When prolific sci-fi author Isaac Asimov was asked in an interview what he would do if he knew he only had six minutes to live, he famously quipped “I’d type a little faster.”

That question, along with others on what gives life meaning, how we choose to live the reminder of our lives, what meaning we derive from art, and what manner of a world we wish to leave behind when we are gone, all persist at the heart of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

In an industry often dominated by expensive epics, rushed sequels, and remastered nods to yesteryear, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dares to be different. This debut title from French studio Sandfall Interactive, crafted by a team of just 30, is a tightly focused, emotionally resonant turn-based RPG that blends the best of Japanese role-playing traditions with a distinctly French flair.

With its surreal and dark Belle Époque-inspired world, innovative combat, and a narrative that grapples with mortality and hope (and if early game channel chatter proves correct) then Expedition 33 is not just one of the best RPGs of 2025; it’s a contender for game of the year. As I write, the game has surpassed 1 million sales in just over 3 days.

Set in the fractured city of Lumière, a warped reflection of late 19th-century Paris, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces a horrific premise: each year, a godlike entity known as The Paintress awakens to inscribe a number on a distant monolith, instantly turning everyone of that age to dust and rose petals. This process, called the Gommage, has counted down from 100, and as the game begins, the number 33 heralds the doom of a new generation. The citizens of Lumière live under this ever-looming death sentence, their lives shaped by grief, defiance, and the fragile hope of annual expeditions to defeat the Paintress. However that quest has failed for 67 years running.

Players take on the role of the members of Expedition 33 (you can character switch as you go), a group of 32-year-olds led by the sensible but somber engineer Gustave (Charlie Cox), his adopted 16 year old sister Maelle (Jennifer English) who is excited to see the world, even if that means joining the likely doomed expedition, Lune (Kirsty Rider), a brilliant scholar and mage who floats barefoot and gracefully over the world’s impossibly beautiful and terrible terrain, and Sciel (Shala Nyx), a calm and cheerful warrior.

Their mission is to reach the Paintress and end her curse, freeing humanity from its inevitable countdown to annihilation. However, as we discover, the journey is as much about these characters’ personal struggles as it is about saving the world. The cast, rounded out by talents like Ben Starr and Andy Serkis, delivers stellar performances weighting the game soundly throughout its more dramatic moments.

The game’s world is a visual triumph, brought to life with Unreal Engine 5’s technology. From the twisted spires of Lumière’s Arc de Triomphe to the ethereal Flying Waters (an underwater-like expanse where shipwrecks float in midair) the environments are breathtakingly imaginative.

The art direction, steeped in the chiaroscuro (or clair-obscur) interplay of light and dark, makes every location feels like a painting from a fever dream, with vibrant colors and unsettling details that draw the eye. Think pastoral meadows dotted with wildflowers and hulking chunks of French architecture torn from the fabric of the world as we know it, and deposited without ceremony onto the landscape our heroes must cross.

In other locations the game plays with scale, reducing its protagonists to miniature and setting them against a backdrop of giant statues bursting from the sandy expanse, their limbs sculpted in poses of despair and horror. You may feel like lingering to explore, hoping to find a why or a how or a what behind these incredible structures. However, offering a fairly linear level design, the game propels you ever forward, and you can only momentarily look back in awe before beholding the next equally jaw-dropping vista ahead.

The game’s soundtrack, composed by Lorien Testard, is a haunting companion throughout, blending string quartets, French accordion, symphonic rock, and operatic vocals in a genre-defying score that amplifies the game’s emotional weight. Tracks like “Une vie à peindre” and “Une vie à t’aimer” are spine-chilling, their French lyrics conveying raw emotion even to non-speakers. The music seems to shift seamlessly from wistful to bombastic, perfectly complementing the game’s mood.

While there is much to love about the game’s plot, the storyline does occasionally veer into over-complicated info-dumping territory, particularly in both the prologue (so much reading! So many phrases! Chroma! Gommage! Pictos! Luminos!) and also in a late-game stage, its emotional core remains unshakable. Expedition 33’s narrative is its beating heart, and that heart is a tragedy that explores mortality, grief, and the human connections that persist in the face of despair.

The characters’ camaraderie and candid discussions about loss make them each unforgettable, and optional dialogue adds depth to their motivations. Conversations about whether to have children in Lumière’s bleak reality or to dedicate one’s final days to art and defiance are poignant and relatable, grounding the fantastical setting in human dilemmas. so please do remember to talk to your companions while you make camp after a day of adventuring and monster slaying.

You will be surprised and gratified by their perspectives, and won’t want to miss out on a gut-wrenching line or two including the following: “She loved her kids so much that she didn’t have them.”

If Expedition 33’s story is its soul, its combat is its heart. The game fuses traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time action, creating a system that’s both strategic and exhilarating. Each character in your three-person party has unique abilities, from Gustave’s engineering gadgets to Lune’s time-manipulating magic. Basic attacks generate action points which fuel powerful skills. However, the real innovation lies in the defensive mechanics. Players can dodge or parry enemy attacks with precise timing, with successful parries triggering devastating counters that feel like nailing a rhythm game’s toughest beat.

The combat draws clear inspiration from titles such as Final Fantasy, Persona, and even Sekiro’s parry-focused intensity, but ultimately it carves its own path. Boss battles, in particular, are highlights, rivaling FromSoftware’s best with their intricate patterns and screen-shaking spectacle. However, the system isn’t without flaws. The tight parry windows and combo-heavy enemy attacks can be punishing, especially for players less adept at twitch-based gameplay (*raises hand*). Thankfully, adjustable difficulty settings, including a “Story” mode, make the game accessible without sacrificing challenge.

Customization is another strength. Players can tailor their party through skill trees, weapon upgrades, and synergy-focused builds, allowing for diverse playstyles. For example, one build might prioritize high-risk, high-reward tactics by starting battles at half health for boosted damage. The variety ensures that combat remains fresh across the 25 – 30 hour main campaign, with side content like hidden journals and superbosses potentially doubling playtime.

Despite its brilliance, Expedition 33 isn’t flawless. The game’s linear structure, mentioned above, while focused, can feel restrictive compared to other open-world RPGs, and exploration is often limited to small, branching paths with the same collectibles. (Compare to 2018’s God War which offered a similar fantastical world, but which allowed players to explore their surroundings in greater detail, and to reap greater rewards for their curiosity). Additionally, the narrative’s late-game pacing stumbles, with repetitive sequences and an overload of revelations.

Yet these issues pale against the game’s achievements. Sandfall Interactive has crafted a debut that feels like the work of a seasoned studio, delivering a visual and emotional experience that rivals AAA blockbusters. Its 92 Metascore and 9.6/10 user score on Metacritic (the highest ever recorded) testify to its impact, with players and critics alike comparing it to Final Fantasy X and Persona 5 at their peaks.

Our Score: 9/10. Stunning visuals, an emotional and gripping story coupled with stellar voice acting and and unforgettable soundtrack all elevate Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 above lesser gripes such as linear exploration, info-dumping and pacing issues, and an (albeit alterable) combat system.

Genre: Turn-based RPG.

Platform: PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S

Release: April 24, 2025

Studio: Sandfall Interactive

Publisher: Kepler Interactive