Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025; PC, PS5, XBOX Series X/S)

[Koby]

Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.

 

Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again. We are Expedition 33.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.

 

In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system.

 

With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.

 

Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit special companions, access new travel methods and discover secret areas in the World Map.

Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.

 

 

[Zemekis]

Thanks for reminding me about this. When I first saw the announcement for this I thought it looked like something to follow up on, if only for the battle system. I don't know how to put it into words, but it has that AAA-flop art style. Even the video thumbnail above looks like the one for Forspoken. I'm not accusing this game of being woke or anything, just that it has that artstyle that games sent out to die have. It's something about there being too much black & gold on the in-game UI, character outfits (see your first screenshot), and logo/video thumbnails. The overuse of particle effects is somehow an aspect of the style as well. I need more time to come up with a name for this if one doesn't exist already.

[Koby]

Kind of looks like a mix of Final Fantasy 16 and Edge of Eternity to me. I'm a sucker for this kind of combat system so though so this has become one of my top hyped games of 2025. Trails Through Daybreak currently being the first of course. I'm generally not a fan of "hyper realistic" graphics in my jrpgs as I typically prefer the more animeish/cartoonish look like Dragon Quest XI for example or the Trails series.

[Zemekis]

On 7/31/2024 at 2:45 PM, Koby said:

Kind of looks like a mix of Final Fantasy 16 and Edge of Eternity to me.

Yeah, I can see that too. Edge of Eternity is quite the pull, but lucky for you I've played it 

[Koby]

 

[Koby]

 

[Spoony]

I like what they're doing with the battle system. Keeps you engaged and reminds me a bit of the recent Sea of Stars and Super Mario RPG.

[Koby]