Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Action
RPG
Single-player
Steam Achievements
Full controller support
Steam Cloud
Family Sharing

Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.

Developers: Sandfall Interactive
Publishers: Kepler Interactive
Release Date: Apr 24, 2025
Price (USD): $49.99
Current Players: 19k

Links:  Steam Store  SteamDB

Overwhelmingly Positive(98%)
beautiful story
exceptional music
stunning visuals
engaging characters
rewarding combat
difficulty balancing
parry mechanics
story complexity
combat challenge
technical issues
parry timing
game crashes
performance problems
tedious mini-games
Expedition 33 is widely regarded as a masterpiece, praised for its beautiful story, stunning visuals, and exceptional music. The real-time turn-based combat system is highlighted as both challenging and rewarding. However, some players find the difficulty balancing and intricate mechanics to be frustrating at times. Technical issues mar the experience for a few, but the overwhelming reception applauds the game's ability to evoke deep emotions and reflect the passionate commitment of its creators.

Positive Points

  • The game offers a beautiful and emotional story with deep themes of loss and grief that resonate with many players.
  • The soundtrack is exceptionally praised, frequently described as breathtaking and fitting perfectly with the game's atmosphere.
  • Graphics and art direction are consistently highlighted as stunning, contributing to the immersive and unique worldbuilding.
  • The characters are well-written and compelling, with strong voice acting adding depth to their personalities.
  • The combat system, while turn-based, integrates real-time elements like parrying and dodging, making it engaging and rewarding.
  • Negative Points

  • Some players have experienced technical issues like crashes and performance problems, particularly on high-end GPUs or specific setups.
  • A few reviewers found the parry and dodge mechanics to be difficult or poorly implemented, requiring precise timing that was frustrating for some.
  • There are complaints about certain game systems, like the mini-games and weapon inventory management, which some players found tedious or poorly designed.
  • Mixed Points

  • While the story is broadly celebrated, some felt it became overly complex or pretentious, especially in the later acts.
  • The difficulty balancing is mixed; some players found it challenging in a rewarding way, while others felt certain aspects, like character leveling and boss fights, could be too easy or poorly scaled.
  • Common Themes

  • Expedition 33 is frequently celebrated as a potential Game of the Year, with many players urging others not to miss it.
  • The game's emotional impact is a common theme, with many reviews mentioning how deeply it affected them or made them reflect on personal experiences.
  • There is a prevailing sentiment that the game is a passion project from the developers, with love and care evident in its execution.
  • Updated 7/13/2025, 12:02:35 AM UTC