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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer(s)Sandfall Interactive
Publisher(s)Kepler Interactive
Director(s)Guillaume Broche
Producer(s)François Meurisse
Designer(s)
  • Guillaume Broche
  • Michel Nohra
Programmer(s)Tom Guillermin
Artist(s)Nicholas Maxson-Francombe
Writer(s)
  • Jennifer Svedberg-Yen
  • Guillaume Broche
Composer(s)Lorien Testard
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
Release24 April 2025
Genre(s)Turn-based role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33[a] is a 2025 turn-based role-playing video game developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive. Taking place in a dark fantasy Belle Époque setting, the game follows the volunteers of Expedition 33 as they set out to destroy the Paintress, a being causing the yearly Gommage, which erases those at or above an ever-decreasing age. Played from a third-person perspective, the player controls a party of characters, exploring areas and engaging in combat. Coupled to its turn-based mechanics are real-time aspects such as quick time events and timed actions in combat.

The developers sought to create a high-fidelity turn-based role-playing game, which they felt was neglected by AAA developers. They took inspiration from Japanese RPGs such as the Final Fantasy and Persona series. Development began with Unreal Engine 4 and later switched to Unreal Engine 5, providing various rendering improvements.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 24 April 2025.[2] The game received critical acclaim and sold 2 million units within 12 days of its release.

Gameplay

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing game with real-time elements. The player controls a party of Expeditioners exploring a fantasy world. As the player navigates an overworld and various areas, they can engage enemies to begin a turn-based combat encounter.

On their turns, players select whether to use an item, perform a melee attack to gain Ability Points, or spend accumulated Ability Points to use ranged attacks or Skills. Ranged attacks are aimed freely, similar to a third-person shooter. When using a Skill, a quick time event can be completed for improved effects. During enemy turns, the player can dodge, parry or jump over attacks in real time to avoid damage.[3] Parrying is more difficult than dodging, but provides Ability Points and the opportunity to counterattack. A stamina system allows players to "Break" enemies, temporarily stunning them. As players progress, the game introduces new attacks and parries including Gradient Attacks, Gradient Counters, and Gradient Skills. If the combat party is defeated, reserve characters may be called in to continue fighting. Combat ends when either side has no remaining combatants.

Characters have unique skill trees, weapons and gameplay mechanics. For example, the mage Lune's Skills generate elemental "Stains", which can be spent to enhance her Skills. Meanwhile, the fencer Maelle switches between Stances which alter her Skills, damage and defense. Characters are further customized with equipable "Pictos" and "Luminas" which add a variety of perks.

Combat encounters reward experience points, currency and upgrades. At checkpoints known as Expedition Flags, players heal their party, restock items, and allocate attribute and skill points. Resting at an Expedition Flag respawns most enemies.

The game has multiple difficulty options and a New Game Plus mode.

Plot

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Premise

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes place in a dark fantasy Belle Époque setting. Every year for the past 67 years, the people of the isolated island of Lumière have suffered an event called the "Gommage", where an entity, known as "the Paintress" (Tracy Wiles), paints an ever-decreasing number, and all humans with an age above that number disappear. Every year after the Gommage, Lumière sends an Expedition of volunteers to head to the mainland in an effort to slay the Paintress before she can paint a new number. Expedition 33 is the latest to set out.[4][5]

Members of Expedition 33 include: Gustave (Charlie Cox), a resourceful engineer who only has a year left to live; Maelle (Jennifer English), the youngest member of the Expedition and Gustave's foster sister; Lune (Kirsty Rider), a brilliant scholar and mage; and Sciel (Shala Nyx), a calm and cheerful warrior. As the Expedition traverses the mainland, they encounter various individuals, including: Renoir (Andy Serkis), an old man driven by ruthless determination; Verso (Ben Starr), a mysterious stranger who keeps watch of the Expedition; Monoco (Rich Keeble), a Gestral who lives in the mainland and is associated with Verso; and Esquie (Maxence Cazorla), a local mythical creature also living in the mainland.[6][7][8][9][10]

