On paper, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn’t appear to face out amidst a current wave of status RPGs, from the newly polished excessive fantasy of the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion remake to the medieval warfare of fifteenth century Bohemia in Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. For one, its fantastical conquests are set in a world paying homage to France’s Belle Époque interval, an period identified for its financial prosperity and radical creative actions, from Artwork Nouveau to Expressionism. Add a tinge of melodrama and an emotional backstory, and its setting resembles a medley of video games that happen in vaguely European worlds like Greedfall, Bloodborne, and Dishonored. On the similar time, Expedition 33 boasts a turn-based fight system impressed by Japanese RPGs like Remaining Fantasy and Dragon Quest.
All that is to say that Expedition 33 dangers showing banal and cliche. Heading off not possible odds in a world, the place everybody needs to swing their very imposing weapons at your head amidst medieval ruins, isn’t all that distinctive today. However Expedition 33 isn’t cowered by the lineage of RPGs that got here earlier than. As an alternative, it shows a way of quiet confidence, understanding that the keys of the style — narrative and fight — must be distinct sufficient to weave a poignant story.
That is embodied within the prologue, which takes its time to unfold the sport’s emotional stakes. Firstly you’re launched to the scraggly-but-charismatic Gustav, who’s nervous about his assembly with ex-partner Sophie. Other than going by the fundamentals of fight, Gustav spends the primary half of the chapter on a leisurely stroll together with her alongside the city’s boulevard, as they make their manner towards the harbor. It’s then that the sport’s conceit is revealed: the Paintress, a malignant, immortal being of kinds, wakes up every year to color a quantity on a large monolith, culling the city’s dwindling inhabitants. When this occurs, everybody of that individual age merely dissipates into petals. It’s a second that might simply tip into mawkishness, however a palpable feeling of melancholia units in. A lump in your throat lingers.
This scene units the tone for the remainder of Expedition 33. You information a gaggle of doomed Expeditioners like Gustav, who’re embarking on a last-ditch try to cease the Paintress. It will’ve been straightforward for Expedition 33 to plunge into an endless cycle of abject hopelessness, however there’s a real sense of marvel in touring past the small city of Lumiere, and towards the huge expanse of its bigger, phantasmagoric world.
One panorama has towering pink corals and shimmering sea flora, swaying like underwater tendrils, with effervescent streams rising from the bottom. One other showcases the remnants of Artwork Nouveau structure, with dilapidated buildings rife with elegant curves and floral patterns, in addition to marble faces carved onto their surfaces. It’s as if these lands, as soon as wealthy with historical past and biodiversity, have lengthy been wrecked by a cataclysmic struggle. Regardless of the looming menace of sure dying, even the Expeditioners had been awed by the painterly attract of their environment, virtually thrilled to be on such a lustrous journey.
Equally — and unexpectedly — resplendent is the sport’s fight. Encounters usually start with the crew hanging some monstrous titans with an preliminary, vibrant blow (or, in unfortunate cases, with enemies strolling into them), and being transported to a grandiose area. These scenes are lovely tableaus, with each assault depicted with the finesse and flourish of fashionable sword fights.
Expedition 33’s turn-based fight seems deceptively simple. You’ll be able to situation instructions to every Expeditioner each flip, who’ve their very own spectacular set of strikes. The spine of Gustav’s assaults, as an example, is his prosthetic arm, which permits him to cost up his assaults and subsequently land a robust finisher. Whereas one other Expeditioner, Lune, embodies the mage archetype with a number of elemental spells at her disposal.
Including a wrinkle to this turn-based system is that enemy assaults might be dodged and parried. When timed proper, this lets you gather extra motion factors for pulling off a string of assaults, or launching a countermove. Performing twitchy maneuvers like these are extremely satisfying. A wonderfully timed parry can simply flip the tide of fight, letting you deal a large quantity of injury. That’s to not say that battles are straightforward; executing these strikes, on the proper time, is contingent in your understanding of enemy actions, a few of whom are liable to feigning their assaults. Most enemies even current their very own twists to fight, which makes each tussle substantial.
Picture: Sandfall Interactive
Including some tactical range to fight are Pictos, that are gadgets the Expeditioners can equip to buff their assaults. That is, by far, one of many smartest tips Expedition 33 has up its sleeve. There are many these to gather throughout the map, so you possibly can additional customise every Expeditioner to a selected, most popular construct. Gustav’s Overcharge, as an example, requires him to land a flurry of melee assaults to cost up the talent, so I favor to equip him with Pictos that enhance the efficiency of his assaults.
That is how Expedition 33 allows you to subtly refine the cadence of battles. After which there’s the enjoyment of the grind; if an enemy proves to be too overwhelming, you possibly can at all times plow by ramshackle bands of mechanical titans for expertise factors. That’s as a result of the ritual of grinding in Expedition 33 is deeply cerebral, somewhat than mindlessly tedious, with each encounter a large, but surmountable problem. Plus, swinging huge swords and scythes on the heads of Expedition 33’s monstrous giants — accompanied by a rousing, atmospheric soundtrack — lets your assaults land with a very meaty thump. Preventing is a grand, stupendous affair.
There’s way more to say concerning the sheer extravagance of Expedition 33. Its characters carry shades of complexity and compassion that floor of their conversations. Its music swells and swirls with orchestral lavishness, punctuating each interplay with a observe of splendor or calamity. Its story is heart-wrenching, stirring, and humorous in equal measure. Some elements of Expedition 33 generally is a tad superfluous — like the necessity to put a numerical worth within the Expeditioners’ relationships, and sure dialog decisions that make little sense — however these do little to mar its expertise.
Expedition 33 is constructed upon the standard anchors of its style. However its grandiose story, bolstered by a downright sturdy fight system, turns it into one thing way more than only a scrappy underdog.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out there now on Xbox, PS5, and PC.