Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – A Belle Époque RPG Masterpiece You Can’t Miss

Introduction

"Year by year, She erases us." In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the mysterious Paintress awakens annually to paint a number on her monolith—and everyone of that age vanishes. With tomorrow bringing "33," you join the final mission to destroy the Paintress and end her cycle of death.

Developed by newcomer Sandfall Interactive, this turn-based RPG blends Japanese RPG foundations with innovative real-time mechanics, all wrapped in a haunting Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world. After 60+ hours exploring its landscapes and mastering its combat, Expedition 33 isn't just another RPG—it's potentially the best RPG of 2025.

The Haunting World of Clair Obscur

Stepping into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like entering a dark fairytale painted by 19th century French artists. The Belle Époque aesthetic creates a jarring contrast to the game's themes of mortality and sacrifice. This blend of French art history and dystopian world-building sets it apart from typical JRPGs, with French phrases like "Pictos" and "Gommage" peppered throughout the dialogue to enhance immersion.

Realized in Unreal Engine 5, the visual fidelity is breathtaking. The Island of Visages, with its mask-wearing inhabitants and perpetual twilight, evokes both wonder and unease. The Forgotten Battlefield, littered with remnants of previous expeditions, serves as a sobering reminder of the stakes.

What sets this world apart is how it blends the familiar with the uncanny. Buildings and clothing evoke 1890s France, but twisted in dreamlike ways—windows placed incorrectly, shifting colors, and NPCs whose movements feel slightly off-kilter. The game's use of light and shadow, or "Lumina" as it's referred to in-game, creates an atmosphere that's both beautiful and unsettling.

Revolutionary Combat System

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a refreshing evolution of turn-based combat. While maintaining the strategic depth of classic JRPGs, Sandfall has introduced "reactive turn-based combat"—a system demanding both thoughtful planning and split-second reflexes.

During your turn, you can freely position your character, aim attacks with precision, and execute moves with timing-based button presses to enhance damage. When enemies attack, you actively engage in dodging and parrying. This creates constant engagement that eliminates passive periods common in traditional RPGs.

The game features six unique party members, each with distinct character abilities:

• Gustave: A balanced swordsman with counter-focused abilities

• Maelle: A ranged specialist with trap-setting mechanics

• Claude: A support character with powerful buff/debuff capabilities

• Helene: A tank-like character who excels at drawing enemy attention

• Mathis: A glass cannon requiring careful positioning

• ???: A secret character whose abilities remain a surprise

Character progression provides meaningful choices rather than slight statistical improvements. The skill trees allow for genuine build variety—my Gustave became a dodge-focused counter-attacker, but could have been a heavy-armor tank with different investments.

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The Emotional Journey

At its heart, Expedition 33 tells a story about facing inevitable death. The main characters—all 33 years old—embark knowing it's their final chance to save themselves and the world.

The story excels in character development. Gustave begins as stoic and duty-bound, but interactions with others reveal deeper complexities. As the expedition progresses, relationships evolve through both scripted scenes and optional campfire dialogues, showcasing the synergy between characters.

The voice acting brings authentic emotional weight to each character. The script handles existential themes with remarkable maturity, asking profound questions about what makes life worth living when its end is certain.

Technical Performance & Accessibility

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shines on high-end PCs and current-gen consoles, leveraging Unreal Engine 5's Lumen lighting and Nanite geometry. On PS5, it maintains 60fps in Performance Mode, while the 30fps Quality Mode enhances visual fidelity with ray-traced reflections, making it one of the most visually impressive PS5 RPG games available.

PC players with powerful hardware can push visual boundaries further, though even mid-range systems handle the game admirably. While not officially on Nintendo Switch, rumors suggest a potential port, which could make it a standout among Nintendo Switch RPGs if it maintains its visual quality.

Accessibility options include extensive control remapping, UI scaling, colorblind modes, and combat difficulty modifiers. The "Story Focus" setting simplifies combat without removing core mechanics for players primarily interested in the narrative.

Why Expedition 33 Deserves Your Attention

This game distinguishes itself through unique aesthetic, innovative combat, and emotional storytelling. Critics have been overwhelmingly positive, with many Japanese RPG reviews hailing it as potentially the best turn-based RPG in recent years, currently holding an 88 on Metacritic.

