In a time when major publishers are rethinking what the perfect money to content ratio is, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 provides a full course meal for fifty dollars. It is a powerful piece of art, confident in its message and medium. A game that has not only innovated on its genre, but stayed true to the core concepts that made the JRPG the staple it is today.
Expedition 33 begins wearing its french influences with pride. A slanted witch hat of an Eiffel Tower greets you as its first post apocalyptic image, followed by its two introductory characters, Maelle and Gustave. Their voices might click something in your brain, since their actors are Charlie Cox of Daredevil fame and Jennifer English -Baldur’s Gate’s very own Shadowheart. Immediately the game’s OST and stunning visuals grab you before Maelle and Gustave share a single sentence of playful banter.
A run through the roof tops together and it is apparent something is wrong. The red flower petals gently falling down and crowds gathered lend itself to the thought of an annual carnival event, but a short conversation with Sophie, Gustave’s past love interest, reveals something darker. This is less a festival and more a funeral procession. A goodbye.
It’s in the air. From the way the characters speak to Sophie, to the flowers in her necklace. There is a Gommage coming, a Thanos Snap by an unknowable goddess in the distance. Every time that golden number on the monolith drops down, everyone of that age will disappear, leaving not even a flower petal behind. Sandfall does not waste any time showing off their writing prowess in the prologue. NPCs talk about missed opportunities with family. Others have attempted to drink the grief away. Some have come to accept the Gommage as another facet of reality, as undeniable and true as gravity.
But not Gustave. Nor Expedition 33.
The prologue continues by introducing you to your fellow expeditioners. Despite knowing that death comes for them one way or another (Death by horrifying creature or the clock ticking down from 33 to 32 next year), they are in good spirits. Possibly because of the alcohol they offer Gustave. After some mingling with some NPCs and an inspirational speech later, you set sail on your adventure.
I won’t spoil what happens next, but I will say you get to experience a marriage between fantastic sound design and cutscene direction. I will never forget seeing him for the first time.
Considering the game’s themes on painting and art, I think it’s appropriate to quote Picasso, “Good artists copy, Great artists steal.” Sandfall Interactive understands this on a deep level, how true innovation is a melting pot of ideas and sometimes making a game is standing on the shoulders of giants. As you come to interact with Expedition 33 you will find yourself wondering if you’re playing gaming’s greatest hits. Areas straight out of Elden Ring and Monster Hunter in their design (Coral high lands anyone?). UI crafted in Persona’s image in the way it splashes over your screen. Music that could easily find itself in either an opera house or Nier Automata/Replicant. And, most importantly of all, a dopamine rush of a parrying system with Sekiro as its close ancestor.
Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG -except you get to play on your opponent’s turn. The answer to innovating on the turn based genre in retrospect is so glaringly obvious it really does make you say, “Dang. Why didn’t I think of that?”
You have your standard energy economy system that locks you out of stronger attacks if you aren’t careful managing your AP, but that’s only the half of it. When your opponent attacks, usually some Dark Souls-esque creature or knight, you get to either dodge or block. Dodging is much more forgiving with a greater window of invincibility. Parrying is a different story, at least on Expert mode. Your timing needs to be tighter, the enemy’s attack will be unforgiving with tricky animations, and sometimes you may want to throw something at your wall. But when you get it right, it hits you with unparalleled satisfaction.
A sound like a cymbal being clashed against will mark successful impact. The music will fade out, overpowered by a bass drop and a reverberation of light like water. A slow mo attack against the enemy who dared challenge you follows. There are variants of these parry animations/attacks, but you will probably see most of them by the time you get through half of the game. Yet I never got tired of seeing them a single time. For many parrying will simply be too difficult. This is completely fine. The game is not afraid to give you every tool you need to break any enemy in two. If you aren’t careful, you might even kill major story bosses too quickly due to over leveling or getting a weapon a bit earlier than you were supposed to.
