9 /10 19

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 represents a groundbreaking achievement in turn-based RPG design, blending traditional JRPG mechanics with real-time parrying and dodging inspired by Sekiro. Developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and released in April 2025, this debut title earned critical acclaim with a 92 Metacritic score and an unprecedented 9.6 user rating based on over 23,000 reviews. The game transports players to a hauntingly beautiful world inspired by Belle Époque France, where humanity faces extinction from the Paintress, who erases everyone past a certain age each year. This review explores the reactive turn-based combat, six unique playable characters, extensive post-game content, and why this €49 indie game became 2025’s most awarded title with nine Game Awards wins.

How to Play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Combat blends strategic turn selection with timing-based execution. Players command a party of three active members, choosing attacks, skills, items, or free-aim ranged shots while defending with perfectly-timed parries and dodges.

1. Controls – Basic attacks generate Action Points while skills consume them. QTE prompts enhance damage, and parry windows reward precise timing with counterattacks and AP recovery.
2. Progression – Six characters unlock automatically through story progression. Level up to allocate stat points, equip Pictos for passive abilities, and share Lumina points to access cross-character skills.
3. Combat/Mechanics – Each character features unique mechanics: Gustave builds Overcharge for massive hits, Maelle switches fencing stances, Lune generates elemental Stains, Sciel stacks Foretell cards, Verso manipulates time, and Monoco learns enemy abilities.
4. Tips – Multi-hit attacks scale best once damage caps break. Vitality and Agility dominate early builds. Perfect parries not only avoid damage but restore AP and enable devastating counters. Story mode expands timing windows significantly.

Who Should Play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Target audiences range from JRPG veterans seeking innovation to newcomers wanting accessible difficulty options and narrative-driven experiences with mature themes exploring grief and mortality.

• JRPG Enthusiasts – Players who loved Persona 5, Lost Odyssey, or Final Fantasy will appreciate the hybrid combat evolution and 30-60 hour playtime with extensive character building and strategic depth.
• Soulslike Fans – Those who mastered Sekiro’s parry system will find similar satisfaction in perfectly-timed counters that turn losing battles into victories through skill execution.
• Story-Driven Gamers – Narrative fans seeking emotionally resonant themes with A-list voice performances from Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, and Ben Starr will find compelling character arcs exploring mortality.
• Skip if – Players seeking extensive open-world exploration or those frustrated by timing-based mechanics may find combat repetitive and exploration corridors linear despite stunning visuals.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Platform Performance

Unreal Engine 5 powers stunning visuals across all platforms. PS5 Pro leads with highest resolution, while Xbox Series X matches closely. Performance modes target 60fps with reduced lighting quality.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 System Requirements

PC requirements remain accessible for a modern UE5 title. Minimum specs target 1080p 30fps on low settings while recommended reaches 60fps on high. SSD mandatory for optimal performance.

Similar Games to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Several titles influenced Expedition 33’s design philosophy or share thematic and mechanical DNA. Lost Odyssey pioneered timed ring attacks, Persona 5 refined stylish turn-based combat, and Sekiro perfected parry-focused action.

• Persona 5 Royal – Stylish turn-based combat with social simulation elements, though less mechanically diverse per character than Expedition 33’s unique builds and real-time parrying.
• Lost Odyssey – Xbox 360 JRPG featuring ring-timed attacks predating modern reactive systems, with similar melancholic tone and story-driven focus on mortality themes.
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – FromSoftware’s parry-centric action game providing direct inspiration for Expedition 33’s defensive timing mechanics integrated into turn-based framework.
• Metaphor: ReFantazio – Atlus’s 2024 fantasy RPG combining strategic turn-based combat with real-time exploration, sharing similar innovation goals within established genre conventions.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 vs Competitors

Expedition 33 competes directly with 2025’s top RPGs including Persona 5 Royal and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Price advantage and Game Pass availability broaden accessibility despite shorter length.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Story and World

Set in a dying world inspired by Belle Époque France, Expedition 33 follows humanity’s final resistance against the Paintress, an enigmatic figure who paints descending numbers on a massive monolith each year. Everyone past that age experiences the “gommage,” transforming into flower petals and vanishing. With only those aged 32 and under remaining after she paints 33, Gustave, Maelle, and their companions embark on a desperate mission to destroy the Paintress and break the cycle of death.

The narrative explores grief, escapism, and sacrifice through mature storytelling that earned Best Narrative at The Game Awards 2025. Locations blend surreal dreamlike aesthetics with crumbling remnants of previous expeditions, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield. The world reveals its secrets through discoverable journals chronicling past failures, while Esquie, a legendary creature companion, unlocks new traversal abilities across the overworld map connecting linear dungeon-like environments filled with challenging Nevron enemies.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Multiplayer and Online

Expedition 33 launched as a single-player experience without official multiplayer support. Community modders created local co-op functionality, though no online features exist officially or through cross-play.

• No Official Multiplayer – The game was designed exclusively for single-player storytelling and does not include any native co-op or competitive modes.
• Community Co-op Mod – Nexus Mods user ‘JINX’ created a local 3-player co-op mod where each player controls one character during battles with individual parry/dodge responsibilities.
• Online Workaround – Players can use RemotePlayWhatever or Steam Remote Play through Brawlhalla to enable pseudo-online play with the co-op mod installed.
• Cross-Play – Not supported. No cross-platform multiplayer exists. Xbox/PC supports cross-save via Xbox Play Anywhere, but PS5 remains isolated without cross-progression.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 DLC and Expansions

Post-launch support includes free major updates and paid cosmetic DLC from the Deluxe Edition. Sandfall Interactive committed to substantial free content following the game’s commercial success.

• Verso’s Drafts (Free Update) – Released December 2025, adds new late-game region with challenging boss encounters, additional Luminas, weapons, costumes, and photo mode. Accessible from Act III onward.
• Thank You Update (Free) – Ongoing quality-of-life improvements including difficulty modifiers for parry/dodge windows, damage modifiers, secret boss rematches, and community-requested accessibility features.
• Deluxe Edition Content – $59.99 includes base game plus “Flowers” Collection (six character outfits/hairstyles), six Gommage outfit variations, and exclusive “Clair” outfit for Maelle and “Obscur” outfit for Gustave.
• Free Updates – Regular patches address bugs, balance adjustments, and add features from popular mods. Developers announced additional free expansions celebrating 5+ million copies sold.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Community and Support

Sandfall Interactive maintains active engagement through social channels, with a passionate modding community on Nexus Mods creating quality-of-life improvements later integrated officially into patches.

• Official Website – Expedition33.com provides news, character profiles, media gallery, and soundtrack previews. Bandai Namco handles European distribution with region-specific retailer links.
• Reddit/Discord – r/expedition33 subreddit hosts discussion, build guides, and spoiler-tagged story analysis. Active Discord server coordinates co-op mod sessions and speedrunning communities.
• Mod Support – Thriving Nexus Mods community created photo mode, difficulty adjusters, co-op functionality, enhanced weapon descriptions, and quality-of-life improvements. Developers officially integrated popular mods in patch 1.3.0.
• Updates – Monthly patch cadence addresses bugs, balancing, and community feedback. Sandfall committed to supporting the game throughout 2026 with additional free content drops following Game Awards success.