Arguably one of the more intriguing new game announcements from tonight’s Xbox Games Showcase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new turn-based RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive.
Combining fantasy and ‘Belle Époque’ art influences, you’ll be leading the titular expedition to try and stop the mysterious Paintress, a being who’s slowly wiping out the last remnants of humanity by painting numbers on a strange monolith – with each number killing off everyone who’s that particular age.
A slightly convoluted setup to write down in words, perhaps, but the idea of your ‘number being up’ and having fewer and fewer folks to help aid you in your fight against fate with every passing year is strong indeed, so why not have a gander at the reveal trailer below:
In addition to its neat premise, I’m also keen to get my hands on its turn-based combat, because cor, I’m a sucker for a good battle UI, I really am, and Expedition 33’s looks really quite stylish. It’s unclear whether the turn order on the left of the screen can be disrupted in any way (I also love a good turn disruption, me), but as we can see from the trailer, there will be QTEs of varying kinds to execute your really quite hefty-looking specials.
In a press statement, publisher Kepler Interactive have fleshed out some of these details a bit further, saying players will be able to dodge, parry and counter enemy assaults in real-time. There will also be a free-aim system to target weakspots, and plenty of opportunities to customise your party’s stats, skills and gear to suit your personal playstyles.
All in all, I’m on board. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is coming out in 2025 and will arrive on PC, Xbox Series X/S (and day one on Game Pass), and PlayStation 5.
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