Fantasy gamers rejoice – the hotly anticipated RPG game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is here. And oh, how it has been worth the wait.
Buckle up for a fantasy game that grips you from the offset, with a captivating story that is already tipped for a film adaptation – despite not being released yet. It is THAT good.
Promising between 30 to 60 hours of challenging content and resurrecting long-missed RPG mechanics in a truly genre-defining way, Clair is an ambitious game that will leave a lasting impression on you long after the closing credits.
If you long for the golden days of Final Fantasy or are on the hunt for a unique adventure that's equal parts hilarious and traumatic, then this is the game for you.
Are we looking at an underdog Game of the Year nomination? I think so.
'For those who come after' – a powerful story that continues to grow
The strength and power behind Clair is its story. It is gripping, inventive and utterly tragic, putting a team of explorers together for a futile quest to save themselves and their loved ones from impending death.
Once every year, the mysterious being known as the Paintress wakes to paint a number upon a monolith on a distant continent. On that day, everyone in the nearby Belle Époque-inspired city who has passed that age will fade away in a process known as 'the Gommage'.
As the number continues to wind down each year, everyone's potential lifespan is cut shorter and shorter. As such, there are no older people to be seen. Everyone's parents have since disappeared. People are hesitant to start families of their own. They simply exist until they reach the age of their foretold death.
This puts pressure on the remaining 'adults' to fashion together a plan to stop the Gommage for good. Those who want to break the pattern join Expedition teams, spending the last year or so of their life on a seemingly one-way journey toward the Paintress to stop her from painting the next number.
The game sees you take charge of Expedition 33. In true RPG fashion, it is a mixed group of eccentric characters that complement and clash accordingly. They set sail toward the monolith, unaware of what lies ahead.
Can your team put a stop to the Paintress once and for all? Or are they merely martyrs, leading the path for the dwindling number of Expeditions who are next? All the while, the figure '33' haunts the background of your screen…reminding you there's only a certain amount of time left before you too will vanish.
A star-studded cast of actors delivers the heart - and tragedy - of the game
Characters are at the forefront of any great story. And thankfully, Clair has them in spades. It is the kind of game in which you actively look forward to cut scenes just to experience the undeniable chemistry between characters.
Leading man Gustave, played by Daredevil star Charlie Cox, is a resourceful engineer who tries to hold the team together with a blend of ambition and optimism. He recently lost his former girlfriend to the Gommage, so the stakes couldn't be higher to put an end to the Paintress' tyranny finally.
But he's also realistic. Every entry of Gustave's journal finishes with 'for those who come after'. As upbeat as he may be, there's that pragmatic thought that they're all but sacrifices for the younger teams that follow them. And he's actively leaving clues for future explorers to learn from.
Lune (Kirsty Rider) is the team's tone-deaf scholar, prioritising the Expedition above all else, while teacher Sciel (Shala Nyx) brings the heart and fun to the group. And then there's Maelle, Gustave's younger foster sister, who joins the Expedition despite still having years left to enjoy her life. Played expertly by Jennifer English, she can at times seem like a meek glass cannon, and then the next, the leader every Expedition needs to survive. Maelle is also an enigmatic character with a bigger destiny than she and her friends realise.
There are also a host of new characters to befriend or fight along your travels. While I won't spoil any surprises, visiting your Camp to interact with mates is a good idea when possible. Ben Starr, who plays Verso, and Rich Keeble, who plays the foot-collecting creature Monoco, constantly deliver comedy magic when on screen together.
Modern combat in a classic RPG format
For years, so many of us have been crying – no, begging - for a return to the golden era of Final Fantasy's signature turn-based combat system. So, the fact that Clair advertises itself as a turn-based RPG immediately will grip nostalgic fans. But does it deliver on that front?
Put simply, the results are addictive.
The battle system you'll experience has just the right level of action, strategy and complexity that any fantasy tactician will seek. With the timeline of actions on the left and active-time bars, it feels oddly familiar. And yet, it throws so many new things your way that you'll be hungry to learn.
In every battle, your brain will be focused, your heart rate elevated, and your thumbs waiting in anticipation. Whenever a character attacks, quick-time commands appear that, if hit, will power up your abilities. Similarly, when an enemy attacks, you can dodge, parry, jump and counteract. Even against the game's toughest bosses, there's something magical about being on just one health point and waiting for the right moment to reflect their attack with the swish of your sword.
In this way, as passive as you might think turn-based play is, Clair manages to elevate it into an interactive and punishing experience. The simplest encounter with a foe could be your undoing, as I learned numerous times. Especially in specific boss fights, which have seemingly endless combos to navigate, the learning curve can feel steep as you try to time your reactions. All the while, your eye will scan the order of actions on the left side of the screen, telling you when (and if) you will make it to your next turn.
In addition to the combat mechanics, every character has their own abilities, weapons and playstyles to master. Gustave uses a sword and pistol and has a signature 'Overcharge' mechanic that allows him to charge up power and unleash devastating attacks.
Lune is your traditional spellcaster, able to use elemental magic to inflict devastating damage and build up 'Elemental Stains'. She can use these to trigger more powerful attacks on foes, as well as buff allies when needed.
Maelle is a fencer-style fighter who, in my view, is the most fun and complex character to control. She can switch into different stances, including offensive, defensive, and virtuoso. Planning when and where to swap her stances as she explodes enemies with her needle-like weapon will make you feel like an extraordinary battle strategist.
Scythe-wielding Sciel has her own 'Fortell' mechanic which is incredibly flexible in battle, balancing power or support whenever needed. And the hilarious Monoco can shapeshift into enemies and use their abilities against them– so long as he has defeated them in battle and collected their feet. Yes, really.
Unique weapons, teachable skills and equipable 'Pictos' allow you to learn new passive abilities for further customisation and build a character to be whatever role you want them to be. Having said that, it is sad that you can only bring three characters into a fight – a pain many gamers have faced in the genre. No doubt everyone will pick and stick with their favourites for most of the game, which is a shame, given each character feels distinctive and well-thought-out in their own right.
The RPG genre is set for a true defining moment
With creative characters, a captivating world, and an inventive return to classic RPG combat, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has all the ingredients of an epic RPG. It is so ambitious and determined in what it sets out to do that die-hard fantasy fans will be helpless to its charm.
The pseudo-real graphics and enchanting soundtrack make the game feel like an interactive storybook. As you progress through the story, characters will grow on you in scenes that can be hilarious and endearing to downright traumatic. While the game is light on the usual fantasy minigames, there are some sparse moments where players can see the potential of the world - if the Paintress never existed.
But the enigmatic '33' painted on the distant monolith serves as a constant reminder that there are no fun and games when death approaches. After all, the Paintress is biding her time for the next number.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is released on April 24th for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
