Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

As an avid and long-time player of the RPG genre, with over thirty years of experience dating back to the Final Fantasy series on the Super Nintendo, I feel qualified to offer a comprehensive perspective.

Without reservation, I can state that Expedition 33 represents the pinnacle of my role-playing game experiences. The developers have achieved a remarkable synthesis, effectively blending elements reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series with the challenging engagement found in titles like Dark Souls. Notably, the turn-based combat system is exceptionally well-executed, providing a level of excitement and immersion typically associated with action-oriented gameplay.

Beyond the mechanics, the narrative is compelling from the outset, possessing a depth that would stand alone as a compelling story in other mediums such as film or literature.

Furthermore, the artistic design and musical composition are objectively outstanding and significantly contribute to the overall immersive quality of the game. Expedition 33 demonstrates a mastery of its craft across multiple disciplines, setting a high bar for future entries in the genre.

It's a strange thing, I've been a "gamer" my whole life, at over 40 years old, I've played some of the best games in each gaming generation. However, over the last 10 years I felt like my passion for games had dissipated into just a normal hobby. I've played some great games that came out recently and that I loved like Cyberpunk, Hollow Knight, RDR 2, among many others. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed those significantly, I never felt the joy I had in the past. The magic feeling I had playing A Link to the Past, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7 & 8 or Resident Evil 2 (to name a few) seemed to be gone forever...

Enter Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and somehow that feeling is back. I'm stuck to my seat like before and when I'm not I'm thinking about it.

I'm having such a blast with this game and it came as a complete surprise.

The story is amazing, the characters are perfectly flawed and the performances are award worthy. This paired with an amazing and fun turn based combat system and an hauntingly beautiful soundtrack make experiencing this game a true pleasure.

Now that does not mean the game is perfect, there is some jank in the controls when outside of combat ( i got stuck in the environment a few times) and some stuttering in the visuals here and there (for example in the few climbing moments, for some reason). These small nitpicks however do nothing to bring this game down significantly as the good so far outweighs the bad that the bad is almost invisible.

In the end, I could ot recommend this game enough... and all of this from a core team of around 30 people.... truly impressive.

Thank you for bringing back my passion for games!!!

It's nearly perfect, and even if I nitpick, it's a 10/10 just for the amount of pure love and dedication this team put into this game. You can tell they actually care about making and immersive and stunning experience.

The visuals are so much better than I thought a small team could even do. The characters start off as strangers and grow into familiar friends.. you'll tear up, you'll mourn with them, you'll laugh, you'll feel hope as they do, and you'll learn as they learn.

If you're a feely, empathetic person, you can't help but think about your own life and what you would do if you were in their shoes... the things we as humans struggle with like the fear and acceptance of death, but also how our lives are finite and maybe that's the beauty of life... that it ends someday.

It's thought-provoking and full of heart. This is what games are missing nowadays from AAA titles. This is what gamers want, and I'm so happy it's receiving the recognition it deserves.

I can't believe this masterpiece come from small studio in france I even no ideo how to describe it how amazing , beautiful this game is.

The music,the character,the environment Everything perfect This is a game should be nowadays Not try to push thing in a place where shouldn't be.

Before the game is released a lot people underistimate this just because it's turn based game include me I thought it just a decent game like others But wow the game blow my mind If i not have to going to work i will play this game a whole week,lol

Thanks to every person who make this game Hope you guys keep on track in the future

GOTY contender for sure.

After playing JRPGs for years and years such as persona and such, I didn't have big expectations, and with the Oblivion remake that came out this week I was not expecting much. But OMG this game absolutely blew my expectations out of the water with how original and fresh the gameplay, battles, and story are (not finished the game yet). Honestly speaking this is probably the best game I've played in years now. The mix of JRPG/Persona gameplay mixed with the surreal French art style and aesthetic just works like a charm. This is definitely a GOTY contender and should get all the positives ratings it deserves!

*Just finished the game.. wow you couldn't make a more perfect game if you tried. I didn't see where this game was going since the beginning and it did not let up! Best RPG I think I've ever played, I won't spoil it but if you think you know what's happening, no you don't 😆.