Clair Obsucr: Expedition 33 is the first perfect 10 of 2025. If you have read many video game reviews, chances are you read a lot of 7s. To the point where some of us struggle to believe it. I mean, everything can’t be a 7, can it? Clair Obsucr: Expedition 33 is a perfect 10, standing out against a sea of sameness and mediocrity by hitting every element of its experience out of the park. It excels in every avenue — graphics, voice acting, story, combat, and music. It’s not just a good game. It might be the best RPGs I have played in nearly a decade. It draws inspiration from great JRPGs like Persona and Final Fantasy 15 — it’s not reinventing the wheel, but rather adding new ones.
As we are introduced to Gustave and Maelle in the game’s tragic epilogue, their brother-sister like relationship draws us in; we are given a glimpse of the kind of dialogue we will be treated to throughout the game. It’s grounded, relatable, and dripping with real-world emotion. There is an era of inevitable sadness as everyone in Lumiare says goodbye to those who will disappear. A goddess called The Paintress paints a number on a far-off island in the distance, causing everyone below that age to vanish in a poof of flower petals suddenly.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Rogue One With Magic
And so the next expedition begins — on a quest to take down The Paintress to prevent more needless death. An adventure that has been going on for decades. And no one has ever succeeded. The stone is always visible to everyone of our adventurers throughout the entire game. A constant reminder that your whole journey is always on a ticking clock. It’s Rogue One, with magic.
As our Expeditioners fight their way towards the unstoppable goddess, the pacing of its story plays out in one of the most well-written and paced RPGs I have ever played. Its fantasy elements never feel out of place, thanks to its characters’ relatable and grounded dialogue, particularly by the villainous Renior, played by the always entertaining Andy Serkis. Daredevil’s Charlie Cox as Gustave brings a quiet desperation, along with Baldur’s Gate fan favorite Jennifer English.
Expedition 33 has all the great beats of a classic fantasy, while also feeling grounded in a world that feels like it exists. Its story has plenty of shocking turns and reveals that do a great job of pulling the rug out from underneath you just as you start to feel comfortable with how its world works. It slowly transitions from a classic fantasy tale to a dark Gothic horror, slipping quietly into the genre without skipping a beat. And it’s done all with the knowledge that will leave you wondering if any of its characters will survive the tale.
Clair Obscur’s Turn-Based Formula Is A Game Changer
Turn-based gameplay has always been a bit hit or miss. When done well, it can feel like a dance, rather than pulling a lever while standing in line at a carnival. Combat is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is more like a puzzle. Members of your party juggle different energy attacks: ice, fire, and darkness. Parrying can also change the flow of combat, resulting in some very satisfying and crunchy counterattacks. Damage can also be negated entirely with the right character builds, opening opportunities for different party combinations — each party member can be a tank or a straight-up glass cannon.
Epic Boss Fights Worthy Of A Soulslike
As Gustave, Luna, and the rest of the Expeditioners make their way across the continent, you will also come across the game’s excellent boss fights — epic encounters that could rival anything you could see in Elden Ring — and often bookend some of the story’s most earth-shattering moments. While there is no mini map to speak of, the inclusion of one might have given us a lazy approach to exploration. And Expedition 33’s gorgeous visuals are daring to be explored. Traversing off the beaten path will often reward you with its optional Chromium enemies. These are optional, higher-level boss encounters designed to be a challenge. Taking them down will also reward you with new costumes, weapons, or Pictos — level-based combat modifiers that can be applied to any character.
Expedition 33 Is Already A Game Of The Year Contender
Like the antagonist, The Paintress, every facet of Expedition 33 is pure art. Its watercolor aesthetic is evident in the art design. The art style and animation also move like a painting—a not-so-subtle nod to the French culture in Lumiare. This extends to the large, open world in which you travel between zones. It feels like an oil painting you can move around in, and each area has a unique visual flair that gives each location and its enemies an identity.
Clair Obsur: Expedition 33 is a marvel of a video game. A game-changing, genre-bending masterpiece. It serves as a testament to the passion of what can be accomplished by a talented team, rivaling the efforts of giant monolith publishers that have three times the budget and resources. It converted me into seeking out other turn-based experiences, but this excellent game may have spoiled me.
