Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review – a brilliantly modern turn-based Final Fantasy in all but name

Daily Mirror

24-04-2025

RPG fans seeking a truly unique genre entry will find exactly what they're looking for in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a game that proves there's plenty of life in turn-based battles.
Sandfall Interactive's debut RPG pays respect to the greats of the past while paving the way forward for the genre's future, serving as one of 2025's must-play experiences.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just might be the most beautiful turn-based RPG I've ever played. I don't say this lightly, of course, yet it's a claim I feel confident stating since said beauty not only applies to the game's shiny, superficial graphics, but also how well its story, gameplay systems, and presentation style effortlessly gel with one another to create one remarkable (and highly polished) package.
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The team at developer Sandfall Interactive might be small, but together they've crafted one of the most breath-taking RPG experiences I've played, confident in both its classic and markedly unique ideas. It truly is a modern take on Final Fantasy, the kind that Square Enix left behind. Perhaps a good thing, too, since its absence has allowed a masterful take on this classic genre in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to spring up in its place, hopefully inspiring the next generation of RPG fans.
Purely in premise alone, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn't take long to grip you. Taking place in a region known simply as The Continent, once per year a malevolent figure called The Paintress appears to write a new number in the sky. After she does, anyone older than that number will suddenly disappear into the ether, a fact that has led several of The Continent's occupants to undertake several expeditions in the hopes of stopping this seemingly evil tradition.
As far as narrative setups go it's lofty, to say the least, but I can comfortably say I've never played through a story like it ever before. Even better is just how confidently this universe is presented from the off, with Sandfall Interactive leaving no stone unturned when it comes to twists in this tale about generational trauma and those who get left behind.
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What helps somewhat ground this unabashedly outlandish plot is the game's eclectic cast of characters. Gustave, the de facto leader of Expedition 33, is given a wonderful earnest quality thanks to Charlie Cox 's vocal performance, while the likes of Maelle, Lune, Verso, and others exude just as much depth within cut scenes as they do during high intensity battles. This is a case of a game's A-tier voice cast illuminating the natural qualities of the characters they're portraying, as opposed to serving as a distraction. Even Andy Serkis, as the shadowy Renoir, proves menacing for the precious time he is on screen, and the mystery surrounding him as a significantly older human character serves as a compliment to the wider goings on of the story. To say more would spoil the surprise.
Getting into the game proper, then, and though it's true that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a staunchly turn-based affair, you'd be forgiven for thinking it traditional, or dare I say, ordinary. What sets it apart from the likes of Pokemon, Persona, and yes, Final Fantasy, is how it smartly builds on the genre's original mechanical cornerstones in favour of something that absolutely respects the brand of 'tit for tat' combat, yet also isn't afraid to iterate on them by introducing plenty of appreciated real-time elements, all of which work to keep you better invested in every bout.
Those who come after
Upon first glance, battles play out in expected fashion, with turns shared between your chosen part of three and whatever group of nightmarish creatures you've bumped into. Spicing up the usual rigamarole of basic attacks, magic skills, and item uses, however, are a series of QTEs and countering opportunities that help keep you in the fight – even when it's not your time to attack. What initially begins as a simple parry and dodge system eventually blossoms into a combat system that can make or break a battle, as some enemy attacks are so powerful it can quickly wipe you out in an instant, a scenario that works brilliantly to tempt you into risk a parry over a dodge, dodge over a jump riposte, and so on. Certain timing windows for these manoeuvres are a lot tighter than others, so pulling off any counter is always satisfying and itself its own reward.
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Layered on top of this are a series of experimental modifiers called Pictos, which can drastically turn the tide of battle by gifting your party with a litany of passive effects that can be swapped in and out as necessary to better suit your playstyle. Each party member has three Picto slots overall, but can also benefit from some of each's effects the longer you keep them equipped and then level them up during battle.
This system combines with your ability to seek out resources capable of upgrading each character's standard weapon, or undertake side missions to find totally new ones to level up and equip, to make turn-based battles in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 anything but predictable. I lost count how many encounters I skimped through due to the challenge even the lowest-level skirmishes can provide, especially since the long list of enemy types all have their own quirks and can be mightily cunning.
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We've now reached the part of the review where I gush about how stunning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 truly is to look at. Because yes, even though its memorable characters, unique story, and endlessly fulfilling battle system would have been enough to still render it great, the truth is that this is one of the prettiest RPGs I've ever laid eyes on – AAA or otherwise. Rendered in Unreal Engine 5 Sandfall Interactive has crafted the ultimate visual love letter to the French Belle Époque era, with plenty of extravagant sights to see by way of glorious mansions, underwater worlds, and fantastical storms. Better yet, all of it is tied together by a particularly swirling soundtrack, one that always adapts and stays with you with its dripping melodies to render the game just as much a treat for the ears (in addition to the eyes).
Honestly, the only real complaints I have about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are down to my own personal preference. Exploration, for instance, largely boils down to exploring linear hubs that loop back in on themselves in the style of, say, 2018's God of War, with plenty of items, bosses, and secrets to discover sitting outside the main path. It would have been nice for these sections to feature a dedicated map to avoid me getting lost so often, but I understand it's a creative choice. Then there's the poor character lip-synching, which in a game that places so much emphasis on story and a stellar voice cast is a shame. It's not an absolute disaster, thankfully, yet the game's distinctly French origins can often make themselves known in certain close-up scenes.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the type of revelatory game that doesn't come around too often. Just as much a result of what's come before as it is its willingness to push typical and traditional genre boundaries forward, it's a special turn-based RPG that gives me confidence that the future of RPGs could be in rude health – providing development teams that are as talented as Sandfall Interactive are at the helm.
This is a story of heartbreak and loss, yes, but also the importance of persevering. That's not a hard thing to want to do when a game looks and plays as wonderfully as this.