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Business Mayor
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
It's parry season
If you like games with parrying, there are two great new ways to get your fix: Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 . These very different games — one is a fast-paced first-person shooter, the other a turn-based fantasy RPG — approach the mechanic in very different ways. Let's start with Doom . One of the big new additions to the game is a giant shield for the Doom Slayer, and you can use it to block projectiles or enemy attacks. The game helpfully signals anything that you can parry in a bright neon green that's easy to see as you're rushing around and destroying hordes of demons. When a green projectile gets within range or an enemy does a green attack, you can press the parry button at the right time to deflect the danger with a huge reverberation of your shield and an action-movie-like moment of slow motion. Like most of modern Doom 's action, it all looks, feels, and sounds very satisfying. But parries are also critical for fights, as they can open up an opportunity to hit the enemy with a punch or a few shots from whatever monstrous gun you're wielding. Stay keen for something green In intense battles, I'm always hunting for green glints to find things to parry to potentially gain an advantage. When an enemy shoots a spread of bullets with some green interspersed, I'll even run toward the danger to get in a good deflection. Some weapon upgrades have perks tied to parries, too, giving you many incentives to stay keen for something green. Read More Bobby Kotick to depart Activision before the end of the month Doom , very helpfully, has a setting that lets you change the timing for the parry window whenever you want. I have no shame in admitting that I've occasionally made the parry window as wide as the game allows; yes, it lowers the difficulty, but I like parrying every chance I can. Image: Kepler Interactive Expedition 33 's parrying system is just as thrilling and impactful, but shifts from fast-paced action to turn-based battles. When it's an enemy's turn in a battle, they'll often wind up their giant swords, axes, or fists for flashy, multistep attack combos, and you can parry each hit if you time things right. Every successful parry regains one AP, which you'll spend during your turn to use skills. More powerful skills typically have higher AP costs, so the more blows you parry, the better equipped you'll be on your next turn. Parry all of an enemy's attacks on their turn and you'll do a counter (which also has an action-movie-like slow-motion effect) that can be a very helpful way to chip away at a health bar. That's not easy, though: Expedition 33 's gives you a very tight window to press the parry button in time to block a hit, and if you miss the window, you'll take some damage. Missing multiple parries on a single turn might drain your health bar from full to empty, and given how tricky the game's enemies can get with staggering their hits or faking you out, that will probably happen often. The game lets you dodge enemy attacks, which has a much wider timing window, but you don't gain AP and you won't get a chance to counter. I found myself leaning toward parries far more than dodges: despite the risks, landing a successful series of parries, especially in a high-stakes battle, was usually worth the trial and error because of how cool it looked and how much it helped in a fight. I do wish Expedition 33 had a setting to adjust the parrying windows just slightly (and if you're on PC, there's a mod that can help with that). But I also get why the timing is so tough: the rewards are high, but so are the costs. Parrying can be a divisive mechanic, especially when it's challenging. That's why people bounce off of games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Nine Sols . But Doom and Expedition 33 both offer new and interesting takes on the idea that show just how rewarding a good parry can be.
