HomeNewsClair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an “evolution of JRPGs” set in 19th century France in which you fight a mad painterJe suis perdu
Je suis perdu
Image credit:Kepler Interactive
Image credit:Kepler Interactive
We didn’t get to Sandfall and Kepler Interactive’sClair Obscur: Expedition 33during our coverage of Microsoft’s summer showcase, a couple of weeks ago. If memory serves, when they ran that particular trailer I was busy sponging swampwater out my eyes afterwriting up South Of Midnight, while Nic had become so vociferously agitated overthe debut of Doom: Dark Agesthat he was no longer solid and tangible enough to operate a keyboard. Graham had long sinceabsconded with Joanna Dark to Immersive Sim Landand Matt, poor Matt, had fallen into aLocust sinkholewhile “omnimanouevring” aroundBlack Ops 6. But if one of us had been free and willing we might have had enthusiastic thoughts about this “evolution of JRPGs”, in which you must thwart a self-serious artist who is about to magically murder everybody over the age of 32. It is, alas, too late for me.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTube
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Reveal Trailer
Image credit:Kepler Interactive
As for how you go about nobbling the Paintress, this is a blend of party and turn-based combat with certain actions seemingly performed in real-time - a performance that reminds me of Lost Odyssey, and which threatens to invoke the dread word “QTE”. There’s a world map with locations including the Island of Visages and the Forgotten Battlefield, which have hidden quests and other secrets to discover. While there are named story characters - Gustave and Maelle appear to be the stars - you’ll also get to recruit “special companions” and “allies of fortune”, while following in the footsteps of previous expeditions.
My reservations about the tightrope the combat is walking aside, I think this looks hella swank and damnably cool. You can read more onthe Steam page- it doesn’t have a release date yet.
