You know the feeling of post-game blues? That empty, longing feeling when a game is so good that nothing else quite compares? The feeling when you know the next game you play isn’t going to live up to the standard set by this one?
Well, that feeling is hitting me right now as I sit down to write this review. And honestly, I’m not sure how to begin putting it into words. Because the truth is, no words can really do Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 justice.
In my hands-on preview, I compared Clair Obscur to established franchises like Final Fantasy and Paper Mario, but here, I want to emphasize that it is very much its own game. In particular, this is one of the most unique stories I’ve ever experienced. The official website already offers a strong overview of the premise, intriguing from the very start.
Essentially, the Paintress paints a number each year, and everyone of that age dies. Each year, a group of Expeditioners visit the continent to stop the Paintress, but every attempt ends in failure. What I love most about this premise is the way it raises significant moral and ethical implications. Everyone has limited time in this world, causing its inhabitants to view life differently. I was curious how the developers would approach this topic. Now I can’t stop thinking about it.
Clair Obscur also includes a prologue that helps answer the questions I had from the preview version. This is undoubtedly one of the strongest prologues I’ve ever seen in any medium, as it provides essential context for the events happening in the game. I am amazed that the developers could fit in so much exposition in such a short amount of time.
What surprised me the most is just how much more there is in the story. Clair Obscur’s major plot points are truly meaningful and profound. If this sounds vague, it’s because I firmly believe that this needs to be experienced first-hand without any spoilers.
One potential concern I had is Clair Obscur’s short, approximately 20–30 hour runtime, as some RPG fans (including myself) are used to sprawling, 100-hour epics. But in this case, the length works to the game’s advantage. Every single interaction feels deliberate, with zero wasted space. The game moves from scene to scene with no lulls in between, never dragging, and it’s much stronger for it. I’ll take a smaller, focused story over one that overstays its welcome any day.
If you’re looking for more, I find Clair Obscur’s side content equally impressive. Like most great RPGs, the world is a treat to explore, and the optional quests are reminiscent of Final Fantasy X and other classic titles. It is also clear that the developers put a lot of effort into this content, with plenty of exposition as your reward for exploring off the beaten path. For example, you can collect expedition journals, which reveal the fates of previous expeditions and how they paved the way for your journey. I was so intrigued by the wider lore that I went out of my way to collect every journal.
Near the end of the game, optional superbosses test both your skill and understanding of the gameplay mechanics. Sandfall Interactive did an absolutely phenomenal job designing these bosses, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for the full experience.
After finishing the game and defeating all the superbosses, I consider the gameplay a much deeper and more rewarding version of Paper Mario. Timing your attacks and parries is key to your success, but beyond that, there is a whole host of RPG features to enjoy. Compared to the preview version, the stat system in the final game seems to be rebalanced, with optimal stat allocation corresponding to your equipped weapon. Due to this scaling system, it is important to reset your stats whenever you change weapons. The Pictos, accessories that enhance various traits, encourage you to tailor each character in ways suited to their respective strengths.
Graphically, I consider Clair Obscur one of the best implementations of Unreal Engine 5. I tested this game on a PlayStation 5 Pro in both Performance and Quality modes, and the game looked phenomenal either way. Although there are occasional frame drops with Quality mode, I think it’s the best way to experience the game. The art direction is striking, like wandering through a dream painted in strokes of surrealist fantasy and Belle Époque opulence. Environments drip with atmosphere. Mist coils over cobblestone paths, gilded ruins shimmer under fractured skylight, and distant architecture twists with impossible elegance.
If the visuals paint a world you want to get lost in, the soundtrack by Lorien Testard ensures you feel every step of the journey. This is, without question, the best score I’ve heard in an RPG since NieR: Automata. It strikes this incredible balance, somewhere between NieR’s haunting elegance and Xenoblade’s sweeping drama, but with a heavier reliance on strings that adds a constant undercurrent of melancholy. Violins wail like memories refusing to fade, cellos carry the weight of a world caught in slow collapse, and even the quieter moments feel like they’re mourning something just out of reach.
Furthermore, the heartfelt voice acting deepens the emotional pull, with Maelle’s performance in particular delivering a raw, aching sincerity. Looking at the cast lineup, it’s no surprise that this is some of the most compelling acting in the genre. Sandfall Interactive’s decision to invest so heavily in the cast paid off big time.
Trying to find flaws in Clair Obscur is like searching for needles in a haystack, though I did encounter a few notable issues throughout my three playthroughs. The most obvious is the occasional lip-syncing problem, especially during minor scenes. There are moments where the characters’ mouth movements don’t quite match the dialogue. I also encountered a few audio bugs where the music cuts out mid-combat.
The biggest issue, however, was when I encountered a bugged side quest. The quest giver asked for several specific items, one of which is dropped by a certain mini-boss that does not respawn. The problem? I had already defeated that encounter before I accepted this quest, and the item does not drop unless the quest is currently active. That meant I had no way to complete it and had to start a new game. To be clear, this seems like an isolated incident that I assume will be fixed in a day one patch, so I don’t fault the developers too much for it.
But let me ask you this… Do you really care about a few minor issues? Aside from the one bugged quest, nothing took me out of the experience. In fact, I enjoyed the game so much that I was always looking forward to another playthrough. For that reason, New Game Plus feels tailor-made for people like me. You get to carry over all your weapons, levels, and Pictos, but enemies are also much stronger, maintaining a sense of progression without letting you completely steamroll everything.
There’s a rare kind of magic when you play a game that feels like the start of something timeless. That’s what Clair Obscur gave me. I constantly wanted to dig deeper, not just into the mechanics or combat, but into the world itself. I wanted to learn its history, meet every character, discover every landmark. By the time the credits rolled, I didn’t just want a sequel. I wanted a whole series.
In lieu of a traditional conclusion, I’ll just say this: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the single most impressive debut RPG I’ve ever played. If this were a Final Fantasy title, it would easily rank among my all-time favorites. I can’t recommend it enough.
