4.5/5 ★ – DanteHR's review of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

A year ago, at the XBOX showcase, where there were dozens of absolutely superb titles, one of them caught my attention a little more.. but I remained skeptical due to the lack of history of the studio, being their first title, with only 30+ developers. I have never made such a big mistake as this, not trusting a magnificent title, just because it is made by a few people, this thing has changed my perception lately.. it made me think, how many talented people can exist in the industry, but they are chased and used in the worst ways by those above, the mistakes are unimaginable on their part, but all I want to happen in the future is to have games delivered by independent studios, and now we will discuss this example, a masterpiece technically speaking, from all points of view. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Right from the beginning, I realized that I would not waste my time at all playing this title, the first time I pressed the play button, I saw all the visual splendor that the developers delivered to us. It's the first thing you encounter, the only thing I didn't like was the movement, it seemed a bit chaotic, unresponsive and a bit "slippery". In the meantime, I managed to get used to the control, but I still consider it a bit weaker than I thought it would be. Leaving that aside, not being a Turn-Based fanatic, the beginning was very tough on me, I didn't know where to start, what to do or where to go. I tried to let the experience be as soft as possible, to let the game take me where it wanted, like the first time I played Elden Ring, and now, after 30+ hours, I don't regret anything. Probably the highlight of this game was the combat. Although I have tried quite a few Turn-Based games, like Persona, Yakuza: Like a Dragon or even mobile games with this system, it never attracted me and I could not delve into it, However, Expedition 33 made me enjoy it a lot, and from now on, I don't think I will miss a new release with this type of combat. However, not all Turn-Based games are like Expedition 33, here it is a hybrid between reactioneaction time combat (where you parry and dodge) and traditional Turn-Based, which I don't think I need to explain in detail. In itself, it is very well done, although there are many imbalances, this can be solved in time. As for the Open World, it is absolutely wonderful, a ton of secrets and easter eggs, powerful bosses, amazing landscapes, and even lore drops, I felt exactly like in Elden Ring, for a first playthrough. Also, the variety of enemies and bosses is huge for a game of this scale, I'm really amazed at how much work could go into a game like this, and the price to remain at only $50 (250 Romanian lei). Expedition 33 managed to deliver magnificent art, full of colors, a true empire for fans of the Fantasy genre. Being both beautiful graphically and in terms of art direction, Expedition 33 managed to exceed my expectations in this regard and reach my top for the most beautiful worlds in the gaming industry. Everything was done by the book, by some very talented developers and artists. Top notch visual effects, light, shadows, diversity between seasons, a true graphic Behemoth. As for the character design, I could say that it is very "French" .. clearly that was the direction they went. Even the enemies feel the same, the action being in France, it makes a lot of sense. As for the optimization of the game, I tried both presets on Playstation 5, and I had no problems, really, a game like this I wouldn't see at 30 frames per second, that's why I left it on Performance mode, where I had 60 frames constantly, with only a small graphical difference. I think I've reached my favorite part of the whole game.. MUSIC! Absolutely touching, OST's hummed by some angels with harps, if I may say so. I can't remember the last time I heard such good music in a game, it's been years, I haven't come across a single bad song in this game, the most unique part is that the composer was found on Soundcloud, and that caught my attention much more. As for the sound, I can't comment that much, it has everything it needs, especially since I haven't encountered any problems meanwhile. The sound is the most useful in combat, there you need your ears more than your eyes, how agile the enemies are.. you realize the blow you will receive after a small sound at a higher note.. + the dodge is mega satisfying, both visually and audio, truly music to the ears. The good parts really don't stop at all in this title. I would have never imagined that this game would actually have such a good story, even though I saw that incredible cast, where renowned actors like "Ben Starr", "Andy Serkins" and "Charlie Cox" entered, probably Ben Starr's character managed to amaze me the most. After having 2 massive titles where he played the main characters, Final Fantasy XVI (Clive Rosfield) and The First Berserker: Khazan (Khazan).. I was surprised to see that here he gave his soul the most, even if my favorite role remains Clive. As for the story itself, it is an amalgam or rather, a rollercoaster of emotional ideas squeezed into a Fantasy-type story, with some very well-written characters, played by some exceptional actors and put together by some EX Ubisoft devs. I'll leave you to discover the story itself, I can only say that it was mega emotional, with some moments that deserve to enter the Hall of Fame of the saddest games of the century. With a great intro, extraordinary gameplay, masterclass music and an unforgettable story, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become one of the most successful debut titles I've ever encountered, standing right under Black Myth: Wukong. I loved every moment I spent with my characters.. and for the most part, I can't complain about many things, because it's a great experience and I would recommend this title to anyone, even die-hard haters of the Turn-Based combat style (there's a good chance you'll like it). 9.2/10 Made by DanteHR