Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is inspired by some of the most boastful and celebrated games in its genre from decades ago. It’s execution is a combination of many, like Lost Odyssey, the Mario RPG games, and Final Fantasy. This is a damn gorgeous painting that would even make the Mona Lisa blush. Join Us in Niche Gamer in a critique of excellence as we view this painting that deserves to be displayed in the Lourve Museum.

Inspired by Belle Époque France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is a truly beautiful game in every aspect of its endeavor. The music, which to my ability can be described as a fusion of classical, Electronica, and Latin Choir throughout. I haven’t heard this type of combination often but it already has me hoping to get the soundtrack so I can listen to it at home to my car.

This is a review coupled with a supplemental video review. You can watch the video review or read the full review of the below:



Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer: Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kepler Interactive
Platforms: Windows PC (reviewed), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Release Date: April 24, 2025
Price: $59.99

All JRPGS require having a fantastic score during the adventure, and this goes right up along with the likes of the usual greats like Final Fantasy VII, VI, and Final Fantasy Tactics’ orchestrations. The environments are sights of legend. Things you could only imagine during sleep where your mind can roam free.

I haven’t seen the use of so many color palettes this masterfully as well as unusual concepts brought me back to when artists were more in charge. One example is a flying water region where the heroes explore underwater. The sight of whales, bubbles, and fish all swim over as you explore.

Performances of some of the finest join the team with Daredevil and Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox takes the role of our main protagonist Gustave. A man in mourning for his lover who passed away. Her demise is caused by the Paintress, the main villain of our story who after every year, extinguishes all within a certain age, turning them into flowers and sending them away forever.

It is up to the expedition to be sent out to her continent with hopes of putting an end to her, which at all times she can be seen sitting down awaiting her challengers far into the horizon. Alongside Gustave, his two companion expeditioners who survive a very awful arrival to the continent eventually meet up with him with hopes of staying on course, as well as meeting a couple of other companions along the way.

The Paintress’s region is filled with her sentient creations known as “Nevrons” that will stand in the way of the expedition’s travels, where one, if not the greatest turn-based combat system commences. Encounters are not random. Opening Combat can bestow an advantage as hitting them with an out-of-combat action will allow your entire party to act first.

Using a meld of turn-based and action to a much lesser extent, Sandfall manages to annihilates the mold with how fun things get here. Turn order is done in a queue system like in Final Fantasy X. Regular attacks come in two forms, base melee attacks and the use of your ranged “Free Aim” attacks for more advantageous situations.

Though Free-aim attacks tend to be far less weak, they allow you to hit vulnerable spots on certain enemies that will break and hit them with a massive amount of damage, softening them up for more aggressive tactics. Doing a single shot, however, will spend a precious AP each time.

It’s best to use free-aim attacks for weaknesses. However, other ways make them useful, and typically it involves enemies that can only be hit accurately by ranged hits. Special Actions are where the strategy begins to take precedence.

Each Expeditioner has a unique mechanic that should be considered as you perform and spend AP. Gustave for example utilizes his engineered metallic arm to unleash an immensely devastating discharge of lightning that will bring bosses to their knees if properly managing your resources and actions.

It required 10 charges to get it to its maximum potential. Performing special attacks like his initial assault ability is the usual way to load it up as it hits multiple times, filling a charge with each hit! The second character, Lune Wields a much harder and more advanced mechanic known as stains. She casts spells which gain temporary resources and will be spent according to what your following spell would be based on their colors.

Maelle, wielding a Foil is bar far the most strategic system of all, can switch into different stances based on various conditions between herself and the enemy she’s engaging, rewarding the player by far the most if she can maintain her Virtuous Stance, increasing her damage by a shattering 200% more damage per action.

With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s combat system already being so vast and strategic, It only manages to get even better with the use of different weapons with different properties. Pictos provide additional stats for the expedition, and more importantly, bestow sharable passive abilities to truly turn the tide on the environs and tinker your gameplay to perfection.

After completing five battles while wearing a Picto, the passive ability will become sharable and usable without wearing it, allowing you to try out and learn other ones found throughout the journey. Those familiar with Final Fantasy IX’s equipment and ability learning system will find this very familiar but much more manageable and less tedious to grind out.

There were instances of utilizing my abilities where i was able to make my Free aim attacks apply all sorts of crucial debuffs on bosses that would open up my strategy into much more powerful situations. One Picto I highly recommend is the Burning and Marking shots, if you gamble by fishing these debuffs out, it will save you a lot of frustration getting these essential debuffs out wasting entire turns doing them with other characters.

2025 Has been a very good year for JRPG maniacs. A re-release of Suikoden I and II, a SaGa Frontier II remaster, a compilation of Lunar and its underrated sequel, and Atelier Yumia as well. The trend of JRPGS making their triumphant return to popularity has been going by the year, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 May potentially be the mark that brings everyone together in the success and longevity of the genre’s existence.

A Return to from the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a game that belongs in the Louvre Museum. French aesthetic inspirations in their absolute best presentation. Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci should be rolling in their grave having to know such an incredible piece of art now exists along with the best of them in this incredible culmination of some of the best visual presentations ever seen.

Sometimes a humble score review and number just isn’t enough to illustrate how pivotal and important this game may be. All these features are packed into a smaller-than-usual price of 50$ versus the ongoing increase in video game prices as well. This painting is a masterpiece.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was reviewed on PC using a code provided by Kepler Interactive. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is now available for PC (via Steam), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

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