Summary
- Balanced mix of turn-based combat with Soulslike dodges and parries makes battles engaging.
- Unique and diverse locales ensure players venture through standout environments.
- Dynamic soundtrack changes with the atmosphere and enemies encountered, enhancing the gaming experience.
The RPG genre has remained one of the most popular in gaming for over three decades. As a result, it can be hard for fresh new role-playing titles to stand out, but in the case of Sandfall's immensely popular Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it's proving to be one of the most unique and innovative RPGs ever made. On the surface, it borrows a lot of familiar elements from franchises like Final Fantasy and Persona, but the game builds upon a lot of these ideas to create something that stands entirely on its own.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Best Attributes For Each Character
For those looking to optimize their party setup in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, here are the best attributes for each character.
Whether it's the incredibly engaging combat system or the ultra-realistic characters, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is proving what can be achieved when creating an RPG, which is a big reason why it has become so beloved by fans of the genre so quickly. With that being said, it's time to take a closer look at why exactly this game has managed to make a name for itself despite being based in the oversaturated world of RPGs.
7 Action-Packed Turn-Based Combat
Mixing Turn-Based Combat With Soulslike Dodges And Parries Makes Every Battle Engaging
Though turn-based combat was the go-to formula for RPG developers back in the 90s and early 2000s, over the last few years, there's been a clear attempt to merge this classic template with high-speed action. Usually, though, one of these sides can end up taking over the other, as with games like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, for example, but with Expedition 33, the combat strikes a perfect balance between the two.
While players are able to take their time when choosing an attack or Skill, they will also need to pay attention to enemy attack patterns, since each character can also dodge and parry to avoid taking damage. Of course, pulling these off consistently is far from easy, but it ensures players' eyes are glued to the screen at all times. It really does seem as though the turn-based action hybrid that Square Enix has been striving for all this time has finally been nailed down and perfected by Sandfall.
6 Level Variety
Expedition 33 Features A Ton Of Jaw-Dropping Locales, Which All Look And Feel Distinct
Considering players are supposed to feel like they're embarking on one big epic adventure when kicking off an RPG, there always needs to be a diverse set of environments to ensure the journey doesn't end up feeling stale or predictable. Expedition 33 takes this to a whole different level, though. Players won't be walking through the standard grassy fields with only a few extra towns and dungeons to spice things up.
Most Overpowered Skills In Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Ranked
Party members in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be more than just well armed with these downright overpowered skills.
Instead, they'll be free to step into areas that feel like they're from an entirely different game. From the gorgeous and fish-filled Falling Water to the bright Red-Spring-inspired Ancient Sanctuary, it's an absolute joy seeing the sorts of wonderful locations that make up the mysterious continent, which players venture through throughout the game.
5 Constant Changes In Music
The Game Frequently Switches Up The Soundtrack To Suit The Mood And Tone Of An Area Or Battle
Everyone has their own favorite RPG battle theme, but with Expedition 33, there's not just one that stands out; there are multiple. As if the core gameplay and visuals weren't already fantastic, Expedition 33 also features a stunning soundtrack that changes over the course of the story depending on not only the area players are exploring, but also the enemies they encounter.
This ensures players won't be listening to the same theme over and over again and can instead nod their heads to a wide variety of tunes, ranging from peaceful ambient tracks to electronic dance numbers. Needless to say, Sandfall went all out when crafting the music for this game, with the entire OST being available on streaming services as soon as the game was released.
4 Astonishing Visuals
Many People Are Calling It One Of The Best-Looking Games Ever Made, And It's Easy To See Why
It's honestly hard to believe that Expedition 33 was made by a small team of 30 developers, considering the game looks, frankly, jaw-dropping. Expedition 33 very cleverly mixes a medley of bright and vibrant colors to ensure that each of its environments is as pretty as possible, but thanks to the motion capture, the characters also look amazing, and scarily realistic.
8 Strongest Characters In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ranked
From NPCs to party members, these Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 characters can demolish small cities if they want.
This especially shows in their facial expressions, through which the characters express their underlying emotions, often without saying a word. It's also hard to think of a game with more realistic eye movements than this one. Though this may seem like a small detail, the way a person looks at those around them can say a lot about who they are and their true intentions. To put it simply, Expedition 33 blows every other RPG out of the water in terms of its graphics.
3 Subtle Storytelling
Players Know Little To Nothing About The Continent And The Paintress For Several Hours
It's not uncommon for RPGs to start with a long exposition reel listing off the main things players need to know about the world and characters. Other times, players will be informed about the reason they're about to set off on an epic adventure by other characters, but Expedition 33 stays pretty tight-lipped about the specifics of its story for quite a while.
Rather than explaining everything as simply as possible, the characters talk about the Continent and the previous expeditions without giving away too many details. This makes the story intriguing right off the bat, with the mystery of the Continent and the Paintress encouraging players to keep pushing forward to uncover what's really going on in this world.
2 French Inspiration
The Developers Leaned Into Their Culture And Heritage When Creating Expedition 33
It makes sense that most RPGs would be inspired by Japanese culture, given the worldwide popularity of the JRPG genre, but Expedition 33 provides a nice change of pace by switching the focus to France instead. Belle Epoque-era France is a dazzling setting full of wonder and excitement, which players are free to explore in the very first hour of the game.
Even when players eventually reach the Continent, there are still plenty of references to French culture and tradition to be uncovered, such as the Mime enemies and the unlockable baguette costume. By leaning into their heritage, the developers at Sandfall were able to craft a world that feels far different from anything ever seen before in the RPG genre.
1 Realistic Speech Patterns
Gustave And The Rest Of The Party Never Feel Like They're Reading Off A Script
RPGs are known for having a lot of dialogue, considering how long they tend to be. Once voice acting was introduced in games like Final Fantasy 10, it became the norm for most developers to include it in their games, but Sandfall clearly paid close attention to the way their characters speak in Expedition 33 to make them feel as realistic and relatable as possible.
Gustave and the others will often stutter or trip over their words while in conversation, sometimes even speaking over one another when in an intense situation. The speech patterns feel so natural that it can be easy to forget that this is a video game, and there's no doubt many other RPGs will start honing in on this and taking inspiration from Expedition 33 for how well it presents its dialogue.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
