Summary
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Avowed, and The Outer World share a very similar RPG design by having three-party companion structures.
- The games' use of a three-party system contributes to aiding in highlighting their other traits like characters and story.
- Each title still allows flexibility and player choice within a three-party limit to strike a good balance between it and other elements.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has quickly become a sensation in gaming this year. After its announcement and reveal at 2024's Xbox Games Showcase , the debut title from Sandfall Interactive was released earlier on April 24 to glowing reception, becoming one of the highest-reviewed and fastest-selling titles of 2025 so far. Along with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's surreal setting and memorable characters, its seamless blend of turn-based and real-time combat mechanics was one of its most lauded designs for its innovative and engaging approach.
And though they lie more on the FPS RPG scale compared to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's JRPG-like hybrid system, Avowed and The Outer Worlds, both by Obsidian Entertainment, contain similar designs to Clair in one area. The three share a similarly sized roster of potential party members as well as the same limit on how many players can have accompanying them at a time. And each uses this choice to lean into their respective strengths, highlighting the effectiveness of such a system when integrated well with a game's other aspects.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and South of Midnight Share One Standout Element
Among their other excellent traits, Clair Obscur and South of Midnight make fantastic use of one element to add even more more to their experiences.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Avowed, and The Outer World's Three-Person Party Limit Plays Well Into all of Their Other Designs
The Three-Party System Strikes a Solid Balance
More often than not, the standard party makeup in classic RPGs like Final Fantasy was usually four characters. It was a norm well beyond the franchise in the genre as well, forming a familiar formula that could be seen across a range of games and into the modern era, as with, for example, the Persona series. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 clearly draws inspiration from Final Fantasy in various ways, and indeed, developers at Sandfall have stated that they were seeking to create a game akin to a modern FF title backed by a unique vision and world. But it also bucks the above trend and streamlines older sensibilities a bit. And much like Avowed and The Outer Worlds, the three-party dynamic results in an intuitive and satisfying gameplay experience that also keeps pace with the narrative.
All of these titles also feature a camp where players can converse with companions and build up relationship levels with them.
How Each Game Uses a Three-Party System to Their Advantage
The pool of total possible companions in The Outer Worlds and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is six each, while Avowed slims down to four. Players can only then have two of them join the lead protagonist, forming a tightly-knit trio that can be adjusted and swapped as needed or desired. But in all of these titles, the three-party system comes together to greatly elevate their related gameplay mechanics and narratives.
In Clair Obscur, each character contributes both to the story and tactical setup. While obviously different from Clair Obscur's closer focus on party management and skill synergy, where fans directly control every action, the companions in The Outer Worlds and Avowed provided additional class archetype support through a range of abilities that can be manually triggered, usually with a cooldown attached. This allowed fans to put together a team that worked in tandem with their own character to capitalize on mechanical depth, even when the AI acted on its own during fights, as well as choosing which ones they preferred for roleplaying purposes and story beats. Each game remains manageable in its party systems while still offering a good amount of versatility and complexity.
In all of these titles, the three-party system comes together to greatly elevate their related gameplay mechanics and narratives.
Though it may be breaking from what was traditionally expected, particularly in Clair Obscur's case, nevertheless, along with The Outer Worlds and Avowed, they all display an exemplary use of informed design regarding their excellent companion systems. By working within the three-party limit and incorporating it alongside their engaging combat and compelling tales, these three games are standout examples of how this can best be fit to heighten the overall experience.
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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
