If you ever find yourself in one of those silly arguments about whether or not video games can rise to the level of artistic greatness in the same way as movies, television and novels, then pointing at the surprisingly deep narratives found in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 would be a great way to prove that it’s possible. Leave it to a French developer, Sandfall Interactive, to bring all the sensibilities and sadness of a classic French film to video games.
But the really amazing thing is that as great a job as Expedition 33 does with weaving together an unforgettable tale of longing, loss and family tragedy, it’s far from a one trick pony. Any good visual novel type of title could provide a similar experience in that way, but Expedition 33 is a game first, and one with really solid tactical combat and RPG-style adventure. What truly makes it a masterpiece is how everything is woven together into a complete package. Players are pulled into the plot by taking on the role of the various characters and commanding them in difficult fights. And then when the story advances in unexpected ways or main characters suddenly die, the feelings of confusion, anger and loss are felt much more deeply than if someone was just having a passive experience watching a story unfold.
The plot of Expedition 33 changes quite a lot as you play, with the difference between Act 1 and Act 2 being particularly striking as world-changing secrets are revealed. But at the start of the adventure, the plot as players know it is that the characters are all living in a warped version of the city of Paris known as Lumiere. The city is broken and twisted in strange ways with the centerpiece being a melting Eiffel Tower that hovers over the world. It’s a special and sad day in Lumiere as everyone over the age of 33 years old is about to be erased from existence in a strange process known as the Gommage. The entire prologue of Expedition 33 involves one of the main characters, Gustave, and his adopted sister Maelle walking his girlfriend Sophie down to the harbor amid throngs of sad well-wishers so that she can meet her fate with dignity. As the sun sets, Sophie, along with everyone else her age, dissolves into a cloud of rose petals and drifts away on the wind.
And while most people in the doomed world have accepted their cruel fate, there are some like Gustave who have decided to fight. You see, way off in the distance there is a giant statue known as The Paintress. She wakes up once per year during the Gommage and wipes away a glowing number on the side of an equally huge edifice, counting down one number each time. When Gustave’s girlfriend disappears, the number goes from 34 to 33. Next year it will presumably drop to 32, marking an even younger group for destruction, as it has for the past 67 years. Gustave and a group of expeditioners are setting off on a mission to destroy The Paintress and save their world. The only thing is that there’s been a new expedition every year since the sign read 100, so the success rate is pretty much zero, and the living population of Lumiere keeps getting younger and younger.
Once you actually launch into the mission, Expedition 33 plays like a tactical RPG, although there are some interesting peculiarities that set it apart from similar titles. Most tactical RPGs, like the recently reviewed Urban Strife or the Skelmar Invasion DLC for Wartales, fully pause the action in combat so that players or enemies can spend action points and take their turns. But with Expedition 33, players are never fully out of control of their actions even when opponents are moving, shooting or otherwise attacking.
Yes, you are rooted in place while opponents are spending their action points. However, players can also either dodge, parry or counter just about every attack made against them. For example, when an enemy swings their sword, you can press the dodge key at the last second to avoid all damage. You can even equip items that provide boosts when making a perfect dodge. Parrying is much more difficult in terms of getting the timing right, but if executed correctly, you will automatically launch a very strong and damaging counter. Even area of effect type attacks can be countered, which is pretty cool. If you are able to counter a massive area effect attack, your entire party will launch a counterattack. If you are good at timing quick-time events, you can become a real master of combat in Expedition 33.
You will need to master timing events on offence too. Some low-damage attacks like basic swings don’t require it, although they will generate action points that can be used later. Many of the more powerful offensive options based on skills have a quick-time element. When you attack with a powerful skill, you will see a little meter spinning on the screen and will need to stop the needle in the right spot to overcharge the attack. Missing the sweet spot will not cause a failure, but hitting it right can double the damage or more. Some players may not enjoy the inclusion of quick time events inside tactical combat, but for the most part they provide bonus damage (or damage avoidance) so they are at least technically optional. But really, mastering them is a key to having a much easier time in the many fights you will be engaging in.
The world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is absolutely gorgeous, dripping with colors and style. To compliment the French film style, some of the cutscenes are even done in black and white to accentuate the mood and set them apart from the rest of the adventure. The title even does a nice job blending the different elements including the explorable world, the tactical combat arenas and the video-only cut scenes together. Much of the time moving from one element to another is practically seamless. It was a nice treat to trigger the change from one to another each time.
As impressive as the visuals are in Expedition 33, they are overshadowed by the musical score and the voice work. The music is haunting and really sets the mood. It will put you into a sort of melancholy state before you even take control of Gustave in the prologue. It’s as good as any blockbuster movie soundtrack you will hear. But the voice acting is even better, probably one of the best performances ever for video games, and it’s right up there with the voice acting in Baldur’s Gate 3.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s cast of voice actors is impressive, and they all put in wonderful performances. Gustave is voiced by Charlie Cox of Daredevil: Born Again fame, and his performance makes Gustave one of the most likeable main characters to be introduced in a game in very long time. Another top performance comes from the character of Lune who is the scholar and mage of the group. She is voiced by Kirsty Rider of Sandman fame and puts in a great and believable performance. Other top performances include Renoir who is voiced by Andy Serkis from The Lord of the Rings and Black Panther, Verso who is voiced by Ben Starr from Final Fantasy XVI and Sciel who is voiced by Shala Nyx of The Old Guard. Nyx in particular provides a needed and almost cheerful light in this otherwise doomed and sad world.
But the standout performance in terms of voice acting comes from Maelle, Gustave’s adopted sister who joins the expedition even though she still has seven years to go before her Gommage. She is a plucky orphan and loner who longs to get out of the doomed city and becomes integral to both the expedition and a central figure in the ever-changing main plot. As such, her performance required a lot of range and emotion, all of which was delivered in droves by Jennifer English. Prior to Expedition 33, she rose to fame as Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3. But her performance here likely even outshines that achievement. She rounds out an incredibly talented voice cast that would be the envy of any other RPG.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a title that players will likely be thinking about long after everything is resolved in one of the two possible (and almost equally sad) endings. On the gameplay side, its unique approach to tactical RPGing keeps players in the action even when opponents are taking their turns, so the excitement never pauses. And on the story side, slowly revealing the surprising secrets of the doomed world will keep players pushing forward even as they deal with unexpected tragedy and challenges. How developer Sandfall Interactive blended all of that together into a compelling and artistic package could become a masterclass in how to make a memorable RPG. It’s experienced as much as played, and not something that gamers will want to miss.
Developers: Sandfall Interactive
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X