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

Clair Obscur was first shown to the public less than a year ago and was immediately met with both interest and skepticism. This was primarily due to the fact that the project looked so engaging and high fidelity, but was from a brand new developer boasting only 30 employees. It was also going to launch at the price of $50. You know how the saying goes, “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is” well this is one instance where the phrase couldn’t be further from the truth. All of that skepticism was indeed, unwarranted. The final product was as good as it looked, and absolutely worth the same price as any other modern day AAA release. There’s a few background details that make sense of how Claire Obscur turned out so well (with outsourcing the credits for the game feature over 400 people who worked on it) but it’s important to note that it’s a major feat that a game of this quality came out of any studio or team regardless of size. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a triumph. I have a few minor gripes and one larger issue with Clair Obscur, but there really isn’t much to say about what the game is lacking. There are many areas you’ll explore and none of them have a mini map which can make navigation confusing. The UI for cycling through Pictos, weapons, wardrobe and Luminas is needlessly crowded and could have used a revision. The relationship system is surface level and undercooked. Lip syncing is notably off throughout much of the game, it’s noticeable, but didn’t really affect my experience. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lets you know from the moment you hit the main menu that you’re in for one of the best soundtracks in gaming. The amount of different pieces that invoke different feelings and even genres is staggering, I was never let down during my entire playthrough. Art direction and graphical fidelity are on point. A particular type of production value like this for a turn based game hasn’t really been seen since the likes of Final Fantasy XIII and its sequels. Speaking of turn based combat, it says something that it’s probably the standout feature of Clair Obscur, because almost everything about the title feels “standout”, but it is true. Clair Obscur takes the typical Final Fantasy style turned based gameplay, gives it the Persona flair and then says “hey, why not add a dose of Souls while we’re at it as well”. It’s kind of surprising it took this long for a team to bring these elements together, because now that it’s here I doubt it’s ever going away. It’s engaging, addicting and ultimately very satisfying. It’s the games main feature and what we will likely be talking about the most for years to come. Parrying, dodging and QTE’s really do go a long way in making turn based feel fast and action oriented. What’s a JRPG without a compelling cast of characters that will become your tried and true party members? Some are clearly more important than others, but everyone is likable and a joy to have around. The voice acting cast supporting these characters is also the stuff of legend. Andy Serkis of The Lord of the Rings fame, Ben Starr from Final Fantasy XVI and Jennifer English from Baldur’s Gate 3 just to name a few…also they literally got Daredevil (Charlie Cox). Now for the story, the crem de le crème of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the thing that will likely be more divisive than any other aspect of the game. This is the potential major criticism I could see occurring in the hearts and minds of gamers as more people reach the conclusion. Without any spoilers, Clair Obscur decides to take its narrative down not one, but two familiar storytelling tropes and happens to do both of them at the same time. It’s likely to be a make it or break it situation for certain players and could have been a big misstep if Clair’s specific story wasn’t so brilliantly written to make such a decision land as well as it did. Regardless of this specific aspect of the story and whether it worked for you or not, there’s no doubt that everything leading to those moments, everything surrounding them and most of what comes after is executed with near perfect precision. This is a story about death, loss, and grief. Humor and happiness is apart of this world, but it’s usually between the cracks of what is more often than not, despair. Every line of dialogue and every cutscene is delivered with the expertise you’d expect from the industries finest. There’s a wide range of emotions Claire Obscur will put you through on this 30-50 hour journey. To sum up my thoughts as concisely as I can, Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the best RPG’s out there and a testament to the talent of the team at Sandfall Interactive. The quality isn’t reflective of the size of the studio or its price, it’s a monument that stands above it. You have to feel bad for the rest of the industry, as it’s only April and we have our Game of the Year nominee. There’s so much more I could say, but I’ve wrote too much already. I could mention the stellar overworld map, the wonderful moments shared between the characters that grow your bond or the intriguing prior expedition journal entires that are littered throughout the world, but in doing so I’d be writing another 5-10 paragraphs. There’s really no reason you shouldn’t go out and play this one now, it’s a fantastic work of art and a declaration of what this industry is capable of without crunch, a ballooning budget and employees that will be dropped at the moment its most convenient. You only play games like this every once in a great while.