Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Hands-On Preview: Artful Dodger

First Lies of P, and now Clair Obscur. Perhaps Belle Epoque is the new great inspiration for titles that seemingly appear out of nowhere and prove to be refreshing takes on existing genres. For Lies of P, it gave us one of the most-satisfying Soulslikes in years and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks to do the same for the JRPG genre.

In case you missed our last preview or aren't quite clued in, the game takes place in a world where one day a mysterious entity called the Paintress showed up alongside a great monolith that showed a massive number. Each year, that number would tick down, and everyone of that age or above would turn into dust. Also, each year an Expedition is sent out to try and learn more about the Paintress in an effort to take her down. We play as Expedition 33.

The demo build we played puts us very early into the story, skimming over the events leading to main character Gustave being stranded, alone, with most of the Expedition dead or missing. After a quick combat tutorial, we're free to head off in search of Gustave's sister and anyone else who might have survived in the Expedition.

I had seen Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's gameplay at Gamescom last year, but it was handled by such a pro that I couldn't really say how easy or difficult it was to parry and dodge enemy attacks. This is quite the deciding factor for a game like Clair Obscur, which puts such a focus on the active gameplay style mixed in with a turn-based JRPG formula. Fortunately, the combat in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is immensely satisfying from what we've played so far. While it might take a short while to know when to parry, once you start getting into the rhythm and decimating opponents with powerful counterattacks, you'll get a similar feeling to mastering the combat in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Clair Obscur isn't anywhere near as difficult as Sekiro. Normal enemies will do some damage but won't wipe you out even if you tank every hit, and while tougher foes will do a lot more damage, you can always grind through weaker enemies for more levels, or rely more heavily on dodging, which has a more forgiving window even if it doesn't allow for big counterattacks. There are also some attacks you'll need to jump over, which the game informs you of with a yellow glow before the enemy strikes. Again, very similar to Sekiro, but much more forgiving and incredibly satisfying thanks to the cinematic effects that obliterate every Nevron standing against us.

There is a question of repetitiveness in this combat system. It's flashy and monstrously fun, with a great amount of enemy variety, both in designs and mechanics, but within the few hours of the demo period, I had already found a strategy with abilities and Pictos (items you can attach to characters for extra buffs) that I felt like I wouldn't want to move from. Of course, this is just a personal experience, and I've played what feels like just a taste of the full experience, but it's something worth bringing up. Then again, it's not like Clair Obscur's combat is shallow. Not even close. Weapons, Pictos, and abilities all combine, with the ability tree being incredibly lengthy for each character, having more key skills to pick up later on and the option to respec at any point. Also, each of the characters can be specialised in any way you want. In our time with the game, we unlocked Gustave, Lune, and Maelle. We chose Gustave as our tanky frontline damage dealer, with Lune specialising in critical hits and Maelle being more of a glass cannon. Each of the character's designs also feel unique and interesting, and it's a nice detail that you can run around as any of them in the overworld, which won't affect the story or combat encounters.

As you'd probably expect from the game's trailers thus far, the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is incredibly beautiful. The inspiration of Belle Epoque combined with the wonderfully fantastical realm that the Paintress and Nevrons inhabit make for a game that truly feels unique in its look and style. There's also a great amount of storytelling in the world, from the lore around the human settlement of Lumiere to the creatures that try and kill us to the Chroma which is apparently in our bodies and in theirs. The game is very good at setting up mysteries, and I just hope that it has a satisfying answer to most of them that fits just how enticing the setting is when you first step in.

In this demo build, the main story has taken a bit of a backseat to allow us a better chance to experience and discuss the gameplay. Still, it's an intriguing story, and that's all it needs to be for now. Enough to pull you in, without feeling like you don't need to play the rest. It's a strong opening, built off a great concept, and the only question is whether it can stick the landing. Outside of combat and story, there is a good deal of traversal in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and if you want to find all the Pictos and access little side stories scattered within a map, you'll want to dig through every nook and cranny, clambering up walls that allow it and using a magical grapple thing to jump between different points of elevation. It's fairly standard in its mechanics, but the traversal is heavily bolstered by just how beautiful the world is to explore.

So far, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is shaping up to be a real dark horse for 2025. A game that is so clear in its commitment to its vision that it is difficult not to fall for it. I never thought of myself as a JRPG fan before, but this more active take on the traditional formula has hooked me more than I thought it would, and I'm eager for more.