Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review

Disclaimer: While there are no direct spoilers beyond the prologue, this review discusses some of the themes or ideas present within the entirety of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. If such discussion would constitute a spoiler for you, or you feel like it may clue you into the direction of the game’s story, this content should be avoided. 

The opening moments of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are a powerful reminder of the realities of death for those of us left behind. Playing as Gustave, a brilliant inventor and mentor to many within the world, you must find your lost love Sophie and escort her to the docks of Lumière (a twisted, Belle Époque era version of Paris), where Sophie and the other 33 year-old (or older) citizens will face their final day. Across the water, in view from those same docks, sits The Paintress, a giant figure seated beneath a monolith with a large number 34 emblazoned upon the rockface. Once a year, The Paintress rises from her rest and carves a new number upon the monolith, killing everyone of or above that age.

Publisher: Kepler Interactive

Developer: Sandfall Interactive

Platform: Played on PC (Steam)

Availability: Released on April 24, 2025 for Playstation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC.

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The presentation of this event in game is absolutely stunning, with the characters fading away into ash and petals, all while a beautiful score punctuates the moment. The citizens of Lumière gather together to celebrate their final moments with loved ones, saying their goodbyes while adorned with roses. It is at once beautiful and horrifying. Despite this aesthetic beauty, the moment was a bit too familiar for me. My mother died earlier this year after a short battle with terminal cancer, and much like everyone within Clair Obscur, she knew her final moments were approaching in the days leading up to her passing. We all did, really. And so, she spent her last hours on this earth among family and friends, saying goodbyes, and making sure everyone around her knew how much she loved them — just as we spent those moments telling her how much we loved her. No matter how much any of us wanted her to stay, it was her time to go. 

Of course, much like in real life, the game leaves us contemplating what we would do in the face of such a certain death. Do we spend our time relaxing among friends and family, do we look for a way out, or can we balance both in a way that is both fulfilling and productive? For me, the thoughts about those questions would have to wait a bit longer. When the Gommage scene ended, I could not bear to do more than sit at my desk and cry. And cry. And cry some more. I do not know how long I cried for, but every ache of my mother’s passing and every fear of my own mortality came to a head during those opening moments. Once I collected myself again, I knew I had to fully immerse myself in Clair Obscur. I had to see it through to the end. Thankfully, Clair Obscur doesn’t just rest on its opening moments — it never shies away from tackling (or at least touching upon) death, love, and grief through the entire experience. 

Combat has so many options and abilities to work with, but the art direction elevates all facets to new heights.

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This title is built on homages. In the narrative, we can see how each character is reverential to those who have come before and those they have lost; how they dedicate their lives to the cause so that they may honor their sacrifice and build a better future for the ones left in Lumiere. The world itself is full of love for its real world inspirations, as well. Beyond landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Arc de Triomphe, every facet of the art direction and music leans into that French culture inspiration, including enemies dressed like mimes, stereotypically French costumes for your characters, and the occasional French phrase spoken within the English dialogue. 

Likewise, the gameplay itself hits on a lot of classic notes for the “JRPG” genre. The combat uses a turn-based system that sees you navigate the encounters using menus, but adds its own twist by including real-time elements such as dodging and parrying. There is a world map that is traversable by the party akin to the older Final Fantasy titles. And so on. Many of the individual elements that make up Clair Obscur are not necessarily unique to the title, no, but it does not feel lifted from those that came before. Instead, it comes across as reverential. By paying respect to and taking ideas from those titans of the genre, Clair Obscur can work its own magic and paint its own picture with the materials.

“Painting isn’t about verisimilitude. It’s about essence. The truth of who they are.”

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Of course, there is always a risk in formulating your game in such a way. Reverence and homage can often lead to blind worship. Rather than blazing a path forward with the work laid by predecessors, it can be all too easy to find oneself stuck in a mire, unwilling to go beyond the bounds of those creations. By avoiding the pitfalls of blind adherence to the norm, Sandfall Interactive has successfully navigated this in a way that many contemporaries do not, and they manage to do so by tying these ideas and themes to the narrative as well. It is not a mistake that the Belle Époque era aesthetic was chosen specifically for this story, and it’s not happenstance that everything within seems so eager to tickle nostalgia in our minds. The way the game has managed to tie these ideas and tackle them through the story, gameplay, and development in tandem is mesmerizing to me. 

While the prologue was deeply affecting for me on a personal level, I do find myself thinking more about many of the events that transpire later in the game, and the ideas or themes surrounding those moments. What does it mean to honor someone who has been lost? How do we move on from our pain, but still respect the memories we have? I don’t know the answer to those questions, necessarily. I’m still struggling with several recent losses of my own. Perhaps it would be easier to look back and lament the days gone by. To sit and think about how good we had it in the past. That is fiction, of course. Life is never easy, and each step forward in society comes at great cost — often by those least positioned to bear it.

Verso has a great quote in the later stages of the story that cuts at the heart of the game’s messaging: “Painting isn’t about verisimilitude. It’s about essence. The truth of who they are.” When we honor someone or something, it is not enough to blindly copy it. Instead, we must understand the underlying essence of the events or parties involved in order to move forward in our own ways. It can be difficult to face, but the past is gone. Instead, we must move forward with dignity of our own, trying to do right by those who paved the way. For those who come after, we continue.

Verdict

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a breathtakingly beautiful examination of death, grief, loss, and love. With an obvious deep respect and reverence for the cultures, people, and video games that came before it, Clair Obscur strikes the balance between pastiche and derivative work. While the main story is not particularly long, there is quite a bit of side content available to further explore the various characters and the world itself. Despite all of the positives, the repetitive nature of the combat did wear on me, and I found myself longing for the end.

Image Credits: Taylor Rioux