What if I told you there’s an upcoming game that’s a cross between Final Fantasy XIII and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door? Would that excite you, or worry you?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 certainly sounds like someone’s fever dream, but I couldn’t stop playing it. In fact, I played through the preview four times, discovering something new each time. I played it on multiple difficulties until I became proficient at the highest one, and I leveled my characters as high as possible when I realized there was nothing more to do.
And I was sad that there was nothing more to do.
I will admit, the preview didn’t do a great job explaining the core story concept. The introduction was rather vague, and I didn’t fully understand the motives behind the characters. Gustave, an engineer, seems to be the main character in the act I played. I was also introduced to Lune, the daughter of renowned researchers, and Maelle, a young orphan. I am not exactly sure how they got their powers or the surrounding lore. Since the preview presents itself as a slice of the game, I assume this vagueness is intentional.
The acting, however, is truly phenomenal. Even if I’m not sure why Gustave acts the way he does, every line is delivered convincingly, and I can feel the authenticity in his character. At certain points, the preview felt like starting a book halfway through, but the scenes were so powerful that it hardly mattered.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s aesthetic strongly reminds me of Final Fantasy XIII, especially in the first area—a rich, majestic forest. Initially, the game appears rather linear, which makes the comparison even stronger. In subsequent playthroughs, I realized just how much depth there is to this seemingly linear world. For instance, on my second playthrough, I discovered an enigmatic mime enemy (because of course there’s a mime) and snagged a slick new outfit after taking it down. If anything, after mastering the battle system, I enjoyed my second playthrough more than my first.
This brings me to the gameplay, which I would define as Paper Mario on steroids. Each character has certain actions that can be powered up by timing a QTE prompt. To inflict the maximum amount of damage, you must time all prompts perfectly. It seems simple in theory, but I appreciate the fact that you are learning attacks as your characters do. Just like with Paper Mario, it’s a nice twist on the standard turn-based formula.
When an enemy attacks you, you have the option of dodging or parrying the attack. Parrying has a smaller timing window, but if successful, your reward is a devastating counterattack. It is so strong that you can completely decimate encounters if you get your timing down. Eventually, you also learn how to jump, which you can use if an enemy attacks your entire party. A well-timed jump lets the whole party land an incredibly powerful counterattack.
On the other hand, if you fail to dodge or parry an attack, the consequences are severe, sometimes resulting in instant death on any difficulty setting. As a result, not only are you encouraged to select the right moves as in a traditional turn-based game, but you must also learn the patterns for each encounter.
Despite the preview’s short length, I felt a genuine sense of progression as I leveled up my characters and unlocked new customization options. In addition to the standard equipment system, you can equip Pictos, accessories that enhance certain skills and character traits. I found this system to be a genius implementation because it allows you to completely customize your characters and change their playstyles. You can also allocate stat points when you level up, and these have a meaningful impact. Even a few points in a stat seemed to achieve significant results, though this may be adjusted in Clair Obscur‘s final release.
The world opened up significantly as I progressed to the second and final location in the preview: a mysterious underwater zone. If I had one criticism, I would say that it is sometimes unclear where to go for the main story. In this case, I’d suggest using subtle indicators, like the lamp posts scattered around the environment, to guide the player. That said, I assume the developers want players to fully experience this place and discover its secrets for themselves, and I commend them for this effort.
During my journey, I encountered more enemies, including the eccentric Chromatic Troubadour, whose attack patterns are now etched into my memory. There’s something so satisfying about nailing each encounter, almost like learning a song on an instrument. As I completed the second area and defeated the final boss of the preview, I realized I wasn’t ready to stop.
I didn’t want to be done with this game.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 releases on April 24, 2025 and is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. Learn more on the game’s official website.
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