Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Full Review

The game that talks about mourning and learning to let go of what we love

Image credit: Promotional art for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Author / Rights: © Sandfall Interactive / Kepler Interactive.
Source: Instant Gaming

Summary

History and narrative

Can you imagine living in a world where you know exactly the day of your death? Well, that's Expedition 33.

It starts with one of the saddest prologues I've ever seen in a video game, bringing us an event known as the Gommage, a term that, if you didn't know, my dear viewer, means “erase” and, in some contexts, exfoliation. Interesting, isn't it? Very French.

Our adventure begins, as it does every year, with an expedition; in this case, of course, Expedition 33, with the goal of stopping the Painter before she eliminates more people. But get ready with this game because it has some brutal plot twists you won't expect. The game is divided into chapters: the Prologue, Act 1, Act 2, Act 3 and the Epilogue.

At the beginning I started believing everything, and then the game slaps you in the face telling you: wake up, not everything is what it seems. The game aims to be a story of going to defeat the villain or understand her genocidal motives, but then it turns out to be something much more complex than that. And yes, the ending of Act 2 marks a before and after in the gamer community.

Once we go to fight together with our entire expedition, an old man appears who doesn't know how to put on a jacket properly and begins to mercilessly cut off everyone's head. The interesting thing, of course, is that we ask ourselves: if everyone dies at 33, why is there an old person? Theoretically there can't be any old people at that age. The game constantly encourages curiosity in our minds and plays with it. It's impressive how it builds the story with that mystery.

After Expedition 33 is massacred, you say as a player: what now? Gustave, the cover character who we control at the beginning, survives. But well, it turns out that more characters survive, including Lune, Sciel and Maelle. The rest were torn to shreds. Once you've gathered them all together as cute friends determined to take down the Painter, you say: now Expedition 33 begins. Because you're going to see more plot twists. And this gets you excited as a player because you say: now the game really begins. But it's really just a brushstroke until the end of Act 1.

I found the narrative of this game to be brutal. It talks a lot about sacrifice, destiny, consequences and how people decide to live a duel. Some decide to face it and others decide to run away from it, escaping from their reality for many reasons. And this happens in real life: many people end up taking refuge in alcohol, partying, drugs, food, among other things. But at least I have always been more of the idea that, whether you have lost a family member, pet, partner or friend, someone who has been important to you, you must accept at some point that what you missed so much is no longer there.

The characters are amazing and help to give more value to the game. I admit that I've managed to empathize and connect with each one. Although my favorite character is Esquie, Monoco comes pretty close. Each character has their soul, their essence, and this is very important for the end of the game, because you have to make a decision that we will analyze later on.

The dialogues are fine, although I feel that this is one of the points where it could be improved. There are conversations where the pace is a bit slow or there are unnecessary dialogue options. For example, you're talking to a character and you get only one option to advance the conversation. And I say, why are you giving me something where I can't choose? You only have one option.

• Gustave: represents those who have accepted death as inevitable, but still decide to act. It is the symbol of duty and responsibility. Its narrative conflict revolves around whether it is worth fighting when the end seems written. Is it worth surviving knowing that your death is there?
• Maelle: I understand his motivations, but in parts of the game he came across as a bit selfish. To me she represents the youth that refuses to accept the imposed rules. She is impulsive, emotional and represents the refusal of the cycle imposed by the Painter. Her perspective constantly challenges the fatalism of the world. On a playable level she is excellent, but on a narrative level there are points where she fell a little flat for me.
• Lune: despite being a bit intense with knowledge and protocol, I understand her. It represents science, analysis and rational hope. The idea that understanding the world is the first step to changing it. Her philosophy of life made a lot of sense to me.
• Sciel: represents guilt, mistakes and the consequences of previous decisions. It is a reflection of the weight of the past and how it influences identity and acceptance.
• Monoco: this character, despite not having a face, I don't know why it made me laugh a lot in some dialogues. He represents the fragmented identity, that is, the one who is different within a society.
• Ski: my favorite. It represents imagination and irrational hope. It's like the opposite of the dark tone of the world. It's the idea that even though everything is bad, there's always something good.
• La Pintora: symbolizes the passage of time and the fragility of life. It is a metaphor for the clock that moves forward without stopping.
• Renoir: for me, the most realistic view. I see it as representing acceptance. More tied to tradition, moral conservatism and, I might say, fear of change.

