It’s been a strong year games thus far, with everything from huge hits like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds to smaller projects such as The First Berserker: Khazan and Blue Prince all giving players a feast of quality content to enjoy. One that may have flown under your radar, though, is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — a turn-based JRPG-style adventure game from the fledgling game studio Sandfall Interactive.
Clair Obscur is poised to stand out as one of 2025’s most unique RPGs, and is slated to release next week on April 24 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5. Ahead of that launch, the $49.99 title is a cool 10% off on Steam ($44.99), but you can actually get it at an even lower price — for just $34.59 at CDKeys, specifically. The Deluxe Edition that includes several exclusive cosmetic items for each member of your party is also on sale for $41.19 at CDKeys (usually $59.99).
Could this be a Game of the Year contender?
Ever since Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 made an appearance at Microsoft’s 2025 Xbox Developer Direct earlier this year, I’ve had a close eye on what immediately struck me as one of 2025’s most interesting games. Similar to titles like Persona or Metaphor: ReFantazio, Clair Obscur is a JRPG with turn-based combat that places a strong emphasis on synergistically executing combos with each of your party members’ moves. What sets it apart, though, is the inclusion of lots of action game mechanics as well.
Indeed, Clair Obscur is best thought of as a fusion of turn-based with real-time, as carefully timed button presses are needed to maximize the effectiveness of special attacks and attentive players can shoot at enemy weak spots to deal extra damage or prevent foes from using some attacks of their own. On top of that, enemy attacks can be dodged or parried, with successful applications of the latter mechanic rewarding you with hard-hitting counter-attacks.
Indeed, Clair Obscur is best thought of as a fusion of turn-based with real-time, as carefully timed button presses are needed to maximize the effectiveness of special attacks and attentive players can shoot at enemy weak spots to deal extra damage or prevent foes from using some attacks of their own. On top of that, enemy attacks can be dodged or parried, with successful applications of the latter mechanic rewarding you with hard-hitting counter-attacks.
This approach reminds me of the turn-based Mario & Luigi RPGs that stand as some of my favorite games of all time, as they did something quite similar with their “Bros. Attacks” and encounter designs. As a result, I’m greatly interested in playing Sandfall Interactive’s debut title, and am hopeful that it’s as creative and engaging as it looks like it’ll be.
Clair Obscur’s narrative and presentation have hooked me in, too; it’s set in a dark, yet beautiful fantasy world heavily inspired by the Baroque period of French history in which a mysterious Paintress counts down one number each year, subsequently erasing the life of anyone with an age that matches her countdown with strokes of her brush. When the story begins, the Paintress is down to 33, and in the shoes of several 33 year-olds facing their last year of life, you embark as Expedition 33 to try and find a way to stop her.
All in all, there’s the potential for a truly great game here — one that might be considered one of the best Xbox games and best PC games of the year, and could even be a serious Game of the Year contender. Notably, it will be available to play through Xbox Game Pass, but don’t sleep on the aforementioned deals if you’d prefer owning a copy.
Is CDKeys legit and safe to use?
Yes, CDKeys is a legitimate retailer of game keys that we trust and can recommend wholeheartedly. For more on why, read our in-depth CDKeys FAQ; note that it frequently offers excellent deals on old and new titles alike, including upcoming ones, which is why it’s one of our favorite places to get our games.
