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 struggle in a bid to defeat “The Paintress” who’s progressively shaving years off the utmost life that individuals might reside.
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 obscure as a result of nicely, I don’t fairly perceive what the hell is happening. I went again to the trailer – maybe that can assist make clear issues.
Clear as mud. However that’s fantastic, it is a fantasy RPG — I did not count on to know the story from the outset. I not too long ago watched some hands-off gameplay with Guillaume Broche, Artistic 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 celebration characters. You’ll begin the sport with Gustave. Every celebration member has their very own distinctive battle mechanic, which expenses up throughout battles. You may enhance the cost pace with considered guarding, dodging and parrying. With Gustave’s robotic arm, for instance, he can construct up a shock assault that he can unleash early for additional injury, or cost up additional for an additional aggressive strike.
Maelle, Gustave’s adoptive sister who goes lacking early within the sport, has a stance method 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 get better) in a predetermined order. That is augmented with some motion RPG touches and QTEs (quick-time occasions) the place you’ll have to defend with precision timing. Get sufficient parries in a row, and characters will injury the enemy closely. I received to see a boss monster strike my total celebration — thankfully, you solely need to nail the dodge as soon as for the whole crew to dam or parry. The fights themselves are paying homage to Persona 5, with dramatic camera-angle shifts, inky, paint-themed particular results and a deal with the attractive character (and monster) design. Particular assaults and spells use means factors, that are additionally replenished from profitable guarding and QTE timing. Briefly, you’ll nonetheless have to concentrate throughout battles. Sorry.
Alongside Maelle and Gustave, the celebration within the demo was rounded out by Lune, apparently the crew’s mage. You’ll come throughout the remainder of your expeditionary celebration through the journey, in typical JRPG fashion. Broche instructed me on the outset that Expedition 33 was a tribute to the basic 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 and reinvigorate the turn-based RPG for 2024.
Every character has a devoted weapon sort that may be progressively enhanced and strengthened, including new skills because the character grows. I caught a glimpse of an advanced talent 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 celebration creation (or customization) will probably be wanted later within the sport.
Past elemental weaknesses, some enemies may also have shielding that can defend them out of your assaults. As you progress, some may have seen weaknesses that gamers should shoot at – normally 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 will probably be separated into completely different thematic areas, every providing different routes (some might supply additional treasure or harder enemies) and visible landmarks that can supply extra perception into the world and lore. The builders stated that a lot of the story should be unearthed by gamers themselves, searching down collectible notes from the husks of failed expeditions of the previous.
The early environments I noticed of Expedition 33 have been attractive. One of many preliminary areas is constructed as in case you’re strolling alongside the underside of the ocean, laced with plankton, coral and curtains of seaweed. In truth, the attractive world is just outdone by the character fashions. The crew appears to have put a variety of effort into making its heroes emote and react in a means you wouldn’t have seen in RPGs of previous.
I’m cautious of how a lot of an RPG epic the Sandfall Interactive crew will be capable to make, given its measurement. Whereas I did not get to play Expedition 33 at this level, I ponder how a lot exploration will probably be potential within the completed sport and whether or not it can reward gamers’ curiosity past plot lore and mournful letters from lifeless expeditions.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will probably be launched in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X and S and PC.