Each character embodies a different way of facing death: accepting it, denying it, analyzing it, blaming themselves for it or defying it. The game uses Expedition 33 as a metaphor for a generation that knows its time is numbered, but still decides to act.

Spoilers:

In Act 2 we learn that the world of the continent is actually a fake. It is only a painting made by Verso himself before he died, where his soul, in a way, is still there and gives life to the world.

It turns out that the story revolves around the Dessendre family, consisting of Maelle, Aline, Clea, Renoir and Verso, at the time of the twentieth century in Paris. In a fire caused by the war between writers and painters and yes, there are historical records where these groups were fighting to prove which was the better art, writing or painting, a fire is caused where the family is affected. Verso dies and Maelle burns her face, loses an eye and the ability to speak.

Out of helplessness, pain and denial, the mother enters the canvas that Verso had painted before his death. Aline wants to keep alive the world and the essence of her dead son, to the point that even inside the canvas she paints a Dessendre 2.0 family. So the Verso we see is just a copy of what his son was.

Renoir, the father, also goes into the canvas to get her out of there, but he has his obstacles. And Maelle does the same, but it doesn't work out and she ends up in that world reincarnated as a baby of fake parents, living 16 years without her memories. Complete madness. I never expected the story to change so much. That the world would be fake. That everything would revolve around this family. That so much of what we saw wasn't true.

Each member processes Verso's death differently, and therein lies the thematic core of the game: one turns grief into resignation, another turns it into rage, another turns it into an obsession to change the system.

The Dessendre family goes from being an affective nucleus to become a metaphor of how grief can fragment ideologies. Verso's death is the silent origin of all the moral conflict that follows.

The dilemma of the end

The most impressive is the ending. You have to choose between two options: help Maelle or help Verso. I chose Verso, for the simple reason that, in my opinion, people should face their reality, not run away from it. And in fact there are many psychological explanations in grief where facing it heals more than running away.

Verso seeks to destroy the canvas. And I understand that he is frustrated to know that he is only a copy of someone else. Also, the boy we see painting all the time is the soul of Verso, who has not been able to achieve peace because his family, especially his mother and sister, have not allowed him to do so. And that, in part, I consider a bit selfish: they prioritize their pain over the one who has already passed away. They don't let go.

The healthiest thing, in my opinion, was to destroy the canvas. Because taking them all out did not solve the problem. As long as the canvas exists, it is going to be an escape from reality for the family. Something like a drug. In my eyes, the canvas is an analgesic for the pain of Verso's death.

On the other hand, Maelle seeks to keep the canvas alive because for her everything that is there is alive and real. Because it exists. Because in that world she would have a better quality of life, since a person like her in real life, at that time, would have many problems.

So she prefers to live on the canvas, knowing that being there shortens her life, just as a drug would. She seeks to flee from her reality and its consequences to live in a fictional world, never mind that her brother's soul will not rest. Which seems like a terrible idea to me. But we're back to the same thing: she does it for herself and the other characters.

But let's think about something: the way to keep alive those we have loved are our memories. At least that's how I see it. The game poses a very interesting dilemma. Although I lean more towards Verso's position. Undoubtedly, a narrative that I enjoyed very much.

Clair Obscur is not about defeating the Painter. It's about how we cope with loss. About whether grief makes us rebels or guardians of the very system that broke us.

Do you prefer an unfair but stable world?
Or a free but uncertain one?

Gameplay

The most controversial point of the game and why some people are reluctant to try it. And yes, I don't deny that I was one of those who refused to play this game because it was a turn-based combat. I maintain my position that it is not my favorite combat system, but what differentiates this game is that it is much more interactive, with parries, dodges, jumps ... unlike others where you attack me and I attack you and each one receives his blows. Here it is more than that.

Customization skills, synergies between characters, character stats are added, making progression more interesting. Exploration is basic in several locations, with semi-open scenarios and linear areas where you can find weapon upgrade materials or lúminas, pictos or collectibles. I felt the controls very responsive and precise, mainly in the parry.

The learning curve is intuitive, but then becomes more strategic over time. To tell the truth, I was entertained by the gameplay. It's not my favorite, but there are games with turn-based combat much more insufferable than this one, and the sections we'll see make it much more entertaining.

