Overall Impression
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is a poetic masterpiece crafted by an incredible team. It’s a hybrid turn based RPG with some action combat elements. At the very heart of the game is a poetic tale beautifully realized and told through a team of genuine artists. This article will explore the story of Sandfall Interactive and key elements of the game that leave a lasting and transformative impression on the RPG genre.
Target Audience
Those that will resonate with this title the most will be gamers looking for a deep and poetic narrative with challenging combat encounters. There are multiple difficulty settings for those who just want to enjoy the story. However, the full intended experience is somewhat akin to more difficult combat games albeit to a lesser degree, such as what is encountered in the Dark Souls series. It challenges the player to overcome what they didn’t know was initially possible making for a rewarding and satisfying experience for those who do journey through the world of Expedition 33.
Sandfall Interactive
The story of Clair Obscur is the tale of the power of what a small team come accomplish. In order to understand the brilliance of the game we have to start with the narrative of how the studio formed. Expedition 33 is the first published title from the developer. Furthermore, it’s the first published game for many of the key members of the team from the art director, writer, and musical director just to name a few. What started as a small project with volunteers grew into one of the best RPGs ever created. Not only did Clair Obscur win Game of the Year, it set a record for most wins for a single title in a given year. By all accounts this type of game from a group of relatively new talent in the gaming industry doesn’t normally happen. The story of the team itself is powerful and gives insight into the magic of the game.
The development of the studio is a testament to the power of recognizing talent and passion regardless of experience. According to SkillUp’s video on the making of the game, many of the members had zero prior experience in the industry. On top of that several members were recruited via Reddit. It may all seem like a random chain of events and luck that lead to creating a superstar team, but it was Guillaume Broche, the visionary behind the game, that was able to look beneath the surface and identify the gift and passion of each team member regardless of their experience. I believe this key trait is how they assembled such a talented team. In addition, without prior experience but a passion to work on such a promising title allowed them to step outside the box to create something unique without being bound by traditional ways of doing things. For many on the team this was a chance to live their dream or explore a new career opportunity and they took hold of it and brought it to heights beyond what anyone could imagine.
Narrative & Voice Acting
There is something very human and poetic in the narrative. Writing a story that is evocative, engaging and meaningful is one of the toughest challenges to do well. The craft and history of storytelling in games is relatively short compared to other genres. Seldom have we had a mature story thoughtfully told for an adult audience that includes character development, depth and nuance without getting lost in explaining everything or that is primary focused on plot. Instead, Expedition 33 is about the cast of characters and their relationships with each other amid a backdrop of tragedy and it’s the very humanity in each character that makes its story shine. Conversations feel real, emotional and impactful. The pacing matches the tone of the scenes without feeling like they overstay their welcome or drag on longer than necessary. The art of putting together a scene is thoughtful implemented. Altogether, these elements make the game feel distinct and leave a lasting impression.
This is an all star cast of voice actors. They bring to life the narrative in a powerful way as they portray the emotions and drama that the characters go through on their journey. They are believable and feel authentic and genuine. Even characters with smaller roles are well executed. Altogether it combines very well with how the overall narrative is constructed evoking an epic journey filled with moments of friendship, tension, drama and triumph.
Gameplay
I. Hybrid Turn Based Combat
The core combat gameplay is a hybrid turned based system. You select your actions in a traditional turn based setup; however, during certain attacks there are real time events. For example, skill attacks can achieve additional damage by pressing a specific button when prompted. Moreover, an enemy attack may be dodged or parried with the right timing. A dodge will avoid damage while a parry (with a smaller window of success) will perform a counter attack. What makes the system interesting is that each enemy has a different attack animation and thereby a different timing is required to dodge or parry. This makes even mundane regular enemies a real threat. In this way each battle is important keeping the player vigilant during combat making every encounter meaningful.
There are a variety of factors that keep combat interesting throughout. During combat a variety of buttons may be required to be pressed. For any enemy attack you may be asked to dodge, parry, jump or perform a gradient counter. Meaning you may be asked to press any one of four buttons. On top of that, performing a counterattack at the right moment can result in a massive amount of damage. The game rewards you and it feels epic because even 1 or 2 counterattacks in a fight can easily mean the difference between victory or defeat.
There are also different enemy weak spots. Some are easily spotted with glowing orbs while others are not so obviously marked. This allows the player to experiment and be rewarded for doing so. It makes the player think strategically. Furthermore each enemy will have different elemental weaknesses. This means that the player will need to test different types of attacks in order to do the highest amount of damage.
The rhythm of combat is also unique. Most characters have to do some type of setup in order to unleash a powerful attack. The setup may change depending on the enemies and what the team needs in any given moment. But pulling off a combo that deals significant damage feels very rewarding.
Challenging encounters make for an exhilarating combat experience. In many of the more difficult fights you feel like you just barely get by. Each action you take matters. Every dodge or parry or combat decision has a significant impact on the overall fight. It also asks the player to step up and accomplish what they may have thought was originally beyond their ability. Altogether this makes combat feel rewarding, like you have overcome a major obstacle that rewards strategic play and successful reactions. When you hit that parry as you are low on health and it deals a large chunk of damage it feels massive. To hit these heights of exhilaration the player needs to be challenged and asked to go beyond what they knew they were are capable of and Expedition 33 does this extremely well. All of these features to combat keep fights interesting and feel impactful throughout the entire journey.
