Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was revealed for the primary time at Xbox Video games Showcase, and wowed an unsuspecting viewers with its mixture of gorgeous visuals and RPG fight, set inside a really distinctive fantasy world impressed by the French Belle Époque. It’s all of the extra spectacular for being the debut recreation from Sandfall Interactive, telling the story of a world wherein the ominous Paintress usually condemns everybody of a set age to demise – and the group of adventurers who got down to put an finish to the cycle.
That reveal was a tease for what’s to return – and in a walkthrough at gamescom 2024, I bought a much more in-depth have a look at the sport. Watching a celebration helmed by Gustave, a personality we met within the reveal trailer, I noticed two areas from the sport: a fantastical underwater realm referred to as Flying Waters (with attractive, shifting lighting and massive coral reefs) and a glimpse of Historic Sanctuary, coated in blood crimson vegetation and dotted with imposing buildings on the horizon.
However maybe probably the most detailed a part of the walkthrough targeted on fight, a combination of traditional turn-based methods accented with real-time inputs. Clearly impressed by the Persona collection, and with flashes of current Last Fantasy titles, it’s instantly putting in the way it turns what could possibly be acquainted, simplistic methods into one thing deeply fashionable and gratifyingly reactive.
Right here’s a rundown of the way it all works:
Exploration and Pre-Battle
Areas in Expedition 33 are freely explorable – you management a single character (it’s your selection who out of your get together that will likely be) as they navigate areas, discovering treasures, secrets and techniques, and factors of curiosity. Enemies roam these areas, and interacting with them kicks off an occasion of battle – however you will have the chance to strike them earlier than they strike you, providing a flip benefit because the battle begins.
Your Flip
When in a battle, you and your enemies’ flip order is displayed prominently always, permitting you to arrange for battle accordingly. When certainly one of your characters’ turns arrives, you’ll be offered with a slick menu, providing the power to assault, use gadgets, use expertise, or enter a free-aim mode (extra on that under).
Your expertise are the important thing level of distinction between characters, providing particular bodily assaults, elemental skills, stat buffs and debuffs, and extra. Key to all of your expertise is timing – every assault comes with an onscreen immediate, asking you to hit a button on the appropriate time to make the talent extra highly effective or add extra helpful results.
Every character additionally has an entirely distinctive capability that adjustments how they play. Gustave has a mechanical arm that’s charged by different skills, and does big harm when unleashed. Lune can create “elemental stains” which are created by casting spells and might be consumed to unleash further results, whereas Maelle can seemingly take up completely different swordfighting stances to permit for a spread of various skills and stat adjustments.
Free-Intention Talents
As talked about above, you can begin your flip with a free-aim capability that acts barely in a different way to different choices. Your character will use a pistol or magic, and also you bodily goal them at your enemies, including further harm. This could include some added advantages – within the instance I noticed, an enemy referred to as a Demineur was hooked up to a floating sea mine, which could possibly be shot and detonated with Gustave’s gun. This dealt harm to all of the enemies, somewhat than only one, and made the evasive Demineur susceptible to follow-up bodily strikes.
Enemy Turns
You possibly can’t take your eye off the ball throughout enemy turns, both. Expedition 33 has a neat risk-reward system for enemy assaults – many assaults might be dodged or parried with well-timed button presses, however which you select can decide how properly you succeed. A profitable dodge has an extended enter window, and can negate all harm you obtain. Parries, nevertheless, are tougher to tug off – however handle them efficiently and you’ll carry out large counterattacks in addition to avoiding the harm. Neither is designed to be straightforward to tug off, however there’s a transparent indication about how it is best to prioritize which to make use of throughout harder bouts.
Boss Battles
I solely noticed sections of a single boss battle – in opposition to a huge monster referred to as Goblu – however it’s clear that Expedition 33 will add extra to consider in its signature fights. Goblu can assault all of your get together members without delay, making dodges and parries extra vital than ever – and naturally comes with an infinite well being bar meaning your selections are extra vital than ever.
Publish-Battle
Whereas I solely noticed a glimpse of its talent timber, Expedition 33’s battles finish with the loot and XP rewards you’d count on – in addition to extra in-depth stats like the best harm you probably did, the variety of profitable parries and dodges, and extra. You possibly can even get a bonus for taking no harm in any respect inside a struggle, teasing the opportunity of doing a difficult no-hit run of the sport for die-hard gamers. How all of this ties into your get together’s development continues to be a thriller, and I look ahead to seeing extra.
Even in a brief have a look at the sport’s fight, it’s clear that Expedition 33’s fight is as flashy and in-depth as you’d hope for from that first look – and a tease of the areas and enemies we’re nonetheless but to see guarantees that there’s a lot extra to search out out.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 involves Xbox Sequence X|S in 2025, and also you’ll have the ability to play on day one with Sport Cross.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Kepler Interactive
“12 months by 12 months, She erases us.”
Every year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed quantity. And everybody of that age turns to smoke and fades away. 12 months by 12 months, that quantity ticks down and extra of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our closing mission – Destroy the Paintress, so she will by no means paint demise once more. We’re Expedition 33.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with distinctive real-time mechanics, making battles extra immersive and addictive than ever. Discover a fantasy world impressed by Belle Époque France wherein you battle devastating enemies.
Reactive Flip-based Fight
On this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions improve the guts of turn-based fight. Craft distinctive builds on your Expeditioners that suit your playstyle through gear, stats, expertise, and character synergies. Open an lively dimension in fight – dodge, parry, and counter in actual time, chain combos by mastering assault rhythms, and goal enemy weak factors utilizing a free goal system.
“Tomorrow Comes”
With just one 12 months left to reside, be part of Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a determined quest to interrupt the Paintress’ cycle of demise. Comply with the path of earlier expeditions and uncover their destiny. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they be taught to work collectively in opposition to not possible odds.
A Hauntingly Lovely World
Discover a fascinating realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander via breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and techniques and hidden quests alongside the best way. Discover allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit particular companions, entry new journey strategies and uncover secret areas within the World Map.
Expertise the debut recreation from Sandfall Interactive, totally realized in Unreal Engine 5 with gorgeous graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.