# *[[Clair Obscur - Expedition 33|Clair Obscur: Expedition 33]]* Notes A surprise AA RPG that took over the conversation in 2025. A active/reactive, turn-based RPG with unique mechanics per character and satisfying gameplay loops to uncover tie otherwise lackluster elements together. Remarkably efficient, economical, and greater than the sum of its parts for sure. > [!warning] > Spoilers below! ![[Clair Obscur - Expedition 33 Notes.pdf]] ### Stats - Started Playing: 4/29/25 - Beat: 11/24/25 - Total Playtime: 28:10:23 ### Legacy - A remarkable launch. Incredibly high Metacritic score, tons of people praising it socially, and sold out physically everywhere. - A game that took control of the zeitgeist in 2025 gaming discussion. One that is greater than the sum of its parts, but when looked at individually, the game falls quite short. The battle system and soundtrack do a *ton* of carrying. ### Overall - Big Order 1886 vibes. Cinematic, theatrical, European. - Persona, Fantasian, Inception, Link’s Awakening. All similar inspiration. - Lots of painting and color terminology. Chroma, catalyst, picto, etc. - We. Continue. - I would not recommend a six month break close to the end of the game. ### Story - A Paintress counts down a big number. When the number matches a person’s age, they dissolve like the Thanos snap. A group of Expeditioners sets out to destroy the Paintress and end the cycle. - The Expedition arrives and it immediately attacked by someone who looks a whole lot like an old Gustave. Everyone is seemingly killed except Gustave. - We make it to the Indigo Tree and no one else is there. An unsigned message says Maelle is in the "weird corals." We break protocol of staying and pursue. - Maelle was found in a mansion with a spooky faceless “Curator.” We set out to find a town. - We are seeking a Gestral village. - Our fourth member, Sciel, was a warrior in the village. We now go to Esquie’s Nest. GET OUT OF MY WAY. - We have found Esquie and he needs a rock so he can ferry us across the sea. He is a goofy balloon clown man. - 🪦 Gustave. I stand by my theory though. There is so timey whimey thing going on here. - Well, it seems some of expedition zero just stopped aging. There’s the timey whimey bit. - Maelle seems to be Alicia, the masked silent girl. Verso is the son of the old man Renoir. - What if Maelle is a twin? Split at birth. Would explain Verso calling her Alicia. - There is some convenient magicy, unexplained bits. Like why Sciel and Lune could resist the Axon’s final attacks and kill them. - So the vibe is now that the Paintress is Verso’s mom. So that makes Maelle his sister? - I guess Maelle just *looks* like Alicia. Awfully convenient. - Why is no one talking about Verso being the son of the Paintress? - Interesting that The Curator is the real Renoir. So Verso is a “painting?” Far too many questions that no one in the game is talking about. - Maelle is the daughter of the Paintress and Renoir? - Everyone is dead? What... - So it is Inception. Everyone is a figment of imagination inside a Painting. Weird. - Feels a bit unearned. - Oh thank god. Collecting the Chroma is a cutscene. This could have been a big fat padding section. - But the final surge of all the former expedition corpses doesn’t feel earned cause we didn’t do it. What a catch 22 - What a mess of “one more thing.” - The final choice between Maelle and Verso is a fun one, albeit feels short of its potential. So much more development could have been done to make that tension sing. - I picked Verso, of course. No dream worlds. ### Gameplay - Turned- based RPG with real-time action commands like dodge, parry, and QTEs. - Reminds me of Paper Mario, Mario & Luigi, and Persona. - And a turn order list like Pokémon: Legends and Octopath Traveller - Learning the parry and dodge timing will be quite the curve, I think. - But it feels *so* good when you nail em. - Like, so so so so so so good. - I am in the zone now. All hail the parry. - I have missed a good ol’ turn-based RPG system. - So there are perks called "pictos." Then there is a skill tree. Lightning, Earth, Fire, Ice magic so far. All the trappings of a rich system. Not too overwhelmed (roughly 4 hours in). They dole out info at a good clip. - Pictos become luminas after being used in four battles. You may then unequip the picto and anyone may add it as a lumina by using lumina points. Multiple people may equip the same lumina. They cannot with pictos. - Mime