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

Hot take, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is good. Very good. Sandfall interactive somehow takes the historic genre of turn based RPG and makes it feel like it was born yesterday, with fresh injections of parry and counter mechanics, or an active reload-like system to every attack; additions that are so confidently executed that they feel organic, like they've been here all along. While a gameplay masterclass, Clair Obscur is also a narrative one, with a world and story unlike any other (I lost count of how many steps ahead it was by the 2nd act). It's characters feel real, even the ones that are sentient paintbrushes or giant balloons that can swim and fly. There are strange vaguaries in the world like chroma that permeates invisibly like the force, or just how The Paintress is so powerful, but these while mildly frustrating at points, contribute to the mystery of this universe that only make you want to explore further. This narrative is wrapped in an incredibly eclectic soundtrack that runs from grand orchestral pieces all the way to dive bar jazz, a variety that is consistent in its quality. In keeping with audio, Expedition 33's voice cast is excellent, I played in French language so I can't speak for the marvellous Ben Starr, Jennifer English or Charlie Cox's performances but I can speak to Slimane Yafeh's remarkably dour and conflicted Verso, Céline Melloul's confident yet vulnerable Lune. Crucially though, Adeline Chetail shoulders the weight of being the heart of Clair Obscur with ease in her performance as Maelle, desperate to keep a fragile found family together as the dangers therein threaten to tear them apart. The relationship between Maelle and Verso is one I'll remember for a long time thanks to their voice over artists. A world of flying lighthouses, giant paint demons and sentient rocks made all the more believable by the tangible, real emotions which radiate each performance. All in all Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a profound spin on a journey into the heart of darkness. Won't to spoil anything but it's not just a compelling fantasy narrative, but like all great stories, is a tale about humanity. It's also an entertaining, addictive and frustrating videogame at its core that kept dangling tasty carrots in a stick that I couldn't help but keep chasing into oblivion.