Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a phenomenal RPG, telling a heartbreaking tale while incorporating thrilling action into its tactical turn-based combat

Outstanding artwork and glorious combat bring Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's bold, painterly world to life.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's gorgeously realized world is let down by its emphasis on combat, marred by a few fatal stumbles.

"Lengthy battles are rewarding, never descending into a mindless grindfest"

The adventure isn’t overlong, and you don’t spend more time than necessary fighting. The world, art, and narrative are unique, but it makes me nostalgic for a game I remember from the past. It’s as though developer Sandfall Interactive managed to make a classic RPG with only the good parts.

Boasting a unique world, challenging combat and great writing, this RPG has a lot going for it, if only it didn't revel in its own mysteriousness so much

Its world is deceptively large, too, with dozens of side adventures and locations to explore. “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” is a must-play for anyone who appreciates turn-based RPGs, and it’s an immediate entry to the upper echelons of the genre.

They say art is all about eliciting an emotional reaction; if you can do that, all the effort expended in creating it was worth it. I think Clair Obscur does that with aplomb. If you have ever loved role-playing games, ever, you owe it to yourself to play this. It has the capacity to touch you.

A hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage.