Summary
- DLC potential: The game's success hints at future content, with room for expansions and unexplored stories.
- Multiplayer possibilities: Adding PvP and multiplayer areas could enhance gameplay and skill expression.
- Character depth: Players seek more backstory for Monoco and Esquie, providing potential for expanded roles.
One of the most surprising successes in recent history, Expedition 33 has blown everyone away and refined what it means to be a good RPG in the modern day. Part of the success came from the game developer's decisions to stay true to themselves and craft a video game that they would want to play, incorporating various aspects from popular titles into one perfect pile that turned out to be quite the masterpiece.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 7 Hardest Bosses, Ranked
From hand cramps to ridiculous self-healing abilities, the hardest bosses in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 expect mastery from players, and nothing less
The game has been out for less than a month, and talk of a DLC has already begun, with the creators mentioning that the odds of future content are pretty good thanks to the reception of the base game. There are quite a very avenues that the game could potentially go down and additional stories that are yet to be explored, setting the stage for some truly legendary DLC expansions to build on the already groundbreaking game that has been gifted to the world.
Mild spoilers for both endings and character outcomes
1 Multiplayer
Taking On The World Together
Single-player games always have their place in the world of gaming, but sometimes the ability to hop in with a friend or even challenge them to a fight adds something that just can't be experienced solo. RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 have shown that exceptional single-player experiences can work with more players, and there should be no reason why the game wouldn't function just as good with more than one player.
Going even further than that, there is potential to add extra options like PvP to really push the players to their limits in terms of skill expression and build crafting. Aside from that, having some multiplayer-focused areas or missions could add an interesting twist on the existing formula and provide a different lens for the devs to experiment and potentially implement in their next game.
2 Monoco
There Has To Be More To The Foot-loving Friend
One of the most interesting party members in the game, Monoco, is a strange and unorthodox character who joins the team later on and brings a very strange set of skills that are locked behind the most bizarre requirement possible. But a lot of his past is still kept a mystery, and only a few details are revealed through conversations between him and Verso.
It would be great to have some more insight into who he is and what his full origin story looks like, showing off all of the battles he has been a part of and why he has such a deep fascination with collecting and cleaning feet. There is also room to go into more detail about the world that players didn't get to explore and how he and the Gestrals grew to have a strong bond that feels more like family than friendship.
3 Boss Rush
Building On What's Already There
Within Clair Obscur, players will encounter countless towering foes and devastating boss battles to keep them entertained and pinned to the edge of their seats. Later on, they gain access to the Endless Tower, effectively a challenge mode that allows them to fight through a series of progressively difficult enemies, all to gain some decent rewards and, of course, some glory as well.
It is a nice feature to have in the game that adds some more arcade-style combat, but having this fully fleshed out into a larger boss-rush system that has some roguelike elements or something similar would be super interesting and bring some extra added replay value to the end of the game, rather than having just to replay the whole game or play through the same tower mode over and over.
4 Esquie
Bigger Battles, Bigger Fun
Esquie is beyond adorable and serves as a nice comedic break from the sadness and intensity of the game. When he's not set up in camp and providing wine to the crew, players get to access his set of skills to traverse the open map and access new areas with each ability, and also lets them get a nice overview of the world from above.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Every Playable Character, Ranked
With six battle-ready characters, who among them reigns supreme in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
But much like Monoco, his backstory is kept pretty narrow, and only snippets are given through dialogue, but not through actual gameplay. It would be super fun to play as Esquie in a larger capacity, whether more map traversal or actual combat that levels the playing field against some of the larger enemies, providing a completely different fighting approach.
5 Gestrals
Cuteness And A Lot Of Character
A surprising aspect of the game that is sort of disconnected from the rest of the suffering, the world of the Gestrals is one of wonder and mischief that has so much joy and cuteness, and one that players certainly want more of. The time spent in their town is pure happiness, and whenever they are encountered around that map as shopkeepers, the excitement never goes down.
Being able to play as a Gestral or have a greater insight into the formation of the village would be great to see, and giving players more lore around a fan-favorite creature seems like a no-brainer. There already exists the side quest of returning lost Gestrals to the camp, so why not add even more content like that to fill the world with the wooden fiends for everyone to enjoy?
6 Writers
One To Paint The Picture, One To Write The Story
The main plot point of the entire game and one of the biggest plot reveals in recent memory, the concept of the Paintress and the world outside of Lumière is incredibly creative, and there are subtle mentions and references to a world even larger than that. Several times, the elusive Writers are mentioned, a different kind of powerful force that acts outside of the painting in the real world, that is constantly at odds with the Painters.
The idea of a whole other faction of individuals is fascinating and opens the door for potential storylines that aren't limited to one universe and instead become interconnected through a blending of fiction and reality. Aside from the Writers themselves, the fact that there are other Painters in the world means that there are probably countless painted worlds just waiting to be explored, which could be turned into entire DLC expansions or even sequels.
7 Prequel
The Story Lies In The Past
If the story is going to continue in some way, the only way that really makes sense is to go back. Expedition 33 is the team the player follows in the game, but there were plenty of stories before them that laid the foundations for those to come after, and there are hints at every single one through collectible notes that briefly talk about the crew and their mission encounters.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Knows the Power of a Personal Story
One of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's best qualities is its story, but the reasoning behind that is because it touches on a universal experience.
A return to an earlier expedition or even to the very start of the Gommage could be an interesting shift that despite maybe not capturing the same level of esteem as the one that ended it all, it would provide some useful story notes to piece together some loose ends and get a better idea about the wider world and the people that inhabited it before their time was up.
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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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
