Score: 9.6 / 10
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the kind of game that comes along once in a decade — a first work from a small studio that somehow surpasses everything the genre's veterans have attempted. It is heartbreaking, stunning, and mechanically brilliant in equal measure.
The Concept
Each year, a being called the Paintress appears and paints a number on her monument. Everyone that age dies instantly. The number is counting down. Expedition 33 is the last attempt to stop her before she reaches zero.
Combat
Turn-based with real-time parry windows. The system rewards attention and punishes autopilot — every enemy attack has a tell, every successful parry generates action points, and every failed parry is punishing. It is the most satisfying JRPG-adjacent combat system since Persona 5.
Visuals and Music
Belle Époque France rendered in a painterly art style that makes every frame feel like a canvas. The score by Lorien Testard is extraordinary — particularly the tracks that accompany the game's two most devastating story moments.
Verdict
Game of the year. Possibly game of the generation. Play it.