Graphics and visual design

Graphically it's pretty good. It looks great and is worthy for a game from 2025, and even more so being developed by a smaller studio. Although I noticed more animation work on Maelle than on any other character, mostly in facial expressions.

But where it stands out the most is, without a doubt, in its artistic style. See, without lying to you, each area is a visual spectacle. It is simply beautiful. It has its own identity. As you progress through the game, you definitely say: this is art all the way.

The enemies and characters are strange, but at the same time very original. I could say so many things about various areas because it has so much to offer. I was impressed with the art direction; it's one of the best I've seen.

Visually it competes with current generation standards, approaching in quality to consolidated AAA titles, despite not being considered a game of that budget level.

Sound and music

The soundtrack is orchestral and melancholic; it perfectly accompanies the dramatic tone. For me, the best piece of music is “Lumiere”, which you actually hear as soon as the game starts, but “Alice”, “Until You Are Gone”, “Flying Waters”, “In Lumiere's Name” and “Une Vie A T'aimer” also stand out.

I really haven't heard so many good songs in a single game and so memorable for years.

The sound effects are very clear and punchy. The sounds of the parrys are too satisfying. They are very important in combat, where a sound tells you even more than the movement of when the enemy is going to hit you. Even the sounds in the menu caught my attention.

The voice acting is excellent, of very high quality. I certainly highlight Esquie and Maelle very much. But Esquie's actor, my respects. I've played it in English and his voice in this character is iconic. The others are very good, but Esquie is on another level.

Difficulty and accessibility

I would say it is a relatively easy game. It offers difficulty modes. I played it on easy because, honestly, this combat is not my favorite and I wasn't going to stress out in a turn-based game. I'd rather be more of a masochist in other games than this one.

But really the most complicated thing is learning all the skill descriptions and how to use each character correctly; the rest I consider simple. Regarding accessibility, it has basic to intermediate options. It meets modern standards, although it's not the most advanced I've seen.

Additional content

The campaign can take you about 25 to 30 hours, depending on how straightforward you go. I took about 28 hours. It has a normal replayability; you can play it again to choose the other ending, although with a video that already changes. There are some changes in decisions and so on, although it doesn't change the experience too much.

The game does have interesting and very good quality side missions, even after the campaign, and I recommend you do them without thinking about it. Even the collectibles are worth it. Just explore the whole world and you'll see that they are missions with real value.

There's a DLC, but for some reason I suspect they'll release something else for sure. I could even see a series or movie based on this game.

Technical Aspects

I've played it on PS5 and I must say that I don't recall having a single really noticeable performance or quality issue. I don't remember seeing a bug either. The game is too well crafted, with good load times and stable performance. At least in my experience, technically it was excellent.

Value for money

The game at launch cost about 50 USD. I bought it on sale for about 40 USD and I must say it was totally worth what I paid. I would even tell you that the game at full price is cheap. I think this studio was very modest with the price and they thought it didn't have as much quality as other AAA's, and the truth is they self-sabotaged themselves with that. Because for me this game surpasses many titles with a narrative, story, graphics, performance, soundtrack and gameplay of a very high quality.

Trophies / Achievements

• Platinum obtained: Yes.
• Percentage of trophies: 100%
• Estimated time: 50 to 60 hours.
• Difficulty of the platinum: A 3 out of 10. I would say that the most complicated thing is to reach level 99 because of the excess of farmeo that you have to do and beat the optional final boss Simon, which many are complicated beyond that I do not see anything more difficult except to lend with a couple of trophies perdibles.

Conclusion

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not simply an RPG with good art direction. It is a story that dares to talk about grief, denial and that human need to escape when reality hurts too much.

I entered this game with doubts because of its combat system, and although it is still not my favorite, I ended up staying for everything else. For its brutal narrative. For its unexpected twists. For the construction of a broken family that turns pain into ideology. For characters that, more than accompanying you in an adventure, represent different ways of facing death.

What struck me most was not the Painter. It was the final dilemma. That decision between destroying the canvas and facing the loss, or keeping it alive and continuing to take refuge in an illusion. And that's where the game ceases to be fantasy and becomes something much more human.

Because in the end, the canvas is not just a fictional world. It is a metaphor for escapism. It is that place where we would like to stay when real life is too hard. Clair Obscur is very succinctly about learning to let go. And not many video games dare to do that.

My final rating for Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is:

4.7 / 5.0