II. Exploration
The core design of the world enables natural exploration. This is facilitated through features such as having no on screen user interface (UI). This keeps the player immersed in the world. On top of that, other than a flag maker (for rest stops and upgrading) there are no indicators telling you where to go or where certain treasures are located. This is a simple but significant design choice. This is how games started off without much instruction or explanation allowing gamers the opportunity for discovery and a chance to learn on their own. But somewhere along the way with such large open worlds everything came with a marker. It made sense in those massive open worlds, but what it took away was the basic joy of exploration. Not feeling forced to complete a checklist but being naturally curious to investigate your surroundings because you want to. This is what Expedition 33 has brought back to RPGs. They are not the first to do it, but it speaks to their understanding of how design elements influence the player. Exploration is fun without feeling like you have to do it. These types of design elements are what we need in the genre. Going back to how games were first designed and treating the player as someone who is capable and equipped to make discoveries on their own.
III. RPG Elements
The RPG elements are satisfying. There are various ways to power up your units. This includes a traditional leveling system that also gives you attribute points to distribute as the player sees fit. This can allow the player to lean towards damage, speed or survivability. Next there are various weapons to collect throughout the experience. Certain weapons come with specific traits that can alter that unit’s play style. Lastly there are Pictos. Pictos contain stats and unique passive traits that can significantly alter combat. The large variety of Pictos allows you to customize individual units. Once a Picto trait is learned other teammates can also utilize that trait. It’s an interesting system that allows players to create different builds depending on what their objective is. These type of elements that allow creative expression are essential. The more a player is given choice and the ability to be creative the more it reflects their play style. Humans by nature are creative and games that allow this creativity create something special by tapping into that innate quality.
Art & Design
This is a generation defining title that leaves a lasting mark on artistry within gaming. The strikingly beautiful art and design of the game sets the foundation for the love, care and attention that would follow in every other area of the game. In addition, all too often in gaming we have dark and dreary environments that although fit the tone of a game don’t necessarily inspire. In contrast, the areas of the opening scenes in Lumire are stunning. The historic French architecture lit against the setting sun amongst a rain of falling leaves is breath taking. It doesn’t end there. The clothing design is exceptional. Outfits look stunning, displaying tailored looks fitting of the culture and world of Clair Obscur. In addition, there are so many environments and small moments throughout the game that stop you in your tracks just so you can observe and soak in the beauty. It may be how the rays of the sun shine through the overhead foliage or how the sound of flowing water catches your attention. It’s evident that a lot of love and attention was made to how this world is crafted and its impact on the overall experience is simply amazing.
Music
The music of Expedition 33 takes you on a journey. It encompasses a blend of styles from classical and orchestral mixed with splashes of EDM and rock. It explores an emotional and cinematic soundscape that matches the beats of the narrative with solemn moments being beautiful and melancholic and dramatic spots eliciting haunting, powerful and epic melodies. Just like many members of the team, Lorien Testard, the exceptionally talented musical composer for the game, is a newcomer to game development. The soundtrack to Clair Obscur is reminiscent of other classical JRPGs while also carving its own path and leaving a significant mark on the genre that is unique and exudes the artistry and identity of Sandfall Interactive.
Challenges
This is a challenging game. It will take experience and several encounters to adjust to the animation and timing to successfully pull off a dodge or parry. In many ways it’s refreshing. Asking us to step up and pay attention. It makes even trivial battles with regular enemies dangerous. However, it can be frustrating to learn and it will require some dedication to gain the required skills. It may throw off players that want to enjoy the full experience but potentially lack the physical reflexes to play it as intended.
This is also a game that embraces less hand holding. There are some tutorials that are there to help you understand a new unit’s combat abilities, but the majority of the experience is up to the player to discover and learn. There is no UI during regular gameplay, including no map or directional indicators. This allows the player to explore and take on quests or objectives that interest them without feeling pressured to do so in order to clear something on a checklist. However, this can also leave players feeling lost in certain sections if they can’t find their way through a map. Overall I do think this is the direction some games should move towards. Trusting in the player’s ability to discover and problem solve instead of giving them immediate answers or direction thereby empowering them to explore and make discoveries on their own.
Closing Thoughts
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a special game that leaves a lasting mark on the RPG genre with its commitment to artistry and innovative game design. It’s story is even more incredible when you discover how the team was founded and how despite their lack of industry experience, managed to develop one of the best RGPs the world has experienced. Along the journey they’ve infused the genre with new life by embracing game design choices that trust in the player’s ability to overcome adversity just like the protagonists that are represented in the game. If you’re a fan of RPGs and you appreciate true artistic craftsmanship, you need to experience this game.
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GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
RELEASE: 2025
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive
GENRE/TAGS: RPG, Turn Based, Story Driven, Challenging
TARGET AUDIENCE: RPG fans looking for a story driven experience with challenging combat encounters and a unique artistic vision.
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