Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

A world counting down

Each year the Paintress wakes and paints a number on her monolith, and everyone of that age vanishes in what the people of Lumière call the Gommage. Year by year, the number ticks down. Expedition 33 is the latest group to leave the island city and try to stop her before their own time runs out. The premise sets the tone for a story about grief, sacrifice and what people leave behind, carried by strong performances from a cast that includes Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, Ben Starr and Andy Serkis.

Turn-based, but never passive

Battles follow classic turns, but the enemy's turn demands full attention. Attacks can be dodged, parried or jumped over in real time, and parrying every hit in an enemy combo triggers a powerful counterattack. On the party's own turn, skills cost action points, and free-aim shots can target weak points or break shields. Each character also has a mechanic of their own, from Lune's elemental Stains to Maelle's stances. The result is a turn-based system with the tension of an action game – but also one where a mistimed parry can be punished hard.

Builds with depth

Pictos grant stats and passive effects. After a few battles with a Picto equipped, its effect can be learned as a Lumina and used by the whole party for a point cost. Combined with weapons that scale with different attributes, that leaves plenty of room to experiment. Strong combinations can make some late-game fights almost too easy – both a reward and a balance problem.

Exploration

A stylised world map, crossed with the help of the gentle giant Esquie, links handcrafted areas full of secrets, optional bosses and side stories. Most areas have no map, so finding the way relies on landmarks and memory. That suits the feeling of an expedition into the unknown, but it can be frustrating when backtracking.

Art and music

The Belle Époque-inspired art direction is distinctive, with painterly landscapes that shift between beautiful and unsettling. Lorien Testard's soundtrack, which blends French vocal pieces with sweeping orchestral and battle themes, is one of the most celebrated in recent years.

Platforms and price

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and was part of Game Pass from day one. It launched at a lower price than most big releases, and the Steam version is Steam Deck Verified.

Summary

Expedition 33 is ambitious, emotional and mechanically inventive. Minor issues with navigation and balance barely dent the overall impression of one of the strongest RPGs of the decade.