The embargo is up, which means reviews are in for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the eye-catching turn-based RPG from Sandfall Interactive and Kepler Interactive.
The game received overwhelming praise, with numerous outlets drawing attention to the art direction and narrative in the game. The gameplay has also been well-liked, with most critics enjoying the JRPG-inspired mechanics that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 uses and tweaks.
At the time I’m writing this, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is sitting at an impressive 91 on Metacritic pulling from 51 reviews, with a 92 on Opencritic from across 64 reviews. I’ve pulled out a handful of quotes from different reviews that are linked below:
- VG247 (10/10): “I fear this may be a rote sentiment, but Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has made me fall in love with RPGs again. It has reminded me of the magic of the genre. You know the meme of the critic from Ratatouille eating the food and being taken back to his childhood? That’s what Sandfall has done to me with this bizarre, bold, beautiful game; coming to the final boss and tinkering with the intricate layers of my team’s build, I flashed back to the first time I approached Ultimecia’s Castle in Final Fantasy 8 and thought ‘f**k, it’s nearly over. I don’t want it to be over.”
- Stevivor (95/100): “The ending moments of this story truly impacted me in a way I wasn’t expecting, and left me rethinking and re-examining my choices in the lead-up to the end – and adding new twists all the while. Even having completed the endgame, there are still areas on the world map that are too high-level for me to handle just yet. Sandfall has advised there’s about 30 hours of side content on top of the game’s main story, and I’m excited to explore more of it.”
- Game Informer (9/10): “What I may admire the most about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is how firmly it embraces a familiar, if currently rare genre (big budget, artistically expressive, turn-based RPGs), but does so without falling into any of its traps. 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.”
- Eurogamer (8/10): “It’s an ambitious yet impressive debut from the studio that, despite a somewhat fanciful narrative, is a pensive examination of grief and the power of art. And while the development team has chosen to focus on certain areas to the detriment of others, where it succeeds it really excels. Clair Obscur may be a painting with a limited colour palette, but the result is a bold and striking vision.”
- GAMINGbible (8/10): “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is, thankfully, more wonderful than it is disappointing. It whisks the player away into a truly impactful world, with a powerful and emotional story bubbling away, enhanced by some stellar acting. There were moments I was brought to spilling a couple of tears, alongside some that had me laughing riotously. The battles, which can so often feel stagnant in a bustling genre, are refreshing, tactical, and delightful. This is a wonderfully imaginative game, bursting with identity, and it has a lot to say about important topics. Yes, the path is a bit muddy and cumbersome, but the destination is worth it, and the journey is magical.”
A gorgeous world filled with danger and wonder
I’ve been fascinated with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ever since it was first revealed, and I’m glad to see that broad critical consensus holds this as a wonderful game.
Of course, Windows Central also has a review up, with my colleague Brendan Lowry writing that “Sandfall Interactive’s debut RPG perfectly fuses the deep strategy of turn-based combat with the satisfying challenge and mastery of real-time action games, resulting in a wholly unique experience that sets itself apart.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launches on April 24, 2025 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. It’s also available day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. For more details, consult my guide on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s different editions.