Plot

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On the day of the Gommage, 32-year-old Gustave bids farewell to his former lover, Sophie, who has turned 33 and perishes alongside everyone else of the same age. With only a year left to live, he joins Expedition 33 in hopes of slaying the Paintress. The Expedition meets catastrophe shortly after making landfall, when they are nearly wiped out by an old white-haired man leading an army of monsters. Gustave manages to locate three other survivors amidst the chaos: Lune, Maelle, and Sciel. Maelle receives visions of the white-haired man and a masked girl; they warn that she will cause disasters in the future. The party enlists the aid of Esquie in order to cross another sea to reach the Paintress. The white-haired man attacks again before they can set off, and Gustave dies defending Maelle. A man named Verso intervenes and allows the rest of the Expedition to escape.

Verso catches up with the party, explaining that he is a surviving member of the very first Expedition, and that the white-haired man is Renoir, their commander, and both stopped aging upon arrival on the continent. He asserts that Renoir has come to believe his immortality was granted by the Paintress, whom he wishes to protect at all costs. Verso, meanwhile, has grown tired of his immortality and joins the party. After crossing the sea and paying their respects to Gustave, the Expedition recruits Verso's friend, Monoco.

The Expedition reaches Renoir's mansion in Old Lumière in search of the Paintress' heart, which they need to destroy to disable the barrier protecting her. Verso admits that he is in fact Renoir's son, and the masked girl is his sister Alicia. After a battle, Renoir teleports the mansion and the heart away, thwarting Verso's plan. Lune suggests that they instead forge a powerful weapon from the hearts of the highly dangerous Axons, which they use to pierce the barrier. The party enters the Monolith afterwards, killing Renoir along the way. They confront the Paintress, revealed to be Verso's mother Aline, and manage to kill her, erasing the number on the Monolith. The Expedition returns to Lumière as heroes. Verso reads a letter from Alicia, revealing that Aline was trying to stall the real Renoir, who is actually responsible for the Gommage. Without Aline's protection, the entire population of Lumière vanishes, except for Verso.

In a flashback to an alternate reality, it is revealed that Alicia and her family are magic users called Painters, possessing the ability to create worlds within magical Canvases. The real Verso died saving Alicia from a fire, although Alicia was disfigured and rendered mute as a result. Aline is using Verso's Canvas, which contains Lumière and a "painted" copy of Verso, to deal with her grief, while Renoir seeks to destroy the Canvas and help her move on. Clea, Alicia's older sister, advises her to enter the Canvas and destroy it to break the stalemate so the family can focus on their war with a rival faction called the Writers. Alicia obliges, but is reborn as Maelle after being overwhelmed by Aline's power.

With Maelle's "death", Alicia regains her memories and awakens in what remains of Lumière. She reunites with the painted Verso, who had been trying to expel Aline from the Canvas for her own good, even if it means being erased himself. Wanting to protect the Canvas world, Alicia uses her newly discovered Painter powers to revive the Expedition and battles her father for control. After a final confrontation, Renoir explains that as precious as the Canvas is to him and his family, destroying it is the only way to bring Aline and Alicia back to the real world so they can finally end the cycle of grief and move forward. He eventually relents and promises to "leave the lights on" for Alicia.

Verso realizes that Alicia does not plan to leave the Canvas, which will eventually kill her due to her prolonged stay. Alicia insists that she would have a better life within the Canvas and the two fight. The ending diverges based on the character the player chooses to play as in the final battle:

  • If the player chooses Alicia, she rebuilds Lumière and revives its people. Against Verso's wishes, she decides to live permanently in the Canvas and begins to show signs of decline.
  • If the player chooses Verso, he banishes Alicia from the Canvas and fades away along with the rest of the Expedition as the Canvas is destroyed, forcing Alicia and her family to come to terms with the real Verso's death.

