Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Punches Well Above Its Weight

By Sandfall Interactive - https://www.sandfall.co/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=77750804

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the debut RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive which became an unexpected huge success in the video game industry. I just finished playing the game, and I have a lot to say about this game: both in terms of the aspects of the game itself, and its place in the video game industry.

Right off the bat, my favourite thing about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the soundtrack. Many of the songs have this ominous classical opera feel, with heavy use of the piano and operatic vocals, which fit the setting so well. The soundtrack also was not afraid to venture into other genres as well. I noticed dance and house influences on some of the songs. Clair Obscur’s soundtrack is probably a top-five video game soundtrack of all time, and if there ever was an orchestra tour coming to my city, I would go check it out.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a certain defined aesthetic that is not like many other games. The game is set in an apocalyptic version of France from the “Belle Epoque” era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The art style reflects that of the title of the game: Clair Obscur. There is a heavy use of the “light” and the “dark” of the environments, which look nice with the fracture of the world, if not a little bit repetitive and uninteresting at times. 

The big selling point of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the combat. Clair Obscur is a turn-based JRPG where you can use normal attacks, skills, and items; just like every other JRPG. The difference with Clair Obscur is that you can dodge and parry enemy attacks in real time. This is a welcome change in turn-based combat as it keeps the player engaged in a genre (such as turn-based RPGs) where it is so easy to move on autopilot and mentally check out. I need to point out that Clair Obscur was not the first game to do real-time defending in a turn-based RPG, as in Super Mario RPG and the Paper Mario series, you can defend yourself from enemy attacks to take less damage.

At its core, Clair Obscur’s story is not particularly different than many other JRPGs: you have a band of people trying to defeat an enemy threatening to destroy the world and everyone in it. But the excellent writing, dialogue, and voice acting bring the story and the atmosphere alive. I got a feel for each character and their specific motivations and struggles. I was particularly impressed with the character development in this game.

With all this praise, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 does have some issues. This game has quite a few platforming sections, and it is safe to say that the platforming and general movement mechanics feel clunky and lack refinement. It is so easy to jump towards a platform in just a slightly wrong way and your character will just bounce off and fall. This game also suffers from navigation issues, especially in the overworld. The developers should have added a mini-map and/or been able to give us the ability to set waypoints so I do not have to go into the map every time to see if I am close to my destination. The last thing I want to mention is that it is very easy to over-level for the main story by checking out the numerous side areas on your travels, so the game ends up having issues with pacing.

Minor issues aside, I think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a terrific RPG experience and is absolutely worth your time. This game is even more impressive when you consider the optics of this game. A small core of developers, not a big-name studio, made this game. It is also cheaper to purchase Clair Obscur than a AAA video game at full price, so the value proposition is better. Sure, you can call Clair Obscur a AA title, but this game is better than most AAA games from big studios. There is also no additional monetization in this game; you pay one price and you get the full experience. There is also potential for additional promotion of this game, including merchandise and the orchestra tour.

I have been thinking about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s place in video games, and in particular, where I would put it in the ranking of the best JRPGs. In my opinion (if I follow the one game per franchise rule), the three best JRPGs are Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy X, and Persona 5 Royal. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is definitively not better than any of those JRPGs I have mentioned. However, I think Clair Obscur is the best JRPG it could be, with its limitations, and that is the best sort of praise I can bestow upon this game.