Here’s a fun fact: my favorite number is 33. Growing up a New York Knicks fan named Patrick, I naturally gravitated towards being a major Patrick Ewing fan. What number did he wear? 33 of course! Eventually, I would learn that other NBA greats wore the (evidently) iconic 33: Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. If you want some proof (weird), I used Patrick Ewing as the cover for my “33 indies to look for in 2016” article back in the Destructoid days. I chose 33 because, well, you read the paragraph up until this point, so I won’t belabor the point.

What does this have to do with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Well, turns out Patrick Ewing actually voices one of the — nah, I’m just having a goof. It just felt like it was meant to be from the start, ya know? Seeing the early demonstrations of Clair Obscur left such a positive impression on me and evoked some nostalgia for games like Lost Odyssey, an all-time classic. Turns out, Clair Obscur carves its own path, one that will instantly lead it into the pantheon of excellent and memorable RPGs.

YES, THAT’S FRENCH THEY’RE SPEAKING

It’s not an exaggeration to say that every major story beat had me 100% locked in during my time with Clair Obscur. From the moment the game begins in earnest and the titular expedition lands on a not-so-faraway island to hopefully bring an end to the yearly Gommage, which wipes away everyone reaching a certain age, every cutscene left me floored. Either from the events taking place, the implications being made, or the stunning visuals (and often, all three). 

The game doesn’t hesitate to drop the player into its world and throw terms like Paintress and Gommage without nary an explanation. The game expertly pulls a “show, don’t tell” style of storytelling that quickly gets the player up to speed. Turns out, each year an expedition sets off to take down the Paintress to stop the aforementioned Gommage. This year, it’s the 33rd expedition’s turn, but along the way are journal entries from previous expeditions detailing what they’ve learned and seen. What comes after is not just a tale of large, world-saving proportions, but also one of small-time familial trauma, the details of which would instantly enter spoiler territory.

Each of the game’s acts ends with emotional devastation. As the first act came to a close, my jaw was on the floor. After the second? I had more questions than I’ve ever had, and everything was turned on its head. As the game concluded, I sat motionless, processing everything the game trauma dumped on me. It’s a story that is easy to buy into, wastes no time, and elegantly elevates itself with both the gameplay and aesthetic surrounding it. 

The third act will, unfortunately, almost certainly have a bit of dissonance to it due to the nature of the game itself. After the second act, the game opens up and allows the player to explore to their heart’s content (and also removes the damage cap of 9,999). Optional bosses and areas abound, it’s natural to explore the previously inaccessible areas and grow in power. However, this leads to being ridiculously overpowered for the finale. It’s a shame, because the emotional weight is undermined by one-shotting the final boss(es). I was given a heads up ahead of time by a friend and just did some basic attacks to allow the moments to play out, but it still felt weird. My advice? Put the damage cap back on for the final area.

QU’EST-CE QUE C’EST?

Part of the reason that Clair Obscur breaks through the JRPG mold is its twists on the traditional gameplay. Each special move has some quick-time related button presses to deal additional damage or gain additional properties. Defensively, players can choose to either parry or dodge incoming attacks: both will negate the incoming damage, but parrying has a tighter window to do so while rewarding the player with a counter-attack when done correctly.

I know this sounds like Super Mario RPG or even Lost Odyssey to some extent, but trust me when I say that, while similar on paper, Clair Obscur elevates these mechanics to make something really special. Every battle feels active, and every new enemy is a puzzle to unwrap. And yes, in a post-Souls world, some enemy attacks are 98% windup and fake-out followed by a series of four oddly-timed swipes and one random headbutt. The bullshit is part of the puzzle.

Additionally, as the game progresses, it allows for a lot of creativity when it comes to fine-tuning the various characters. This activated the Path of Exile player in me as I began looking for unique and devastating interactions among the various Luminas and Pictos — the game’s term for unique characteristics that can be equipped on any character. Looking online, there are some really broken builds, but they often require earning some sort of hard-to-get Picto, weapon, or just being a really high level in general. 

TELLEMENT ILS COMPTENT

I also need to give a quick but important shoutout to the characters, writing, and voice acting. Clair Obscur has introduced two characters that will forever live in my head as the best of the best. The first is a party member, Monoco. Not only is his dialogue quick and witty, but his character class can only be likened to that of a Blue Mage, one of my all-time favorite gameplay classes. For the uninitiated, Blue Mages “capture” enemy skills by fighting them and can then use those skills whenever they so choose. I love him so much, and he never left my party after joining.

The other character is Esquie. Esquie is a… giant… balloon… thing… Esquie defies description, but they easily soar into anyone’s heart who plays through the game. I’ve seen shirts made from Esquie quotes, gifs are used frequently in my group chat, and Esque easily steals the show in each cutscene they find themselves in. It’s just a fun character and a perfect companion to the Expedition themselves. 

APPELLE-MOI MON CHERIE

I have spent a significant amount of time on TikTok watching people react to a certain song/boss fight in Clair Obscur. It’s become a thing, thanks primarily due to the absolutely insane music that kicks in at the perfect time, for the perfect moment. The soundtrack overall is beautiful in every way. It’s soft at times, hard at others, but always super French. I blast it in my car, at home, or through my buds when running. Music has extra-special properties when the listener can associate it with some particular moment or feeling — Clair Obscur is filled with both moments and feelings, and so the soundtrack just hits that much harder while listening.

Plenty of praise has been heaped onto Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by the general gaming population. I’m here to tell you that it’s well-deserved and worthy of every single positive comment thrown its way. It’s easy to recommend to anyone, new or familiar with the genre, as it has something for everyone (including difficulties that make the timings easier or harder). Its memorable plot and music make it not only a front-runner for game of the year 2025, but easily one of the best in the genre, period.

9/10

This review was conducted using a digital Steam version of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It was paid for by the author.