I ’ve been enamored withClair Obscur : Expedition 33since it was announced during2024 ’s Xbox Games Showcase . My excitement develop as I learned more about the game in the calendar month after and saw how it incorporates element from RPGs educate in Japan with more westerly artwork and eccentric designs , all with a story that feels unabashedly tie to innovative anxieties . I do n’t consider I ’m alone in this view , as I ’ve get a line lots of excitement for the game online and believe it can become one of 2025 ’s surprisal hits .
After going hand - on with a bit ofExpedition 33ahead of its release next calendar month , I regain that what I played inhabit up to that excitement . It delivers that gratifying kind of high - budget , turn - based RPG thrill that ’s typically relegated to Japanese studio apartment like Atlus and Square Enix . That ’s balanced with a narrative about finding the will to know on when everything around you feel like it ’s deteriorating . I ca n’t await to see howExpedition 33continues to unfold across this challenging adventure .
A relevant fantasy tale
In the world ofExpedition 33,a being promise The Paintress paint a unexampled number in the sky every year . As that number ticks down , everyone above that eld die . To try out and combat this , expeditions are sent to “ The Continent ” every yr to strain and take down The Paintress , although none have succeeded . This secret plan follows the come through member of the titular expedition as they search The Continent on a quest that I ’d expect set them directly in conflict with The Paintress more than any expedition before them .
The prevue build ofExpedition 33that I played picks up after the prologue . The telephone number painted in the sky ticked down from 34 to 33 , people close to our principal characters died , and they set off on an expedition . When this hostile expedition land on a beach on The Continent , though , they are bushwhack by a military man who understandably look senior , and most of the junket is on the face of it stamp out . My time with the secret plan began as Gustave , portray byDaredevil : Born Again’sCharlie Cox , backwash up and believes he is the only survivor .
He nearly kill himself but is cease by a fellow expedition fellow member refer Lune , who convinces him to live , helps her find other military expedition survivors like Gustave ’s foster sister Maelle , and in the end discharge the missionary post thatExpedition 33was sent to the continent to do . Thematically , I base the small amount of story substance I go through poignant and relevant to modern struggles .
I ’m an anxious , new somebody in a world that feel like it ’s getting worse day after , and I can sometimes palpate quite helpless to fight back . WhileExpedition 33certainly wallows in that desperation for play ’s sake , this is mold up to be an ultimately optimistic adventure about finding the will to live and fight back , even when doing so can feel daunting and senseless . This makesExpedition 33a timely biz despite its fantasy context , just likeAvowed .
Clearly inspired
On the gameplay front , Expedition 33owes much of its gameplay identicalness to RPGs from the likes of Atlus . It ’s a turn - free-base RPG that circulate company member and foe turn parliamentary law across a timeline . On a character ’s turn , they can attack , use an item , activate a attainment using AP , or aim and shoot with a grade flack . Each party member has a clear-cut flair to their accomplishment . For exemplar , Lune generates dissimilar kinds of “ Elemental Stains ” with some charming skill , which others can then eat to furbish their issue .
This is all presented with the UI flair of aMetaphor : ReFantazioand the action at law commands of game likeMario & Luigi : Brothership , and players complete QTEs to increase a Skill ’s upshot or sidestep and parry an enemy attack . It ’s a pure interpretation of a classic routine - found RPG formula , and Gallic developer Sandfall Interactive understands what works about the plot it ’s inspired by .
The UI and presentation of battles are flashy but not cryptical . Action commands sense important and satisfying to take out off , but do n’t scourge the player ’s clock time like they sometimes can in other plot with this form of battle system . This is a battle organisation I can see myself enjoying for the long haul while playing the entire biz . military expedition 33doesn’t seem like it plans on reinvent the bike for RPGs importantly , but it does n’t ask to .
The achiever of game likeMetaphor : ReFantazioshows that there ’s demand for this sort of RPG , which at the same time feel like it pays respect to a definitive RPG gameplay rule while feel thematically relevant and up - to - date with modern technology . My early playtime withExpedition 33did nothing to puncture my interest ; now , I just require to play more as soon as potential .
Clair Obscur : military expedition 33launches for PC , PS5 , and Xbox Series X / S on April 24 . It will be on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate the day it releases .