Development

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The ideas behind Clair Obscur originated with Guillaume Broche, an employee of Ubisoft, around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Broche had an idea based on one of his childhood favorites, the Final Fantasy series.[11] He sent out some requests for help to craft a demo to a group of other developers he knew as well as posts on Reddit. With the demo, Broche was able to secure funding from Kepler Interactive, and subsequently left Ubisoft to form Sandfall Interactive with a core team of about thirty developers, including about twelve fellow developers from Ubisoft.[11][12][13][7][5][8] Some of the voice actors for the demo gained more prominent roles in development, such as Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, a voice actor that became the game's lead writer. Lorien Testard, the composer, was discovered through posts on SoundCloud.[11][14] The funding also allowed Sandfall to bring in about 50 additional developers through outsourcing,[12] as well as to pay for professional voice actors including Charlie Cox, Andy Serkis and Ben Starr.[11][14] Broche said one of the goals of Clair Obscur was to create a high fidelity turn-based RPG, which he felt had been neglected by AAA game developers.[4] Besides Final Fantasy, Clair Obscur took inspiration from other Japanese role-playing games, including the Persona series.[15] Broche also considered Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, JRPGs developed for Microsoft's drive to bring the Xbox consoles to Japan, as an influence, particularly their use of quick time events during combat.[16] According to producer François Meurisse, the game drew inspiration from SquareSoft's Final Fantasy VIII, IX and X in particular, while the dodge and parry mechanics were influenced by FromSoftware's Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.[17]

Development initially began under the codename as "Project W",[18] using Unreal Engine 4 at early stages and later switching to Unreal Engine 5 to take advantage of Unreal Engine 5's improvements in rendering and animation.[5][8] The switch to UE5 was motivated by its Nanite and Lumen features, allowing for higher-fidelity assets and more-realistic lighting, respectively.[19] The adoption of Lumen necessitated reworking the lighting for most environments.[19] Additionally, UE5 brought better character creation support, allowing them to switch from Reallusion's Character Creator.[19] The developers also make use of ready-made assets for background objects such as rocks, which allows them to focus on creating "hero assets", i.e., large-scale assets that make an impression on the viewer.[19] Broche credits the simplicity of modern game engines to help bring the product together.[11]

The game went gold on March 22, 2025, coincidentally 33 days before the game's release.[20]

Film adaptation

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In January 2025, Story Kitchen announced a live-action adaptation of the game with developer Sandfall Interactive.[21]

Reception

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[22][23][24] OpenCritic reported a top critic average score of 92% across all platforms; as of April 2025, it is the highest-rated game of 2025 on the site.[25]

Sales

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sold 500,000 units within its first 24 hours from release and sold 1 million units within 3 days.[41] The game sold 2 million units within 12 days of its release.[42] On achieving these sales metrics, President of France Emmanuel Macron celebrated the game's achievement, stating it was "a shining example of French audacity and creativity."[43]

The game's soundtrack reached the top position on Billboard's Classical Music and Classical Crossover Music charts during the first week of May 2025.[44]

Notes

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  1. ^ Clair obscur is the French translation of the Italian word chiaroscuro, an art style that emphasises the differences between light and dark.[1]

