Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025) - Game Review

It seems history has repeated itself once again here on The Film Pub. Last fall, a new JRPG called "Metaphor: ReFantazio" came out of nowhere with high critical praise to back it up. That game obviously landed a spot on my favorite video games list last month. About 6 months later, another new turn-based RPG graces its presence in the form of "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33". This game was released right at the heart of when I was wrapping up on said list. As a result, I couldn't in good conscience rush my time with it just to give it a spot there.

After all, when a game like this one gets as much universal acclaim across the board, I need to see what all the praise is about. After completing the campaign a few days ago, I concur with the high praise and would absolutely put it on my favorite games list for sure. This game was created and developed by first-time AA developers who previously worked for the likes of Ubisoft. They were uninspired by what they were forced to create at Ubisoft that they formed their own studio to make the games they wanted to make.

I guess you could say everyone likes a good underdog story. Said story becomes even better when the final product brings plenty of innovation to the table. For example, you know how in all turn-based RPG's you don't control when you dodge or jump from an incoming attack and when you do, it's simply pure luck? What sets "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" apart from its inspirations like "Final Fantasy" and "Persona" is the ability to dodge, jump and parry incoming enemy attacks. It's immensely satisfying to have more agency in turn-based combat.

Much like the slow motion ability in the "Final Fantasy" games of late, it's hard to picture a future in the RPG genre without having the dodge and parry system here. You also have a gradient ability, in which you parry and then unleash a powerful attack on your adversary that makes the turn-based combat that much more exilarating. But as you'd expect, the rest of the game needs to be on the same level as the gameplay for the hype to make more sense. On this front, "Expedition 33" proves quite as stirring and relevant.

Set in an alternative fantasy version of France, circa the late 19th to early 20th century, we follow a group of volunteers in the aforementioned expedition 33 as they seek to end the Paintress' plans against humanity once and for all. For you see, under the Paintress' iron fist, an annual event called the Gommage occurs. This is when people of a certain age have their number painted by the Paintress on this vast tree and they poetically perish into a symphony of red flowers. Talk about beautiful yet harrowing at the same time.

This is basically Thanos with the Infinity Stones on an annual basis. But hey, at least they turn into flowers as opposed to dust. Led by Robert Pattinson look alike Gustave, our titular expedition roams the land to look for clues that will help them complete their ultimate mission. Meanwhile, an unknown connection between our adversaries and one of our party members, Maelle, slowly but surely unfolds. Needless to say, this all culminates in multiple plot twists and an even bigger picture within this narrative is literally painted, no pun intended.

The surprising plot developments and multiple endings to this game manage to stay consistent to the primary narrative at hand about grief and being able to cope with a personal loss. It's a well executed story with subtlety and nuance within the motion capture and voiceover work. When you're able to get Andy Serkis of all people to participate in your game, that alone is worth celebrating. As heavy as this game gets with the primary dramatic themes at its core, "Expedition 33" also embraces its occasional silliness and humor.

What other game can you name where you do battle against a mime to win some witty French baguette outfits as a reward? Very few, I'd say. "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" embraces its French heritage with the game's poetic artistry and detailed visuals. A small team of 50-80 developers has been able to do what AAA game developers like Ubisoft are doing right out of the gate with their first title. This caused all gamers to ask the question: why do we need hundreds of people working on a game, when a title like this with a couple yields the same results?

Each playable character in your party has their own special qualities. I like how when you control Lune in the worlds for example, she basically floats around above the ground. It's almost like she's skiing on every surface imaginable. You've got Monoco's ability to transform into his enemies and use their style of attacks against the rest of their comrades. My personal favorite party member in combat has to be Sciel with her cool confidence and remarkable combat abilities. She boasts the most prominent gradient attacks of the whole party.

I can't forget about discussing the music from Lorien Testard, a musician found on social media who's able to utilize a full orchestra to maximum effect. I loved select pieces taking place during boss battles and emotional cutscenes the best. All of this and more is enough to justify this title as a must buy, even for those that aren't fans of the genre. I love that games like this are proving me wrong on my initial opinion on turn-based RPG's. They're easy to make fun of, because any confrontations wouldn't work like this in real life of course.

The critical key to "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" being as successful as it has been is the innovation of being able to dodge and parry on your own within the turn-based combat as opposed to randomly. It makes a world of difference exercising more control towards your desired outcome. Any nitpicks you can make with this title are indisputably minor. I wish I had access to a map within the worlds I spent most of my time in. Yes, you have an overworld map showing all the worlds you can go to, but it should've been in the other worlds as well.

The checkpoint system is mighty helpful. You'll be glad to see any given flag in sight to regenerate your crew's health and level your party's HP, attack, defense, etc. Before I completed the game, I was already comfy at a 9.5 with my score. But then I factored in that this is Kepler's first game out the door. Also, considering it only costs $50 at launch in a time when game prices are about to be raised to $80 on account of Nintendo and Microsoft, "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" earns the score below for providing a high value package at a sweet deal for the price.

Final Verdict: 10/10 ****CRITIC'S CHOICE ****