even the early levels, where you find the stoney statue bodies of former expeditions and you begin to understand the plight of this world. Or like me, you might think of Captain Price saying “Mission Failed We’ll get them next time” in Modern Warfare 2. Either way it puts one of the other common expressions, “light the path for those who come after” into perspective. The 33rd Expedition’s journey is a deeply emotional one often tainted by fear and dread, but just as frequently full of jokes right when you need them, strange characters and locations and shocking moments of heartbreak. Our team may be small but that allows us more time to learn and grow together. Which the game handles flawlessly, granting more than enough moments for us to learn their backstories, find out the source of their motivations and connect with them on some very deep notes. I’m being incredibly careful here because I truly do not want to spoil anything here, but every character is written exceptionally well. Brought to life by the staggering list of talented voices such as Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English. What I loved most about the setup and the confident narrative is that it is unafraid to ask hard questions. Why would people with such dramatically short lives ever spend time worrying about the past? If time is so short, then every moment has to be pushing you toward your goal. How many lives is a brighter future worth?

Up against a field of other RPGs that make their slow-trodening stories stretch before they ever really get going, Clair Obscur throws caution to the wind and moves with speed and purpose while still leaving room for you to explore this bizarre world of French-art brushstrokes. The full breadth of the story can be mainlined, but my lord, especially in the latter half of the game, there is so much richly rewarding side content to enjoy. I can’t stress enough how well put together this universe is. Side characters that act as basically transportation offer lovely asides, and the narrative kept me second guessing everything I thought I knew throughout my time on the Continent.

That being said, if you like I, have been coddled by the likes of mini-maps and compasses to help guide you, you’ll find the exploration of Expedition 33 to be far more memory based. Most areas present a fairly linear section to adventure through with the occasional offshoots for exploring and beating the shirt off those mimes. However, some of the later areas can get pretty in-depth meaning you’ll need to think like the characters who are also seeing this world for the first time. Lumbering around these gorgeously crafted levels are Nevrons, a monstrous collection of chromatic energy. Crossing blades with these fiends can be daunting but let me assure you taking them down is a rush. I met every fight with eager eyes, ready to download my enemies’ move to be able to perfectly counter them. Every Nevron enemy is unique with its own dastardly cadence. Normally turn-based RPGS kill me with their slow, methodical pace that turns combat into a slog, but I shit you not, Clair Obscur’s combat, while not frustration free, was a blast from start to finish. I was so enamored with the battle system that like a drunk uncle at a family get together, I walked around looking for a fight.

Mechanically this game’s fights aren’t complicated but there is a much deeper level of complexity just below the surface. Turns are dulled out in terms of speed, meaning the faster a character is the more often they get to play. Most of the combat is set in turn-based attacks that can be enhanced with a well-timed button pressing a QuickTime event-like moment. What gives Clair Obscur that je ne sais quoi, is the inclusion of timing based defensive moves. Find the right timing and you can dodge to avoid damage, parry and counterattack to return the damage to its sender or in certain moments leap over a sweeping blow to deliver a punchy rebuttal. Combat is where Clair Obscur wears its love of Japanese RPGs most proudly, creating this viscerally engaging combat full of over-the-top animation and dopamine boosting sound designs that feel like home if you grew up on those old school games. The challenge in combat isn’t just to make big numbers go up, it’s mastering the patterns of your foe. Perfectly timing a series of counters to deliver that devastating blow will make you feel like a new-born god just discovering their power. Mastering this is the first step to ascending beyond the chroma packed creatures and into the later games combat scenarios. Dodging is also a valid exercise, allowing to skirt by without taking a hit. I mostly used this for moves I wasn’t confident I could parry or to learn a new enemies dance. On the other side of these battles is the strategy. Enemies have weaknesses and resistances that can be exploited or avoided to maximize damage. Status effects such as burn can help quickly build up damage over time, stacking to deliver massive amount of damage. Alongside these are the pictos. A sort of stored buff that may offer you an advantage in combat. Once you win four battles with it the pictos becomes equipable to all party members, which you can increase the number you can equip by expanding your lumina points. This balance of perks and drawbacks makes the later game a thrill to dive into. Not to mention every party member comes with their own unique ability, Maelle for instance, has stances that change her attack and defense values while unlocking additional effects for executing moves while in the proper stance. These clashes against some of the towering bosses become like dances, a trading of movements and skills that results in a decisive final thrust to the end of the fight. A rare example of turn-based RPG whose combat simply never stopped being fun.

As confident and enthralling as the narrative and combat are, I think what pulled me in the most is the art direction and soundtrack. The aesthetic is unbelievably unique French brushstroke world that rides the line between the realism of its actors and the surrealism of its locals. There are locations like a forest of coral where bubbles permeate the air and whales float effortlessly through the air that stand out. I loved walking through a war-torn field that felt littered with as much history as it is bodies. The over world is almost dioramic in nature, giving a off scale for everything but one that still pits little expedition 33 against the massive size of the beasts of this world. I think the thing that sets the tone even better than the wonderfully unorthodox monster designs and jaw dropping locals is the soundtrack. Gentle piano and orchestral music backed by haunting vocals set the melacholic tone but hidden amongst the pain and sadness is a sweetness that longs for peace. You can hear it in the lighter moments when our heroes are bonding or cracking wise. Pulsating beats and lively accordion accompany many of the battle themes, especially against some of the game’s goofier foes. I loved just about every track and having it collectible for the camp site was a great way to let players sit and enjoy their favorites in the game. The soundtrack nails every tone at just the right time and has easily ascended to the top tier of my game soundtrack list.

What makes Clair Obscur Expedition 33 a phenomenal game is its commitment to making something new from the influences it so apparently loves. Taking the best of what works and building off with original beats. While the monsters that lurk are the deadly forces you must overcome, Expedition 33 is about fighting your inner demons of fear, loss, pain and existential dread around our own mortality. Sandfall has made a game that effortlessly shines with new artistic expression and yet feels like coming home. Never overstaying its welcome, its poignant story will stick with me long after our expedition’s flag is planted. I was happy to reach its conclusion but sad to be leaving my team behind. Clair OBscur is easily one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played and more than earns a 10 out 10 from me. A true masterpiece.

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