References

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  1. ^ Raisbeck, Alex (28 April 2025). "Clair Obscur meaning: Why is the Expedition 33 game called that?". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  2. ^ Regan, Tom (1 January 2025). "Games to look forward to in 2025: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33". The Guardian.
  3. ^ "About Clair Obscur". Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  4. ^ a b Nightingale, Ed (28 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's fresh take on RPG traditions could revitalise the genre". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Robert (28 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director speaks about the dark fantasy RPG's stunning Unreal Engine 5 graphics: 'It's a key foundation for the studio to really look for the latest technology'". PC Gamer.
  6. ^ Purslow, Matt (28 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The First Preview". IGN. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b Donaldson, Alex (28 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is reminding me of the greatest Lord of the Rings game". VG247. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Young, Jennifer (29 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set in a breathtakingly beautiful world — with fully fleshed characters and a unique combat system that belies its small team". Windows Central. Archived from the original on 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Meet our English Voice Cast". Expedition 33. 16 October 2024. Archived from the original on 8 December 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  10. ^ Allman, Dan (23 January 2025). "Release Date Trailer". Expedition 33. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e Ramsay, Mel; Richardson, Tom (4 May 2025). "Clair Obscur: How a passion project became 2025's most talked-about game". BBC. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
  12. ^ a b Reuben, Nic (28 April 2025). "No, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wasn't 'made' by 30 people". Rock Paper Shotgun. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
  13. ^ Szpytek, Peter Hunt (28 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gives Me Hope For The Games Industry". TheGamer. Archived from the original on 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  14. ^ a b Colbert, Isaiah (6 May 2025). "How Clair Obscur's Composer Created An Incredible Soundtrack". Aftermath. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  15. ^ Jones, Robert (28 August 2024). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director speaks candidly about the new RPG's respect for Final Fantasy and Persona: 'We are definitely not hiding that there are influences'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 3 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  16. ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (28 August 2024). "Noughties-style JRPG Clair Obscur wants to recapture the glories of Lost Odyssey, with a touch of Devil May Cry". Rock Paper Shotgun. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  17. ^ Vitale, Adam; Galizio, James (21 March 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Interview - Celebrating turn-based games and classic RPG influences in making something new". RPG Site. Archived from the original on 29 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Pitch & Produce - PROJECT W: Sandfall Interactive Studios Develops Ambitious RPG Game with Real-time Tools". Reallusion Magazine. 9 June 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ a b c d Packwood, Lewis (18 February 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: using Unreal Engine 5 has its pros and cons". Creative Bloq. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  20. ^ "33 Days to go! Expedition 33 has GONE GOLD!". 22 March 2025. Retrieved 22 March 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ Otterson, Joe (30 January 2025). "'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' Live-Action Film in the Works From Story Kitchen, Sandfall Interactive". Variety. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 3 February 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  23. ^ a b "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  24. ^ a b "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  25. ^ a b "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Reviews". OpenCritic. 23 April 2025. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  26. ^ Duwe, Scott (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review – A gorgeous new tomorrow for RPGs, built upon yesterday". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  27. ^ Nightingale, Ed (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review". Eurogamer. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  28. ^ Hilliard, Kyle (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review - Melancholy RPG Eminence". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  29. ^ Wakeling, Richard (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review - Light And Shadow". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  30. ^ Wen, Alan (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: "An old-school feeling JRPG as dynamic as Persona but with parry-filled battles as hard-won as Sekiro"". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  31. ^ Wells, Cory (23 April 2025). "Review: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  32. ^ Higham, Michael (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  33. ^ Wagner, Justin (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  34. ^ Brown, Josh (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur Expedition 33 review - an outstanding, inspiring turn-based RPG". PCGamesN. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  35. ^ Croft, Liam (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review (PS5)". Push Square. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  36. ^ Costa, Ryan (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review". RPGamer. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  37. ^ Lu, Zek (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review". RPGFan. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  38. ^ Borger, Will (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: Until the end of the world". Shacknews. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  39. ^ Hetfield, Malindy (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review – deeply satisfying homage to Japanese role-playing games". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  40. ^ Peppiatt, Dom (23 April 2025). "Clair Obscur Expedition 33 review: avoir le coup de foudre". VG247. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
  41. ^ Tailby, Stephen (27 April 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Doubles Its Sales, Now Sold 1 Million Units". Push Square. Archived from the original on 27 April 2025. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
  42. ^ Croft, Liam (6 May 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a Proper Breakout Hit, Now at 2 Million Copies Sold". Push Square. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  43. ^ Nightengale, Ed (2 May 2025). "French President calls Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a "shining example of French audacity"". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  44. ^ Cripe, Michael (7 May 2025). "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Success Continues as Its Soundtrack Tops Billboard Classical Music Album Charts". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 May 2025. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
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