Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 first appeared with an intriguing trailer as a part of Microsoft’s summer time showcase, teasing a dream world the place squads of adventurers battle in a bid to defeat “The Paintress” who’s step by step shaving years off the utmost life that folks might stay.
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 motive 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 imprecise as a result of properly, I don’t fairly perceive what the hell is occurring. I went again to the trailer – maybe that can assist make clear issues.
Clear as mud. However that’s high-quality, this can be a fantasy RPG — I did not anticipate to know the story from the outset. I just lately 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 get together characters. You’ll begin the sport with Gustave. Every get together member has their very own distinctive battle mechanic, which fees up throughout battles. You possibly can 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 harm, or cost up additional for an additional aggressive strike.
Maelle, Gustave’s adoptive sister who goes lacking early within the recreation, 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 recuperate) 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 harm the enemy closely. I received to see a boss monster strike my total get together — happily, you solely need to nail the dodge as soon as for the complete 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 gorgeous character (and monster) design. Particular assaults and spells use capacity factors, that are additionally replenished from profitable guarding and QTE timing. In brief, you’ll nonetheless have to concentrate throughout battles. Sorry.
Alongside Maelle and Gustave, the get together within the demo was rounded out by Lune, apparently the crew’s mage. You’ll come throughout the remainder of your expeditionary get together through the journey, in typical JRPG type. Broche advised 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 step by step enhanced and strengthened, including new skills because the character grows. I caught a glimpse of a sophisticated talent tree that gamers will get to chip away at. Elemental assaults will depend upon the weapon your character is wielding, seemingly that means some cautious get together creation (or customization) might be wanted later within the recreation.
Past elemental weaknesses, some enemies will even have shielding that can defend them out of your assaults. As you progress, some could have seen weaknesses that gamers must shoot at – often with visible tells, just like the weak spots on early anchor enemies. This free-aim system can also be used within the environments. I noticed a couple of ‘shooting’ puzzles used to unlock treasure and different rewards. Expedition 33 might be separated into completely different thematic areas, every providing different routes (some could supply additional treasure or more durable enemies) and visible landmarks that can supply extra perception into the world and lore. The builders stated that a lot of the story must be unearthed by gamers themselves, looking down collectible notes from the husks of failed expeditions of the previous.
The early environments I noticed of Expedition 33 had been attractive. One of many preliminary areas is constructed as for those who’re strolling alongside the underside of the ocean, laced with plankton, coral and curtains of seaweed. In actual fact, the gorgeous world is simply outdone by the character fashions. The crew appears to have put a variety of effort into making its heroes emote and react in a method you wouldn’t have seen in RPGs of outdated.
I’m cautious of how a lot of an RPG epic the Sandfall Interactive crew will be capable of make, given its measurement. Whereas I did not get to play Expedition 33 at this level, I’m wondering how a lot exploration might be attainable within the completed recreation and whether or not it should reward gamers’ curiosity past plot lore and mournful letters from useless expeditions.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be launched in 2025 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X and S and PC.
