Game Review: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Platform: Xbox

Rating: 5/5 - A must play for RPG fans

The rating should speak for itself as to just how amazing this game is but I'll give you more than just that.

Firstly, I am not what you would call a "story" player. I play games to play the games, not spend a lot of time reading dialogue or watching cut scenes. I routinely skip or speed through these pauses in the action to get to the parts of the game I enjoy. However, with this game, I have yet to skip a cut scene or not read dialogue. The story if engrossing, intriguing, and full of little twists and turns that keep you captivated and wanting to understand more. There are all kinds of side quests, bonus interactions, and more that add just that little bit extra that makes the world feel more wholly aligned with the story. The developers did an excellent job of weaving the entirety of the story throughout the game so that while you can just do main objectives to beat the game and get the overall story but you can get more of the story by more fully exploring the worlds and interacting with various optional objectives and NPCs.

This is one of the few rare gems that have a story told intelligently and artistically enough to keep to my attention. On story alone, this game needs to be played by as many players as possible. It is unique. It is emotional. It is layered so exquisitely. No wonder there are already rumors swirling less than a week since the game's release that a studio is already working on a movie adaptation of its story! But it does make one wonder if a movie studio can deliver the dramatic and cinematic experience a story such as this truly deserves...

Story aside, the graphics of the game are pretty good. I won't lie, I've seen better, smoother, cleaner graphics (BG3, I'm looking at you!) but for a game that was developed by a 1st time studio, Sandfall, this is an excellent rookie entry. I've seen studios with years of experience put out worse looking games so for this studio to release this as their first game, the graphics are nothing to complain about. The effects, the colors, the environments, the models...they were all well thought out and designed, in my opinion. There were a few places that seemed too dark to really explore and that may have been by design but I didn't care for those areas as much. I did find some pathing issues where characters got stuck in the environment so I was forced to reload a recent save to continue exploring. And while that might sound bad, I was exploring the limits of the maps and putting my characters in some areas most players probably won't go but still a bit annoying to me when it happens.

The combat system in this game is fantastic. Turn-based combat with tactical, real-time defense mechanics. Players can dodge, parry, or jump to potentially avoid taking damage from opponents. Pick the wrong action and take damage. Pick the right action, and a bevy of boons might be available to you. The game does significantly lean on the defense aspect of combat more than offense. Players can dole out some good damage offensively but the true power of your party comes in the from of counterattacks after parrying incoming attacks. Dodge is easier and less risky if your goal is to simply avoid taking damage but your fights will take infinitely longer when battling bosses and end-game content. To that end, I am, I admit, a bit saddened that my offensive abilities are so weak in comparison.

I'll highlight this a bit for you. One of my favorite characters is Maelle. At level 80 with some major upgrades, a premium offensive ability might deal ~100,000 damage to an enemy whereas her counter attack dealt ~580,000. Her ONE counterattack hit did 5.5 times MORE damage than her strongest 3-hit combo's total damage output. Luckily for me, I prefer parry over dodge in most scenarios and work diligently to learn the attacks and timings of my opponents to maximize my party's counterattack potential. For others, this might be a bit difficult or frustrating which then puts them in a position where they may not enjoy the gameplay as much or may get burned out on the exceedingly long fights they are forced into by having to abandon the devastating power of counters.

The combat system is not for the weak of heart but if you can master it the game is a cakewalk. You'll still die but it'll be a lot easier to progress than if you only dodge.

Musically, there some good music. The game actually incorporates music into the adventure by giving you a record player in camp that can play various records that you find while adventuring through the various areas. I'm not as musically inclined as others so there might be more to discuss on the music that I'm missing but I didn't find anything about the music to be off putting, out of place, or inconsistent with the game world around me.

But my absolute favorite aspect of this game is all the side or optional content. There are 3 different arenas in the game that I've found so far. Beating each of them gives you something special. I've run across at least 4 hidden Gestral beach areas where each gives you a unique challenge to beat. Beating each of them nets you different unique rewards. Several areas have "hidden" areas where you can find mimes. The mimes are tough but beating them give you unique outfits for your characters and more. Several the merchants have extra items for sale only to those who can best them in 1-on-1 combat.

There's just so much in this game to see, to find, to fight, to collect that its absolutely wonderful. There is literally something for everyone. Do you want to collect outfits and hairstyles for your party...this game has it. Do you want to collect a wide variety of weapons for each character with various stats and elemental affinities to craft the perfect build for each boss...this game has it. Do you want master dozens of passive abilities to enhance your party's combat proficiency...this game has it. Do you want to spend skill point to unlock a variety of skills and attacks unique to each character...this game has it. Do you want hidden bosses and extra challenging mobs...this game has it.

When you do finally manage to beat the story, there's always NG+ so you can replay to go find even more to do.

And the best part is the game is only $50. Compare that to your normal $60 game or the $80 games expected for the Nintendo Switch 2 that drops this summer and this game is a SUPER bargain at that price.