2025 has already been defined by high-quality video game releases, with hotly anticipated titles like Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii dominating sales charts and winning the hearts of millions. This is why it's all the more impressive that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a new IP from a fairly small French studio, has made as big a splash as it has.
The attention the game's gotten is well-deserved, too. In an industry that is all-too-often risk-averse and derivative, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands out by not being afraid to experiment with new narrative ideas, clever gameplay mechanics, and unique progression systems that are as rewarding as they are complex. At the same time, Clair Obscur didn't simply fall out of the sky; it was born of a bevy of influences, which are worn proudly on its sleeve. Among these influences are several classic JRPG titles, especially those of the 90s and 2000s, and the game's success with its tried-and-true RPG formula makes a strong case for other long-running franchises in the genre to revisit ideas once thought forgotten.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Could Easily Follow in Stellar Blade's Post-Launch Footsteps
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already has what it takes to follow in Stellar Blade's foosteps for its post-launch roadmap, and it arguably should.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Proves that the Classic JRPG Formula Isn't Dead
Clair Obscur Is a Student of Old-School Final Fantasy
Anyone who has played older Final Fantasy games, especially the original Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 8, and Final Fantasy 10, will quickly realize how much DNA they share with Clair Obscur. There are obvious parallels, like the ensemble cast, epic, high-stakes narrative, and turn-based combat, but there are some less clear, more subjective similarities as well.
In a nutshell, Clair Obscur feels like the older Final Fantasy games because of its bold innovation. For most of Final Fantasy's lifespan, before the series pivoted toward more action-RPG staples, it felt like it was implementing constant change, never afraid to experiment. The turn-based combat system, dialog-heavy narrative, and massive, uniquely rendered overworlds weren't seen as limitations, but rather key elements of the series' identity. Of course, these conventions stood in stark contrast to the increasingly true-to-life games of the late-2000s and early 2010s, which prized real-time combat and a consistent visual style. Perhaps it was these shifting industry trends that led some to view the traditional JRPG formula as outdated and in need of replacement, but Clair Obscur proves that this couldn't be further from the truth.
Classic JRPGs Are Coming Back, and Final Fantasy Should Help Lead This Resurgence
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is fantastic, and even though they aren't as universally beloved, Final Fantasy 15 and 16 also have undeniable strengths, combat being chief among them. But it's rather interesting to observe that Final Fantasy, a franchise that was once considered the pinnacle of the turn-based JRPG formula, now seems to be abandoning it in favor of a more action-oriented approach. Final Fantasy doesn't have to scrap its more modern framework altogether, but it would be nice to see the series take a break from it once in a while.
The Final Fantasy 7 remake saga illuminates Square Enix's philosophy about turn-based combat: the remakes are more advanced, with higher production value and better graphics, and the implementation of real-time combat suggests that it is simply another staple of "modern" game design.
Clair Obscur's gameplay feels remarkably fresh and inventive—much more so than the average contemporary action game. Its use of JRPG tropes that have long been brushed off as antiquated by both gamers and gaming companies is proof that such tropes have been unfairly neglected, and still have room to grow. With the resources and talent at Square Enix's disposal, there's no reason why Final Fantasy shouldn't be at the forefront of this growth.
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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
Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.
We are Expedition 33.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 42.33 GB
- Wiki
