(This article contains heavy spoilers)
In the recent years, we’ve seen more and more independent studios release games that easily compete with AAA games. Sandfall Interactive‘s Clair Obscur – Expedition 33 is undeniably one of them. After almost 40 hours spent in this meticulously crafted world inspired by some of the greatest games, it’s time to rest. Our characters reached the end of their expedition. What’s left now?
First, a disclaimer. I’m not a big fan of JRPGs, I only know and played the biggest ones (that I enjoyed), so playing Expedition 33 was like diving into the type of game I usually don’t choose. What was definitely obvious just by the title screen is how this game showcases the graphic abilities and the fantastic art direction of the team. The other focus is the music, with the main theme immediately grabbing our attention. It’s a perfect way to start a game.
Discovering the world of Expedition 33 is a straight line. We start by playing Gustave, a citizen of Lumière, a sort of Paris from another dimension. Something is happening, the city is busy, and he soon meets with his ex, Sophie. Then we understand. Today is the day she dies. In fact, everyone above the age of 33 dies, which in this world means people age 34. Each year, an entity called The Paintress paints a number on a monolith. This number is the age above which people disappear, vanish into thin air in a flurry of petals. Since this ominous event happens every single year, the older people at the beginning of the game are all 34 years old, no older people survived the successive purges. Losing people is expected, everyone is prepared, there’s celebrations, they say their goodbyes. I know most people felt very sad about this first hour of game but to me, there’s a disconnect. We barely know these people, the first hour of gameplay doesn’t even take the time to really build their relationship, everything happens very fast as we also need to follow a few tutorials to learn how to use our skills and how to fight. It’s a very linear game with very little rewards when it comes to exploring, and while the city invites you to find every single corner, nothing really comes out of it except for a very polished art direction. And I ended up seeing it as the reward for exploring.
The rise of independent studios
Indie games and independent studios (big topic with a lot of assumptions, I know) have always been worth of interest, rich with innovative ideas, unique storytelling and daring art direction. In the recent years, indie studios really grew in size and numbers, delivering games that really challenge the industry. While Sandfall might or might not be an “indie studio” based on its budget and actual workforce, Expedition 33 is a unique challenger, participating in setting a new standard in the video games industry: quality is not only a matter of money and size. The industry started to lose the plot when investors pushed for more profitability, dismissing what video games are supposed to be to transform them into a new source of profits. Studios are butchered, production are made with the literal tears and blood of developers, and the result often feels unfinished or rushed, or even made to exploit people and push them into buying expansions and other bonuses. Players can tell, so when a game like Expedition 33 comes out, it’s impossible not to compare.
Here, we have what looks like an AAA game made with passion, and without shareholders pressuring the entire team to get their share. The art direction is, to me, what really makes it different. Yes, every single place is stunning, but it’s more than cosmetic, it’s choices, it’s richness deep into every little thing, it’s the narrative behind the images, it’s the care. Everywhere the eyes fall makes sense in this world. The textures, the patterns, the lore it reveals. Of course we have many beautiful AAA games, but they often rely on what people expect to see, like high fidelity architecture, complex character outfits, etc. With Expedition 33, it feels more organic, more authentic, as if every place really has its own lore and culture. This aesthetic between fantasy and Belle Époque is also very refreshing, a change from the usual gothic, Victorian or purely fantasy inspirations in JRPGs.
The choice of a turn-based combat mechanic “with a twist” makes the action very dynamic and satisfying, though challenging. Learning to dodge and parry is a real mechanic in itself, but once you get it, it gives a real advantage to the player. The skills and perks system, between the skill tree, the Pictos (active perks) and the Luminas (points to activate a second set of active perks), can take a moment to fully understand and use it to its fullest but offer some very useful advantages. All this comes as a new and fresh take on the turn-based genre and could appeal to the people who usually avoid this kind of combat style.
Game of the Year?
If this game is a rightfully contender to win the Game of the Year award, there’s still some aspects of it that aren’t that perfect. First because nothing’s perfect, but also because it could have easily been better. The storytelling is rich, the lore of the world is new, it’s fresh and promising. But the delivery is uneven and keeps the player in the dark too much for a bigger shock value. The truth about the Paintress’ identity comes into a revelation without any real breadcrumb. Shock value is great, and it works as is in the game, but it creates a barrier between the player and the story if both are not interacting.