Geek Culture
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33′ Sells 2 Million Copies In Just 12 Days
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to be on a roll, and its hot streak isn't going anywhere. After selling one million copies in its first three days of launch, the role-playing game (RPG) has hit the two-million milestone 12 days in — a feat made even more impressive with its debut title status. 'We've watched in awe as so many of you began your journey. Feeling every step, every emotion, every revelation alongside you,' reads the announcement post on X/Twitter. 'To those just joining us: welcome. Tomorrow comes.' The showing is the latest in a series of achievements from developer Sandfall Interactive, including an all-time peak of 145,063 concurrent players on Steam, surpassing its previous record of 121,422, a 9.7 user score on Metacritic, the highest rating of 2025 thus far, and public recognition from French president Emmanuel Macron. While there were initial concerns that it'd be overshadowed by The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered , which Bethesda shadow-dropped two days prior, publisher Kepler Interactive said the near back-to-back releases helped to stir excitement for the RPG genre, and in turn, benefited Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 . 'We always knew that Expedition 33 had a very specific identity. When I was in the press, I saw the Western-style RPG and the Japanese-style RPG as having quite different appeals and audiences,' portfolio manager Matt Handrahan told The Game Business. I knew plenty of people that would play an Elder Scrolls game that wouldn't necessarily play Final Fantasy and vice versa.' He added: 'Also, by the time that we rolled around, we had momentum of our own and we felt pretty confident that we could stand beside it. I think there were other aspects, like the price point we were at and the inclusion in Game Pass. So we knew we would have a lot of interest around the game. We were confident in that. And it went as well as it possibly could have done in our eyes. And, actually, proximity to Oblivion didn't seem to harm us at all. In many ways, I think it just drew attention to quality RPGs that week and everybody was thinking and talking about the genre.' It turned out to be a worthy gamble, as this humble passion project from a core team of around 30 developers has flipped the rhetoric of triple-A and heavyweight titles and the definition of success on its head. Indeed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a rare success story for the ages with asinine beginnings — speaking to BBC, studio founder Guillaume Broche revealed that he was 'bored' in his previous job at Ubisoft, found composer Lorien Testard, who had never worked on a video game before, on the music-sharing website Soundcloud, and gathered a whole team of junior developers. Led by a stacked voice cast that includes Charlie Cox ( Daredevil ), Jennifer English ( Baldur's Gate 3 ), Andy Serkis ( The Lord of the Rings ), Ben Starr ( Final Fantasy XVI ), Kirsty Rider ( The Sandman ), Shala Nyx ( The Old Guard ) and more, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 follows a group of Expeditioners who have set out to destroy an entity called the Paintress, who paints a number on a monolith every year that dooms everyone of that age to death. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Kepler Interactive Sandfall Interactive
Geek Culture
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' Publisher Says Game Benefitted From 'The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered' Launch
It seemed like the launch of Sandfall Interactive's turn-based role-playing video game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , would have been negatively affected by the shadow drop of Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered , but according to its publisher Kepler Interactive, this wasn't the case, as the games' simultaneous launch helped to boost excitement for the RPG genre with both titles benefitting as a result. Speaking to The Game Business, Kepler Interactive's senior portfolio manager Matt Handrahan explained how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 managed to beat the odds despite facing stiff competition from Bethesda's highly anticipated remaster. The two games both launched in the same week, with the former released on 24 April and the latter two days earlier. 'We always knew that Expedition 33 had a very specific identity,' Handrahan noted. 'When I was in the press, I saw the Western-style RPG and the Japanese-style RPG as having quite different appeals and audiences. I knew plenty of people [who] would play an Elder Scrolls game that wouldn't necessarily play Final Fantasy and vice versa.' 'Also, by the time that we rolled around, we had momentum of our own and we felt pretty confident that we could stand beside it. I think there were other aspects, like the price point we were at and the inclusion in Game Pass,' he added, 'So we knew we would have a lot of interest around the game. We were confident in that. And it went as well as it possibly could have done in our eyes. And, actually, proximity to Oblivion didn't seem to harm us at all. In many ways, I think it just drew attention to quality RPGs that week and everybody was thinking and talking about the genre.' And its results speak for themselves, as Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has proven to be a big hit, soaring past one million copies sold within the first three days of launch while also gaining an all-time peak of 145,063 concurrent players on Steam at the time of writing, an impressive feat considering the relatively small size of its development team. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered , on the other hand, has unsurprisingly seen its fair share of success as a remaster of such a classic title, with over four million players since launch and raking up an all-time peak of 216,784 concurrent players on Steam. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Kepler Interactive Sandfall Interactive