This is actually where one of the game’s few flaws arise and it's one that has plagued the genre since its inception. How do we make these fights challenging, when the thorough explorer has searched every nook and cranny before facing the first boss and is now armed to the teeth? Sandfall Interactive has not found the answer and perhaps it doesn’t need one. Afterall, part of the fun of build crafting is seeing your enemies burn in 9,999 damage glory.
There are a total of five characters in the game. I won’t spoil their origins or major attacks. All I will say is that they each provide unique ways to interact with the combat system. They each come with interesting gimmicks and engines that push their combat flow. One character has a rating system straight out of Devil May Cry, where S is the magic letter and gives you that Stylish bonus damage for reaching it. Another has to juggle an additional power system in the form of stains, different colored balls of light that will boost your damage for consuming them in your elemental attacks.
You might be sensing a pattern. Playing your character the “right” way rewards you with more damage. But don’t let this bonus damage fool you into thinking builds are limited. Lumina, a point based system you get from collecting the resource scattered across the world and enemies, gives you access to special perks called Pictos. These unlock over time and offer limitless power growth to the point you can one-shot even the most powerful bosses with enough time commitment. That’s before you even start to consider the various weapons scattered across the lands. Expedition 33 respects your intelligence and is not afraid to throw you in the deep end when it comes to build crafting. The same can be said of its story.
Sandfall’s interactive origins are no secret. A rag tag team of newbies with just the right amount of background, drive, and luck. Afterall, what else can you call finding someone who has never written for anyone besides herself, yet was able to produce such a thought provoking narrative? The lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, has never written for a videogame either. She has displayed intricate knowledge of the craft nonetheless.
Show, don’t tell. It is a message that has fallen on deaf ears for many games in the industry. Characters can easily be reduced to cardboard cuts out with flat quips and expository jargon. While there will always be a place for telling, Jennifer created a cast who feel alive in their desires, fears, and motives. A character will not tell you they’re afraid of water to your face. They will show discomfort, dodge the question. Only through their personal relationship quests will the answer to their secret unfurl.
A slow burn is a common term used to describe these kinds of stories. But when you compare this game’s length to others of its genre, you’ll find that Expedition 33 has hit a sweet spot. Many JRPGs will be as long as 100 hours and these epics will demand both your time and attention throughout. Expedition 33 has decided to stay lean and mean. At only around 30 hours long, it tells you a story that does not overstay its welcome.
A dysfunctional family is a trope as old as time. From the myths of Olympus, to your standard Modern Family TV sitcom, there is a reason why familial dynamics create fertile ground for interesting stories. Expedition 33 tells a story that under its fantastical magic and monsters is about how a family handles grief. Some of us take action. We might bury ourselves in our work. Others isolate themselves, wallow in the pain and memories. What these paths can lead to is a central element of the story and by the end of it, your heart strings may be pulled as if they were your family as well.
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The music. It made me enjoy the water level.
I could stop there, but it would be a disservice to the lead composer, Lorein Testard. Someone who has never composed for a video game before, but whose freshman debut has sent shockwaves. Iconic tracks such as Flying Waters - Goblu and Une vie à t'aimer cement you to the moment you hear them for the first time. Did I mention Une vie à t'aimer is eleven minutes long à la “Bury the Light”?
Sometimes it is hard to wrap my head around the idea that one person composed an eight hour soundtrack by themselves. EIGHT. Within those eight hours is a surprising amount of variety as well. Groovy jazz music that would be at home in a classy bar or casino. Electronic beats fit for Astro Bot. While also having those heart pounding, choir backed boss songs that mark its genre. When it comes to music, I think words can only do so much to describe it. Below is one of the first tracks you ever hear. Short and sweet, it perfectly encapsulates the greatness found in this OST.
A deeply human tale, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is more than just a pretty face brought to life by Unreal Engine 5. It is intimate, tackling grief and love alike. Much like the gradient attacks that paint the world grey, it is not afraid to question morality in a way that inspires comparisons to other greats such as Nier Automata and the Final Fantasies of old. A heavyweight in the holy trinity (music, combat, and story), Sandfall has created a serious game of the year contender.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a 9/10. A must play for RPG veterans and newbies looking to dip their toes in the genre.
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