Losing Gustave early in the game also plays into this same narrative relying on shock value. Though if you’re a true cynical like me, it will have very little consequence on how you feel about the characters. Gustave is nice but the main characters are all too emo for me, though Sciel might be an exception. Behind his apparent bravery, Gustave is also a quitter, which is actually very interesting. He only keeps on fighting because Lune forces him to, and she becomes the actual moving force throughout the game. And yet, the focus is on Gustave, then on Verso, as they’re the characters we control during their time off at the camp, a moment made to regroup as a team. Controlling Verso as the main character after just meeting him is… strange.
We also very quickly understand Maelle plays a more complex and important part in the story, without really knowing how and why until later, all while being bombarded with new elements difficult to make sense of as nothing is given for this specific storyline. It’s frustrating to have pieces you can’t match together because they’re all black squares.
Designing unique characters: a missed opportunity
After Act I come Renoir and Verso, people who are related to Maelle, and another mysterious female character that looks like Maelle but with the character design of Expedition 33, it’s difficult to know if it’s a clue or just another case of “cute white girl” design. Because yes, the character design is something I can’t get fully behind. It’s objectively beautiful, detailed, I love the textures. But it’s another case of “pretty white people” who all look alike. The diverse character that last more than 10 minutes on screen are Lune, the very fair Asian woman, and arguably Sciel (her having olive skin doesn’t mean she’s from a diverse background but let’s assume she is). A more obvious example would be with Sophie, Gustave’s ex, and Emma, Gustave’s sister, who look way too similar to the point of people being confused online and waiting to see if there’s a twist revealed later that would explain their similar faces. But there isn’t. Same goes for Gustave and Verso, who already share the same performance actor and body language, but who also look very similar. With an art direction so sharp, it’s a shame. Human diversity is struggling in Expedition 33 and the only black character to be part of the expedition, with different facial features, dies quickly. Take one for the team! The other black characters are a few NPC assets in Lumière that are repeated in the background. I know it’s also part of the genre, and why I’m not a fan of JRPGs, but if you want to renew a genre and give it a real new twist, try giving your character more diverse features.
On the other hand, one thing that I can only praise is how subtle and smart the fan service is while having every character being attractive, with different outfits and haircuts. No panty shots, no women in elaborated leotard vs men buried under a heavy coat and impossibly large pauldrons. Here, everyone is treated the same: classy sexy. And the fact they didn’t make the relationship between Gustave, 33, and Maelle, 16, ambiguous is a great bonus. It’d have been easy to include an eye contact a bit longer than usual, a hug that would have last a second more, or a comment you could interpreted “the way you want”, but they really wrote them with a real, normal sibling dynamic. Thank you, Sandfall, for not trying to appeal to this kind of audience.
The sound of the end of the world
It’s obviously impossible to talk about Expedition 33 without mentioning its music. Lorien Testard, a new name in the industry, did a wonderful job creating the musical signature of this new franchise. Along with singer Alice Duport-Percier, they really crafted a unique atmosphere, mysterious and epic, romantic and melancholic, and the opening theme, Alicia, is setting the tone right at the launch screen. The more catchy tunes are also very effective, like Monoco’s theme and its jazzy style. The soundtrack becomes a happy patchwork of genres that definitely work in the game, giving characters and places their own identity.
That said, I have my own beef with the sound mixing. The music, as beautiful it can be, very often becomes overwhelming, drowning the scenes and dialogues. I first lowered it to 60% and ended the game with the music at 30%. If you can get overwhelmed by sound like I do, I suggest you lower the music volume right from the start as some scenes, and especially big fights, really are too much on that front.
All praises are deserved
All in all, and even while being critical of some aspects of the game, Expedition 33 adds a big stone to the new face of the gaming industry, a face that looks like the players and the developers, people with a passion for games, stories and community. What Sandfall Interactive achieved is monumental, with a game worthy of the praises it received. This wave of great AA games is giving hope for more authenticity in a world where money is everything, money that doesn’t go to the right people, and money that ends up causing the fall of the biggest. The team at Sandfall knew what they were doing, and did it well. With a movie in the making, the world of Expedition 33 will grow. The game itself could grow with a sequel or a DLC, the potential is undeniably here, the lore is strong and there’s actually many questions left without answers (I’m here for the beef between the painters and the writers, I need to know!).
Game of the Year or not, Expedition 33 is part of the best games of this year, best games in the recent years, and will continue to be part of a milestone in the industry.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Xbox Cloud Gaming and Microsoft Windows.