The main story takes 30-35 hours, while completionists can expect 60+ hours exploring optional content. New Game+ adds meaningful replay with enhanced difficulty and additional story elements, reminiscent of the depth found in Super Mario RPG equipment systems or the multiple Nier Replicant endings.

What truly elevates Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is how cohesively its elements work together. The Belle Époque aesthetic reinforces themes of societal change and impending calamity. The combat system's blend of planning and reaction mirrors the characters' struggle between acceptance and resistance of fate.

Essential Tips for New Players

1. Master Parry Timing: The parry window is approximately 200ms—practice on early enemies first.

2. Don't Neglect Crafting: Materials become scarce later; harvest everything early on.

3. Character Synergies Matter: Maelle's traps work brilliantly with Claude's ability to force enemy movement.

4. Save Archival Fragments: These rare items unlock powerful late-game abilities.

5. Explore After Story Beats: New areas often open in previously visited locations.

6. Timed Attacks Multiply Damage: Perfecting the rhythm-based system can double damage output.

Secret Locations Worth Finding

• The Clockmaker's Workshop: Hidden in Veuve City's Eastern District, contains the powerful Paradox Pendulum weapon.

• The Submerged Chapel: Beneath Lake Mist, the only place to acquire the Breath of Eternity ability.

• The Painter's Atelier: Accessible after collecting all 12 canvas fragments, allows viewing concept art and facing an optional boss.

Ready to jump into the action? 🎮 Grab your copy today and start playing!

👉 [Get the PS5 version here] https://amzn.to/437PnBX

👉 [Get the Xbox version here] https://amzn.to/4lVL9Vp

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Character Build Spotlight: Glass Cannon Mathis

Mathis shines with a high-risk, high-reward approach:

Key Skills:

• Phantom Strike: Increases critical hit chance from behind

• Vulnerable Exploit: Deals more damage to enemies with status effects

• Glass Resolve: Reduces max HP but increases damage

• Final Flourish: Temporary invulnerability when near death

Strategy: Position behind enemies while others hold attention. Apply status effects, then follow with critical hits from behind. This build allows for some truly stylish flourishes in combat, reminiscent of the flashy moves seen in games like Persona 5.

The Paintress Lore

The game gradually reveals the true nature of the Paintress through environmental storytelling and collectible lore. Key aspects include:

• Origin Mythology: The commonly accepted legend is merely surface-level; journal entries reveal a more complex truth.

• Number Significance: The sequence follows a mathematical principle hinting at the true purpose behind the annual erasure.

• Previous Expeditions: Journals from failed expeditions contain vital clues about succeeding where they failed.

The Soundtrack

Composed by Olivier Derivière, the soundtrack blends period-appropriate Belle Époque instrumentation with modern electronic elements that shift dynamically during gameplay. The music adapts to combat performance, transitioning between tense arrangements when struggling and triumphant orchestration when performing well.

Future Content

Sandfall Interactive has outlined post-launch plans:

• "The 34th" Expansion: Coming Fall 2025, following a parallel expedition with new characters.

• Quality of Life Updates: Including NG+ difficulty options, photo mode, and additional customization.

Conclusion

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 arrives as a breath of fresh air in the RPG genre—a thoughtfully crafted experience balancing innovation with tradition. Its haunting world, engaging combat, and emotionally resonant story create an experience that lingers long after the credits roll, much like the lasting impact of Nier Replicant's endings.

Whether you're a veteran RPG enthusiast or newcomer to the genre, Expedition 33 offers a journey worth taking. With its unique blend of turn-based strategy and real-time elements, it stands out from contemporaries like Persona and Final Fantasy, offering a distinct experience that pushes the boundaries of what we expect from modern RPGs.

Available now on PC and PS5, with potential future releases for other platforms. The game's innovative overworld traversal and deep character synergies make Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 a standout title in the current landscape of PS5 RPG games. This Expedition 33 review can confidently conclude that it's a must-play for any fan of the genre and a strong contender for the best RPG of 2025.

Ready to jump into the action? 🎮 Grab your copy today and start playing!

👉 [Get the PS5 version here](https://amzn.to/437PnBX)

👉 [Get the Xbox version here](https://amzn.to/4lVL9Vp)

*As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting my blog!