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- Kepler Interactive
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- Kepler Interactive
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- Kepler Interactive
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- Kepler Interactive
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Released On: Apr 24, 2025
9.7
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 75 Critic Reviews
92
100% Positive
75 Reviews
75 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 75 Critic Reviews
92
100% Positive
75 Reviews
75 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a precious thing. It has the big blockbuster production values, but in sharp contrast to most other “narrative-driven” games in this space, it also respects the intelligence of its audience and is willing to engage with a rich tapestry of themes rather than leaving the onion unpeeled. My gut tells me that as respected and successful as this game has already been, it’s only really getting started and over time will sit alongside the likes of NieR, and Planescape: Torment as the most literary and intelligent games ever made. Goddard, Camus and Sartre would be proud (well, perhaps not, existentialists are not a particularly jovial bunch by reputation).
Very few games I’ve ever played have captured that feeling, and even fewer have done it as masterfully as Expedition 33 does. It’s the kind of story I will always carry with me; its messages of loss, grief, and acceptance are second to none. Add to that incredible combat that mixes careful strategy with skillful reactions and unique mechanics, all wrapped up in a world that is a treat for the eyes everywhere you look, and you have a game that I will never stop praising.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 10,577 User Ratings
9.7
97% Positive
10212 Ratings
10212 Ratings
2% Mixed
173 Ratings
173 Ratings
2% Negative
192 Ratings
192 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 10,577 User Ratings
9.7
97% Positive
10212 Ratings
10212 Ratings
2% Mixed
173 Ratings
173 Ratings
2% Negative
192 Ratings
192 Ratings
Absolute masterpiece! Prime example of what gaming should be. Hats off to the small studio that made this legendary work of art!
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PlayStation 5
Jogo maravilhoso! Historia incrível, personagens inesquecíveis personalização de personagens e builds variadas, trilha sonora como poucas vezes vi em um jogo.
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PlayStation 5
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't just one of the best RPGs I've played in ages. It's an easy contender for game of the year. It shines in every area, and any complaints I had were nagging at best. Whether it's the compelling story, exciting gameplay, or beautiful soundtrack, no area of the game felt lacking. If you're a fan of RPGs, you really owe it to yourself to give Clair Obscur a shot.
One of the most stunning, ambitious and inspiring debuts in the history of videogames. Sandfall Interactive has something special on their hands.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is more than just a tribute to retro games—while it certainly pays homage to those who came before (just like the Expedition 33 itself), it truly stands out with a unique blend of elements. The story, with its touch of melancholy, tragedy, and a one-of-a-kind world, delivers an experience that never feels bitter. Instead, it’s about finding hope while landing a good combo. And if you don’t make it, the next one will—that’s why we can’t wait to see what Sandfall Interactive does next.
It's hard not to be impressed by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, if only for the sheer ambition it displays. From its very first minutes, the game sets a strong, atypical aesthetic framework, almost disturbing in its tormented beauty. The universe, somewhere between surrealistic nightmare and waking dream, is unlike anything currently on the J-RPG scene. But Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is more than just a visual daring, for beneath its visual and symbolic layers lies a surprisingly dense, rich and, above all, dynamic combat system. Combining turn-based and real-time reflexes, the game redefines the genre's expectations by forcing it out of its comfort zone. But ambitious as it is, Expedition 33 is not without its faults. The game's overly linear structure hinders exploration. The environments, as beautiful as they are, sometimes suffer from a lack of interaction and a rather flat level design. The title isn't perfect, but it's terribly sincere, and above all it's a work that dares and often succeeds.
After a swift 30 hours with the game, I will happily tell you how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 exceeded my expectations and left me curious for more.
Tout simplement l'un des meilleurs jeu de cette décennie, il rentre facile dans le top 5 de mes jeux préférés et il n'est pas 5ème.
J'ai adoré l'histoire, la musique est splendide, les personnages sont attachants.
Une vraie pépite qui marque l'histoire du jeu vidéo
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PlayStation 5
Tudo neste jogo é Simplesmente incrível, desde sua trilha sonora até ambientação e mecanicas de combate, fazia tempo desde que jogava algo que me prendia tanto!!
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PlayStation 5
A Visual Masterpiece with Shallow Systems
Despite the acclaim it has received, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 left me expecting more from its main story. Clocking in at just 16 hours, the narrative—though emotionally resonant with themes of family, grief, and acceptance—feels more like a tightly contained experience than the sprawling odyssey often associated with the “JRPG” label. It’s worth noting that while the game borrows aesthetic and mechanical cues from Japanese RPGs, its French origins and brisk runtime set it apart from the genre’s traditional scope.
The storytelling is poignant from start to finish, but its heavy emotional tone rarely lets up, offering little reprieve from the melancholic atmosphere. While this consistency can be powerful, it also risks monotony, especially for players expecting tonal variation or narrative breadth.
Visually, the game is stunning. Its painterly cutscenes and vibrant environments elevate every moment, and the combat initially impresses with its reactive blend of QTEs, parrying, and dodging. However, this system, clearly designed to appeal to modern, fast-paced attention spans, begins to wear thin by the second act. The novelty fades as encounters grow repetitive, revealing a lack of tactical depth.
The much-touted “Picto System” is a clever twist on traditional turn-based combat, but its strategic potential is underutilized. It serves more as a stylish gimmick than a fully realized mechanic. Actual combat rarely demanded careful planning or variation in approach.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a visually breathtaking and emotionally sincere experience, but one that ultimately sacrifices mechanical depth and narrative ambition for aesthetic polish. It’s a strong debut that lays the groundwork for something greater.
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PlayStation 5
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PlayStation 5
Game looks pretty and the music is quite good, but it's riddled with problems that boggle down the experience. Cumbersome UI, unintuitive menus, lack of a map for any area besides the overworld, regular battles are trite and because of the protracted combat animations, they take too long for how mindless they are. The gameplay systems and mechanics like Pictos and Luminas are terribly inelegant and have been done better by decades old JRPGs. I could go on.
But the story is the most disappointing part. For all the praise it got, it's unbelievable how mediocre the writing actually is. It's got nothing to offer besides mystery boxes and shock value. The characters are shallow, superficial and underdeveloped. The pacing is abysmal, almost nothing happens until the very end of each act, where you're suddenly bombarded with a flurry of overwrought reveals and drama. The mysteries are insanely dragged out despite not being especially compelling to begin with. The attempts at humor would be pathetic in any game, but here they are even worse because they're so ill-timed and out-of-place that they cause immense tonal whiplash. It's like they wanted to have this insanely dark and tragic post-apocalyptic story but at the same time wanted to continue to have all the other things classic RPGs did like tons of wacky humor and hijinks. So the result is an uneven mess because the devs were too cowardly to fully commit to their vision.
Don't fall for the hype and hysteria, there's many better RPGs out there, both in the past and in recent years. This is just a flavor of the month and far from a true classic.
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PlayStation 5
Summary 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 d...
Rated M
for Mature
Platforms:
- Xbox Series X
- PC
- PlayStation 5
Initial Release Date: Apr 24, 2025
Developer:
- Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kepler Interactive
Genres: