In a genre that is well saturated with heavy-hitting franchises such as Final Fantasy, Octopath, and Chrono Trigger, I think that I speak for a majority of players when I say that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has surpassed all expectations. Upon its release, I knew little about the game, but what snagged my attention was the simple fact that it is based in France. I saw this as an opportunity to explore modern French art in a sense, and needless to say, I was awestruck.
The first facet of Clair Obscur that stands out as pristine is the soundtrack. At times, the soundtrack alone is so moving, players may find themselves in tears during heavy moments. Even now – as I sit to write this article – I am listening to the hypnotic soundtrack. The artist for this soundtrack, Lorian Testard, was a lesser known artist on Soundcloud when the developers discovered him. Testard’s gravitas shows clearly through this soundtrack, and his deep connection with classical French composition cannot be refuted in any way. Sure, at times, players may hear soundtracks that are beautiful and engaging, but Clair Obscur explores music as a narrative vessel in nearly every single scene. These tracks are raw, tearful, and energizing simultaneously in a way that I haven’t seen in the gaming industry for years.
The story is an emotional roller coaster that will make the player feel as though they are directly witnessing the expedition through their own eyes. The shock of war, philosophies on death, the power of resiliency, and moral quandaries are only the tip of the thematic iceberg in Clair Obscur.
Every year, a pillar outside of the last city ticks down a number. Without logical explanation, citizens of the town pass away if the number on the pillar ticks past their age. As time progresses, the pillar soon winnows down to 33, meaning that the oldest people alive are merely 33 years old. Every year, what is left of humanity invades the continent split away from the final city in an effort to stop the creator. As time progresses, these invasion forces weaken in numbers, leaving them at a disadvantage as time progresses.
Clair Obscur carries this narrative without shoving it in player’s faces. As the story progresses, players are slowly keyed into the story. Instead of acting as if the characters know nothing and they learn as they go, Clair Obscur lets its cast of characters slowly tell the lore of the world in passing comments. This system works phenomenally, and it will likely be used in future JRPGs considering its massive success.
The combat and cinematics are often one in the same in Clair Obscur. To start off, the combat system is exceedingly challenging at times, which feels very fitting for the concept of the game. Clair Obscur has a parry/dodge combat system. During combat, enemies can be caught faking out attacks to mess up timing, attacking several times in a row, or simply resisting even healing certain types of damage. Time and time again, you will run into enemies that are far stronger than they are, especially in the overworld.
Cinematics in Clair Obscur often are intertwined with the start of combat, and are an integral part of phase switches. On a few occasions, adventurers will be separated from each other engaged in two separate fights. During important story fights, players will witness anime-like cut scenes as the team works together to take down massive Neverons. At times, these cutscenes feel almost Monster Hunter-esque, as they often are used as a vessel to introduce terrifying enemies in a similar way.
Players are also free to build their characters however they like, and outside of being locked with a specific weapon, characters are extremely flexible thanks to the picto system. Characters can equip up to three pictos. These pictos are mastered after four fights, and using Luminas, characters are able to equip mastered pictos outside of their three of choice. This can make for some interesting builds. At one point, my Maelle focused strictly on shooting enemies for potentially quadruple damage, and these shots would build directly into a multiplier on my base attack. The picto system in Clair Obscur often feels similar to similar mechanics in games like Diablo.
Needless to say, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken the RPG world by storm. One thing is certain; its competition is fierce. This year has been a huge year for single player experiences, with titles like Monster Hunter Wilds, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, Doom: Eternal, and several others to come, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will inevitably remain as one of – if not at the top of – the list in the best RPGs of 2025. It is a narrative experience chock full of beautiful takes on the swiftness of life, the surprise of the unknown, and living a life for a greater purpose.
Nate reviewed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on PlayStation 5 with his own bought copy.
