The showcases of 2024 have unveiled a plethora of exciting titles on the horizon. With new installments lining up from cherished franchises like Doom: The Dark Ages, Perfect Dark, and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, there’s a lot to anticipate. However, the excitement really heightens with the arrival of a game set in an enigmatic universe that captures our imaginations. Enter Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a venture from a fresh developer that promises to be one of the standout titles in what is already a competitive year. With many mysteries to unravel, join us as we embark on an expedition to uncover everything there is to know about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Release Date Window
Currently, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has an anticipated release window set for spring 2025. While it might launch as early as March, it could also stretch into April or May if delays occur.
Platforms
You can expect Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to be available on all current-generation consoles, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Trailers
Our first glimpse of Clair Obscur unfolded at the Xbox Games Showcase in 2024. The trailer presents a warped and fragmented world featuring a towering structure marked with the glowing number 34. The narrator, later revealed to be Gustave, tells of a mysterious painter who annually reduces this number by one. Those reaching that age vanish completely, leading to humanity’s eventual extinction. Each year, an expedition is dispatched in a desperate attempt to halt the painter’s deadly cycle. Our adventure will unfold just one day before the notorious 33 is to be painted, in a final endeavor to disrupt the pattern of death.
The specifics of this expedition remain under wraps, but part of this journey involves uncovering the fates of the previous 32 expeditions and understanding their failures against the painter.
Visually, the game’s aesthetics draw inspiration from the artistry of Belle Époque-era France, evident in numerous nods to French architecture. The trailer showcases an eclectic mix of landscapes we will explore, including twisted cities, snowy peaks, and even depths of the ocean.
The lineup of characters joining this expedition includes an outsider named Verso, Renoir driven by family loyalty, engineer Gustave, mage Lune, warrior Sciel, and the young orphan Maelle.
Gameplay
Clair Obscur features a turn-based RPG format interlaced with real-time elements. Players will engage commands through menus at their own pace while quick time button prompts appear to add a layer of interactivity, requiring reflexes for dealing extra damage or avoiding attacks. Missing these prompts could mean less damage dealt or greater damage taken. As expected in RPGs, gear plays a significant role, along with various status effects and elemental attacks.
In the gameplay reveal, we see a character exploring their environment while the entire party seems to be present. Enemies materialize within the world, giving players an opportunity to engage them advantageously, suggesting that they could potentially get the jump on you as well.
In addition to standard options for items, skills, and attacks, a specific aim feature allows you to target enemies freely for ranged strikes.
The left side of the screen displays the turn order, indicating when your opponents will act, with some actions possibly altering that order.
Players can also earn bonuses for additional XP post-combat, such as a 20% increase in XP for prevailing without sustaining damage.
Preorder
At this point, we’ve only established that the expedition will kick off in spring 2025, so preorders haven’t launched yet. However, if you’re eager to stay updated, you can wishlist the game on any platform to be notified once preorders become available. We’ll also keep this article updated with the latest news as it comes in.
