Summary
It’s already been halfway through the year, and players are still talking aboutClair Obscur: Expedition 33since it launched in April. Will that remain true until the end of the year, or will some other RPG sweep the awards talk, such asThe Outer Worlds 2, Borderlands 4,orPokemon Legends: Z-A?
What about the rest of the time? IsClair Obscur: Expedition 33going to reach critical mass and be talked about for ages, similar topinnacles in the RPG realmlikeFinal Fantasy 7,Baldur’s Gate 3, andPersona 5? Only time will tell, but for now, let’s go through everythingClair Obscur: Expedition 33does right.
Active Combat
Can’t Get Tired Of Turn-Based
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starsis well remembered for a number of reasons, but its lasting legacy has always been its active combat. Decades later,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33seemingly draws on Mario’s past with its turn-based battle system. Certain skills demand precision from players, and the right timing will increase attack power.
More importantly, timing dodges orparries inClair Obscur: Expedition 33will help keep the party alive longer. This active style battle system keeps it from getting old as players constantly have to stay on their toes instead of mashing the same few attack buttons from menus over and over again. The combat design is simple and complex all at once.
Every Playable Character Is Different
Going Beyond Classes
Turn-based battle systems can liven things up with a class system, Final Fantasy being one of the biggest examples. Even if classes aren’t part of a battle system, most turn-based RPGs have characters that may have different roles, but execute the same way. That’s whereClair Obscur: Expedition 33differs from the past, crafting a unique character model all its own.
Every playable character inClair Obscur: Expedition 33operates differently from the last. For example, Lune could be called a mage-like character, but her spells create something called Stains, which are used to create more powerful attacks. With Monoco, players can steal enemy abilities and also have to manage a wheel that can strengthen certain attributes. Some characters are easier to understand than others, but they all have value beyond typical class roles.
The Last Best Game With A World Map?
Hopefully Not
It has been a long time since an RPG, Japanese or otherwise, has used a world map in its traversal system. EvenFinal Fantasyhasn’t used one in their main games sinceFinal Fantasy 9on the PS1, although it has popped up in some spinoffs likeWorld Final Fantasy.Final Fantasyaside, the world map ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33helps give it a distinct flavor above other modern RPGs.
It’s an open world with plenty of places to go, but it never feels daunting. It’s mysterious and draws players in to research more and more. The entities that surround the world map are intense before players can take them on, like Sprong or Serpenphare, who are two of thestrongest bosses inClair Obscur: Expedition 33. It just goes to show that the future of RPGs and gaming is not fully in the pocket of open-world adventures. There are still ways to make world maps compelling.
The Art Style
Not A Graphical Powerhouse
With such a meteoric rise to success, it’s hard to believe thatClair Obscur: Expedition 33was not developed by an AAA studio like Square Enix. Sandfall Interactive calls the game AA at best, and there are things that make it seem less like a big-budget game. The graphics do not push the boundaries on PC or current consoles, but it doesn’t have to.
It will age like a fine one, a favorite drinkamong the French, because the art style is distinct and off-putting. There’s no symmetry to characters, enemies, or the world. It’s foreign, frightening, devoid of bright colors, but fun to explore regardless. The lack of faces on some enemies adds a layer of Soulslike horror to the project, which could not have been a mistake. Even though Sandfall Interactive callsClair Obscur: Expedition 33AA, it is a AAA experience through and through.
The Music
Feel It In Your Soul
The design is something to behold, but it may not hold a candle to the music. There is so much of it, and it’s not just one genre either. Monoco’s battle theme is a great example of electronica. The standout piece of the entire game is “Lumiere”, which is remixed and reused several times throughout.
Sandfall Interactive cheekily knows how much fans love the soundtrack, even going so far as to promotea joke trailer for the vinylstarring Ben Starr, who playsVerso inClairObscur: Expedition 33, and Jennifer English, who plays Maelle. Thanks to the composer, Lorien Testard, fans will be listening toClair Obscur: Expedition 33’ssoundtrack for years. It might be the game’s greatest legacy.
Coming To Terms With Loss
Metaphors Upon Metaphors
Finally, there’s the story of love, loss, and revenge. It’s all one big journey for the Dessendre Family getting over the death of their beloved Verso. The heartbreak of his death was so great that Aline, the mother, created this world to carry on his legacy forever. This causesa rift in the familythat creates a war within the painterly world ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The most tragic thing is that the citizens of this world have no idea they aren’t real. Questions about humanity and what it means to be alive will crop up. It’s a real existential crisis, but as grim as the game can be, it’s not afraid to throw some humor in too, like Monoco’s need to battle, or Esquie’s dreamlike wonder. While the end message is a bit muddled,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33can be studied and used as a great metaphor for things that players will all experience in life.
