Former Ubisoft developers created their very own studio and came out swinging with a game of the year contender in their first-ever release. Part Persona with a bit of Sekiro, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG that took many by surprise. With an interesting take on the turn-based formula and a powerfully addictive original soundtrack, the game has opened the hearts of many to the possibilities that AA gaming can bring, even with that being proven several times before.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing game. It was developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive. It is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Editor’s Note: Light spoilers for Clair Obscur: Edition 33 will be present in this review.

Clair Obscur is a surprisingly fantastic, darkly funny turn-based RPG from a new studio.

Early stages of development for Clair Obscur began during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic when the studio head, Guillaume Broche, a then-Ubisoft developer, was bored at work. Feeling creative fatigue from his current position in the industry, he, along with some fellow former Ubi employees, decided to bet on themselves and form a new studio in Sandfall Interactive. Learning about Sandfall’s history, this has to be one of the most ragtag-sounding teams imaginable. A composer found on Soundcloud, a screenwriter found on Reddit, and a bunch of employees bored at their old job running on hopes and dreams sounds like the recipe for a cocktail of disaster, the likes of which gaming has never seen. Not only did the group succeed with flying colors, but they also did something next to impossible by creating a first-ever title that’s also an early Game of the Year nominee with the launch of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

A beautiful, but haunting world sets the stage for Clair Obscur.

THE GOOD: 32-year-old Gustave prepares for the Gommage, a yearly event in which an ancient being known as the Paintress decides that people of a certain age to perish. He, along with a party of allies, goes on an Expedition in an attempt to kill it. As they make landfall on the Paintress, Gustave and the others are grossly underprepared, with many dying in the near moments of the trip. Following contemplation of suicide, he’s reunited with a friend named Lune who talks him out of it. After successfully defeating one of the monsters acting on behalf of the Paintress, they go on a quest for survivors to take one last stand against the Paintress.

Gustave and Lune find the former’s sister Maelle, who was hiding in a manor and befriending a monster that helped her train. During their travels, they learn more about the monsters that inhabit the homeland of the Paintress, including the fact that many act independently of her control. Maelle begins to have nightmares, warning her that she may be responsible for a catastrophic event soon. After befriending one of the creatures to cross the sea, they return to the base of the Paintress. They battle and defeat a powerful monster, but encounter the same white-haired man from before, who seems to be aiding the Paintress, leading again to disastrous results.

Side characters have a ton of personality and much to love about them.

Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 is a hell of a project for an entire studio of people, mostly inexperienced people. It’s an ambitious, tight-budgeted title that feels like something cooked out of the oven from a legacy studio. It’s a turn-based RPG with a semi-open world and Final Fantasy & Persona inspirations. There’s a fair bit to unpack as you play the game from its art, music, design choices & creations. From its Victorian Era setting and steampunk aesthetic with character designs, to the symphonic soundtrack and sound design that even ties into its combat system. There are a lot of creative choices that make the game so unanimously agreed upon as a hard-to-beat game of the year title.

Classic RPG mechanics such as elemental weaknesses, status effects, and armor breaks to make enemies more susceptible to advantageous scenarios, such as stunning, are present. Where Clair Obscur finds some uniqueness is how it uses enemy animation and attack sound cues to alert players to the best course of action for survival. There are three main methods to make the most out of surviving a battle: dodging, parrying, jumping, and gradient parrying, which is like a super parry unlocked later on. Dodging is the most optimal way to escape taking huge damage (and you’ll be doing so fairly early into the game); you don’t necessarily have to be eagle-eyed with animations, but you do need to get timing down. Unfortunately, the game consistently reminds you that there are times when you have to not only parry but also jump. Both are meant to be not only AP gains (used for special techniques), but also opportunities for counter-attacks, which can do decent chunks of damage & status effects.

I’m trying not to get too spoiler-heavy, but later on, you unlock the previously mentioned Gradient Parry, which has unique animations, sound cues, and timing in Act II. Eye coordination is very important to Clair Obscur, so much so that if you’re particularly not great at it, the game recommends turning down the difficulty. Not saying I have the best eye coordination, but there were times when I sincerely considered toning down the difficulty, only to beat a tough enemy or boss a few tries later. It gets to a point where the timing with dodging and parrying will eventually become second nature with the playthrough.

As you explore the game the map opens up to unlocks such as powerful weapons, outfights, and characters. These can be found simply through travel or side questions. The soundtrack is also such a powerful part of the game. Each character has a unique theme and you can even play it on a paino if you switch characters. The story is rather touching and the shocking ending to Act I will be stuck in the memories of many for years to come.

Gameplay is tough to master, but it’s necessary for easy wins.

THE BAD: The difficulty spikes early, and I’m talking first few hours early. You may be exploring the map and run into an early special enemy with a high level having no idea how to properly play yet. The timing with parrying and dodging will be difficulty especially with people who have problems focusing or poor eye sight.  The sound cues act as an imperfect substitute, but it tends to work better than the animation scoping in most cases.

It’s an RPG, so remember to strategize.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a fantastic game of the year surprise as we reach the halfway mark of 2025. To be a studio’s debut title and from one with a team full of inexperienced, but clearly talented individuals it says a lot about how creatively bankrupt AAA gaming has become and why AA gaming and indie gaming has been on a steady rise. As Final Fantasy and Persona inspired Sandfall to create Clair Obscur here’s hoping Clair Obscur does the same for the next generation of talented creatives waiting to be discovered in the gaming industry and others.