fights in each area? Goofy. - Enemies have weak points for guns. Weak to certain elements. Turn order. Status effects. All good to keep in mind for timing and strat. Build up and strike hard. - Levels are linear, which I kinda of appreciate in this setting. Likely kept their scope/design in check too. - Despite the linearity, I do find myself getting turned around. Is this asset design? It feels like funnels and tunnels. I think a map on the pause menu could help. But narratively, how would the Expedition have a map of a place they’ve never seen? - Each character seems to have a certain playstyle and special system that pertains to them. Stacking abilities and characters is key. - I have Maelle in this Virtuose Stance loop. She can dish so much damage. Amazing. - There is a satisfying flow to running around the small areas, fighting enemies, and collecting tiny things. Not overwhelming. A good cadence. - I wish there was some sort of book or hud element that revealed enemy type weakness after learning said weakness. Hard to remember. - Uneven floor textures and obstacles trip up character models fairly easily. This is where some lack of polish time/jank annoyance comes in. - There’s a few menus, like the Curator or Gestral Beach games, that aren’t as smooth. They back you all the way out or lack a retry option. Small things that could make it a smoother experience. - There is a relationship level up system at camp? Feels a smidge tacked on since it pops up after Act 1? And you seemingly can spend time with everyone at camp should you desire. And only with Verso. - This just takes so long and feels like it means nothing? Each scene is dragged out. Each character is one by one. No consequences for spending time with one person over another or even basic time management a la Persona. Feels like padding. - But Sciel being “inspired” after hankey pankey time to come up with a new Gradient move is hilarious. - If your team of three parishes, then you can send in the “reserve team” and try again. Amazingly cool. “The Last Stand of Expedition 33.” - Call it the six month break, but I am no longer interested in trying to use all the party members or keep them evenly leveled. I just want to use Maelle, Lune, and Verso. - It’s quite unsatisfying to not finish a major boss’ health bar. They always cut to a scene and the boss regenerating health. Just let me finish the bar! - They refuse to let you finish a boss’ health bar. - Interesting that they force you to be Gustave/Verso at the camp and no one else. ### Music/Sound Design - Violins and an angelic voice. - Sometimes I feel the mix is too loud, in favor of music washing out dialogue. May have to tweak. - Some of the battle music is incorporating techno-ish elements. Like the Ultimate Sakapatate battle in Ancient Sanctuary. - Esquie’s Nest has these Super Mario Maker-esque voices in the track. It’s funky. - Monoco’s battle theme is FIRE - The soundtrack goes way harder than it ever needs to, like Phil Colins on Tarzan. ### Graphics/Performance - Real-time graphics look much better than the CG cutscenes. They are smoother, less blocky. Wonder what the cutscenes were encoded at. - Lighting has a harshness to it up front. - Like, they are cranking the white bright light. - Like taking off sunglasses or leaving a dark place for the surface of the sun. - Lip sync is woefully painful. 😬 - The dystopian apocalyptic set design is superb. - Funny how some scenes have the costumes chosen and others are the default. Those have the worst macro blocking. ### World - There is an overworld map that zooms out and the characters are tiny. Like an immersive diorama-style. Reminds me of *Fantasian*, that RPG from the creator of Final Fantasy on iOS. - Esquie is like a vehicle for this overworld. A big buffoon of a vehicle. - There are these tiny pockets on the world map too. They hold side quests and probably additional bosses. - Dystopian France! - It seems the first area is a mystical forest. - Spring Meadows - Grassy with electric blue veins in the trees. - Floating Waters - Basically, underwater without being underwater. Very picturesque, imaginary, floaty. - Ancient Sanctuary - Home of the Gestrals? - Stone Cliffs - Esquie’s little cave. - There are a lot of little areas. Probably won’t keep track of them all like I thought. 😅 - Most of the worlds are just hallways. Fancy decorated hallways. - Which is pretty economical while maintaining a pleasing appearance.