Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 first appeared with an intriguing trailer as a part of Microsoft’s summer season showcase, teasing a dream world the place squads of adventurers battle in a bid to defeat “The Paintress” who’s regularly shaving years off the utmost life that folks might stay.
It’s a really JRPG-sounding premise. It’s the primary title from new French studio Sandfall Interactive, set in a bleak, ethereal world impressed by Belle Époque-era France (spot the twisted Eiffel Tower), including barely extra purpose to battle this highly effective, mysterious Paintress. You’ll play a crew of Expeditioners, exploring fantastical landscapes and preventing monsters to defeat the Paintress. It sounds imprecise as a result of effectively, I don’t fairly perceive what the hell is occurring. I went again to the trailer – maybe that may assist make clear issues.
Clear as mud. However that’s positive, this can be a fantasy RPG — I did not anticipate to grasp the story from the outset. I lately watched some hands-off gameplay with Guillaume Broche, Inventive Director for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the sport’s producer, François Meurisse.
We toured a handful of ranges and areas, additionally introducing a handful of the social gathering characters. You’ll begin the sport with Gustave. Every social gathering member has their very own distinctive battle mechanic, which fees up throughout battles. You’ll be able to enhance the cost pace with even handed guarding, dodging and parrying. With Gustave’s robotic arm, for instance, he can construct up a shock assault that he can unleash early for further harm, or cost up additional for an additional aggressive strike.
Maelle, Gustave’s adoptive sister who goes lacking early within the sport, has a stance approach that may increase her battle stats after an assault from her fencing saber. The sport is turn-based, with enemies and allies in a position to assault (or recuperate) in a predetermined order. That is augmented with some motion RPG touches and QTEs (quick-time occasions) the place you’ll must defend with precision timing. Get sufficient parries in a row, and characters will harm the enemy closely. I obtained to see a boss monster strike my whole social gathering — luckily, you solely must nail the dodge as soon as for all the crew to dam or parry. The fights themselves are harking back to Persona 5, with dramatic camera-angle shifts, inky, paint-themed particular results and a concentrate on the gorgeous character (and monster) design. Particular assaults and spells use means factors, that are additionally replenished from profitable guarding and QTE timing. In brief, you’ll nonetheless have to concentrate throughout battles. Sorry.
Alongside Maelle and Gustave, the social gathering within the demo was rounded out by Lune, apparently the crew’s mage. You’ll come throughout the remainder of your expeditionary social gathering throughout the journey, in typical JRPG type. Broche advised me on the outset that Expedition 33 was a tribute to the traditional RPGs of the ‘90s, even if it looks nothing like them. Outside of pixelated Switch adventures, turn-based RPGs have long fallen out of favor, replaced by action RPGs, even for remade titles. This is Sandfall Interactive’s try to reinvigorate the turn-based RPG for 2024.
Every character has a devoted weapon sort that may be regularly enhanced and strengthened, including new talents because the character grows. I caught a glimpse of a sophisticated ability tree that gamers will get to chip away at. Elemental assaults will depend upon the weapon your character is wielding, probably which means some cautious social gathering creation (or customization) can be wanted later within the sport.
Past elemental weaknesses, some enemies may also have shielding that may defend them out of your assaults. As you progress, some can have seen weaknesses that gamers must shoot at – often with visible tells, just like the weak spots on early anchor enemies. This free-aim system can be used within the environments. I noticed a number of ‘shooting’ puzzles used to unlock treasure and different rewards. Expedition 33 can be separated into totally different thematic areas, every providing various routes (some might supply further treasure or harder enemies) and visible landmarks that may supply extra perception into the world and lore. The builders mentioned that a lot of the story must be unearthed by gamers themselves, looking down collectible notes from the husks of failed expeditions of the previous.
The early environments I noticed of Expedition 33 had been beautiful. One of many preliminary areas is constructed as for those who’re strolling alongside the underside of the ocean, laced with plankton, coral and curtains of seaweed. The truth is, the gorgeous world is just outdone by the character fashions. The crew appears to have put a number of effort into making its heroes emote and react in a approach you wouldn’t have seen in RPGs of outdated.
I’m cautious of how a lot of an RPG epic the Sandfall Interactive crew will be capable to make, given its dimension. Whereas I did not get to play Expedition 33 at this level, I ponder how a lot exploration can be attainable within the completed sport and whether or not it’ll reward gamers’ curiosity past plot lore and mournful letters from lifeless expeditions.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can be launched in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Sequence X and S and PC.