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

Expedition 33 is an absolute masterpiece of a video game. It breaks away from the expected slop of recent gaming and delivers a beautiful adventure filled with charisma, excitement and endearment. Let’s take this point by point (spoiler free): The story was firstly just incredible. Following the journey of Expedition 33 as they venture into the unknown — on what seemingly was a suicide mission from the start — meant the stakes always felt high. Exploring through the eyes of Gustave, Maelle and the other squad mates kept me locked in from the get go. There was never a time within my playthrough where I even remotely felt “bored”. Constant engagement, with unpredictable twists and jaw-dropping moments; and an ending which shocked me to my very core, the story as a whole was simply divine. The characters were endearing as ever. Maelle, Verso and Monoco were by far my favourites. Maelle and Verso were both extremely well-written characters, and I was immediately captivated whenever either of them were on screen. They both have unforgettable story-arcs and frankly steal the show imo. Monoco is my favourite in terms of raw entertainment. His dry humour and inability to beat around the bush is something I avidly admire. And this ofc is not to discredit Sciel, Lune, and Gustave. They were all very solid characters and didn’t lack on their individual stories, however I did end up connecting with them less than the other three. These six were only the main squadmates too, let alone all the other characters you meet during the expedition. Avoiding spoilers; I will say that the “villains” are equally as strong as the heroes. Now the combat. I genuinely can’t express how incredible the combat feels. Sure, the combat is primarily turn-based, but don’t let that discourage you. Due to the parry and dodge system 33 has implemented, you often forget it is even turn-based. You’re always engaged and it’s never tedious. The fighting is extremely fun with ~50 unique enemies to learn and master, with even more unique bosses to challenge. Each enemy has their own moves, abilities, elements, and flawless designs. Ofc, this is all improved tenfold by the game’s in-depth build-crafting systems. You have your expected attributes and skills (the skills are super sick though) but this game introduces something new; Pictos and Lumina. A very unique take on adorning your party with powerful abilities and effects, allowing for an unlimited amount of potential to create the most powerful and synergistic team you can imagine. Mix this with plenty of rewarding loot to chase that a lot of which is pre-determined drops tied to locations and bosses; the absence of intense and monotonous “grind” is a thoroughly welcomed inclusion. I could ramble on for days, but it wouldn’t do it justice. You’d have to play it yourself to understand. And finally, the setting. “The Continent” is packed to the brim with interesting locations and mesmerising scenery. They all have their own individual flavour, making each location have a strong identity and house a variety of astounding environments. Puzzles and head-scratchers pop up fairly often, resulting in rewarding exploration and fun secrets. And as far as negatives go… I seriously don’t have any major grievances. It’s well-paced with very little “grind” required. Perhaps the lack of loadouts is a mild grievance, requiring you to switch gear manually every time (and later there is a far amount to manage) but that’s truly about it. So as a whole, this has been one of my favourite games I’ve ever played, especially within recent years. Sandfall Interactive have quite simply outdone themselves; somehow created a AA(?) masterpiece that rivals all other AAA titan companies with only a team of ~30 people. Absolutely outstanding, a solid and well-deserved 10/10. I will pray to the holy gods that they produce for work like this, because I will undoubtedly be first in line.