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Why this turn-based RPG is worth your time?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sandfall Interactive, a team of around 30 developers. This was just released in April 2025 itself & quickly gained popularity for its unique mix of traditional turn-based combat and real-time action elements like parrying and counterattacking. This has been built using Unreal Engine 5, features a visually stunning world with a hand-painted art style. With over 1 million copies sold and strong critical acclaim, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become one of the most talked-about RPGs of the year. Who made Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was developed by Sandfall Interactive, a French video game studio, and published by Kepler Interactive. The core team had around 30 members, including several former Ubisoft developers. Key figures in the game's creation include Guillaume Broche as the director, François Meurisse as the producer, Tom Guillermin as the lead programmer, Nicholas Maxson-Francombe as the artist, and Lorien Testard as the composer. The game was released on April 24, 2025 & developed using Unreal Engine 5. Why should you play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is definitely a must-play game. It added real-time combat with traditional turn-based mechanics. This eventually creates an exciting and dynamic experience. The parry system adds depth to the combat. It gives players many chances to improve and master their skills. With over 1 million copies sold and a growing fanbase, it's clear the game has resonated with RPG fans. Turn-based RPG 2025 with innovative active combat system Expedition 33 redefines turn-based RPG combat by adding active mechanics like dodging, parrying, and quick-time events (QTEs). This system requires players to master timing and strategy. As it makes fights more thrilling than traditional turn-based games. The parry mechanic, inspired by games like Elden Ring, adds satisfying counterattacks and depth to encounters. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gameplay Players guide a team of different heroes, each with their own skills and powers. This pushes players to build smart team combos. Each character fights in a special way. One uses a scythe and switches between light and dark modes. Others follow styles like a job system. Skill slots and status effects make battles deeper, so smart planning is key in the game. Clair Obscur: Best turn-based RPG story set in Belle Époque France The game is set in a dark fantasy version of Belle Époque France. It follows the journey of Expedition 33 volunteers. Their goal is to stop the Paintress, who paints cursed numbers and makes people vanish every year. The story has strong emotions and a fresh setting. It also has rich world-building and unforgettable characters. Expedition 33 difficulty options and accessibility features The game has three smooth difficulty modes—Story, Expeditioner, and Expert. Players can change them anytime outside of fights. These modes change how much damage enemies do and how easy it is to dodge or block. This helps both new players and expert RPG fans. There are also easy play options, like auto-finishing attack moves. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC and console performance optimization For PC players, its better to use DLSS Quality mode, medium shadows, and epic textures. These settings balance good looks and smooth play. They help cut down lag and raise FPS, even on mid-range PCs. On consoles, the game still looks great with real-time effects tuned for top performance. FAQs 1. What is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 about? Answer: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a dark fantasy turn-based RPG set in a world inspired by Belle Époque. Every year, an event called the "Gommage" makes people of a certain age disappear. Players follow the 33rd group of volunteers who set out to stop the Paintress, a goddess behind this curse. Their goal is to break the deadly cycle and save their world. 2. Who are the main characters in the Clair Obscur game? Answer: Key members of Expedition 33 include Gustave, a smart engineer who has just one year left to live. Maelle, his foster sister, is the youngest in the group. Lune is a wise scholar and magic user. Sciel is a quiet and strong fighter. Along the way, they meet others like Renoir, Verso, and even face mythical creatures on their journey. 3. On which platforms is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 available? Answer: The Clair Obscur game is available on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, providing broad access to players across major gaming platforms. 4. How has Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 been received by critics? Answer: Critics have praised the game for its engaging story, stunning art, and unique combat design. The voice acting and character growth bring emotional depth to the experience. However, some small issues, like tricky platforming and the absence of a photo mode, have been mentioned. 5. What gameplay mechanics does Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feature? For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Live-Action Film Enters Casting With Fans Hoping for Robert Pattinson
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the biggest hits of the year so far in video games. It's received universal acclaim from critics, currently sitting at 92 out of 100 on Metacritic, the biggest review aggregator for video games. We also sang its praises in our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review, with one of the things that makes it so great being the game's story. The main playable cast of Clair Obscur Expedition 33. The main playable cast of Clair Obscur Expedition 33. Kepler Interactive Without giving too much away, it's an incredible story that interrogates the nature of grief set in a beautifully strange world that always keeps you guessing, so it's natural to wonder if it could make the leap to the big screen. In January 2025 – before the game even launched – a live-action adaptation of the film was announced, and today we got the news that casting is currently underway. 'CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33' live-action film is in the works Casting is currently underway (via: @Variety) — ScreenTime (@screentime) April 29, 2025 The game already has an incredible voice cast that includes famous actors like Andy Serkis and Charlie Cox performing alongside fantastic voice actors like Ben Starr from Final Fantasy 16 and Jennifer English from Baldur's Gate 3. However, there's one name in particular fans are hoping for. See, if you look at a picture of protagonist Gustave, you might notice a resemblance between him and Robert Pattinson, leading many to wonder if he was the actor behind the role in the game. He isn't, it's the aforementioned Charlie Cox, but it's given fans hope that the renowned actor might take up the role for the movie adaptation. There have been no hints as to any castings yet, so we'll all just have to wait and see.
