UNVEILING THE SHADOWS: CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33 IGNITES A BEACON IN TURN-BASED RPGS

Role-playing games (RPGs) are always intriguing in the virtual world and the digital universe (DU – as they’re known there). Of the latest games now available to players and critics alike, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 would seem to be a gorgeous standout poised to take the genre of turn-based RPG to the next level. Sandfall Interactive recently gave us a preview of Clair Obscur, to be released on the Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PS5 and PC in 2025. You can expect musical flair.

A CLASSIC REIMAGINED: THE COMBAT SYSTEM OF CLAIR OBSCUR

At its core, Odallus: The Dark Call features an addictive combat system that mingles RPG conventions found in classic games such as Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door with novel, real-time elements. Fans of the genre will feel right at home with rallied-up, turn-based battle mechanics favoured in the Xbox 360 RPG, Lost Odyssey, where quick-time inputs can be used to trigger longer combo attacks, blocks and parries.

AN ARTISTIC REBELLION: THE NARRATIVE OF CLAIR OBSCUR

It tells the story of a rebellion by a race of humans trapped in unending cycles of life and death under the direction of a supreme being they call the Paintress. The adventure is set in Belle Époque France, and its plot has players exploring a twisted version of Paris in which an eternal cycle of life and death is in flux. It’s a classic narrative construction of fighting against existential control that promises to keep its audience captivated.

THE VISUAL AND AUDITORY SYMPHONY

What makes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 special along with its gameplay and narrative are the game’s gorgeous visual aesthetics and perfect soundtracks. In the game’s trailer, narrated by the English voice actor Ben Starr (who previously did the voice of Clive Rosfield in ‘Final Fantasy 16’), the viewer is treated to the game’s visual beauty while being given snippets of the immersive exploration and battle scenes. Then the trailer’s musical score hints to the audio delight to come, incorporating haunting vocal performances layered on top of rock and orchestral soundscapes.

A WISHLIST WORTH WAITING FOR

Though Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set for release in 2025, it’s nevertheless already on my radar. I keep wishlisting this eagerly anticipated classic-in-the-making, even though I’ve already guaranteed myself a front-row seat to this harrowing trip down the labyrinthine, cat-infested boulevards of this alternate-universe Paris.

A CLASSIC CONNECTION: EXPLORING CLAIR OBSCUR'S ROOTS

Peel back some of the layers of “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” and you’ll find a tapestry of influences woven together like a map, honouring what came before and forging ahead to pave a new path for the future. The real-time effects in a turn-based system are credited to the classic RPGs that are its progenitors, but the way these auteur-driven titles are continuing to flavour the canon is also making it innovative for a new generation of gamers. And while its themes of life, death and revolution are fresh, they nevertheless pay homage to the motivations and morals that made the RPG canon so popular in the first place.

IN CONCLUSION: THE ESSENCE OF CLASSIC

When we talk about a classic, we are likely thinking of timeless quality, enduring appeal, something or someone that we use as a measure of anything similar. In game terms, a classic is likely of ground-breaking gameplay, compelling story, maybe stand-out characters, and most of all, a spirit of innovation that sets benchmarks for the industry. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 promises to be one of those classics in every sense of the word. With its forthcoming debut later this year, it is shaping up to be a love letter to the classics of old yet also an intense exploration of where the digital RPG of the future is likely headed. Appealing to the nostalgic in us all, it is groundbreaking in its own right, while also offering nods and winks to everything that has been created and never created that came before it. I believe Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is going to make history, joining a canon of classic RPGs that stands the test of time for all different reasons. We can’t wait to play it.