Okay, So Maybe I’m a Little Obsessed with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, LET'S TALK

I am not going to lie, there are only a handful of turn-based games that do it for me. So, I wasn’t expecting much from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 , thought it’d be another artsy indie RPG with some fancy UI and a combat system that tries too hard. But nah—turns out this game got its hooks in me good. Like, really good. I stayed up till 3 AM playing, forgetting my coffee had gone cold, muttering “just one more fight” like some kind of strategy-game addict. Why you ask ???,

It’s So French It Hurts (In a Good Way) 🥐

Let’s just get this out of the way: Clair Obscur is French as hell. Not like “Eiffel Tower on a postcard” French, but more like… dusty old novels, candlelit cafés, and people brooding dramatically in velvet coats while it rains outside. The whole vibe? Belle Époque meets fantasy, with a side of melancholy and just enough romanticism to make your heart ache without being cheesy.

The city of Lumière feels like someone dreamed it up after reading Baudelaire and listening to Chopin. The soundtrack? Honestly, it slaps. Imagine Debussy teamed up with a modern composer who also really loves mood lighting. And yeah, I totally see why it hit Billboard charts—it’s the kind of music you play while pretending to be deep on a rainy night.

⚔️ Combat That Keeps You on Your Toes (Literally)

So here’s the deal: it’s turn-based, but not the boring kind where you just click attack and zone out. Nope. This one makes you earn every move. You’ve got timing mechanics for dodging, parrying, landing extra hits—you know, stuff that actually makes you pay attention instead of scrolling on your phone mid-fight.

Each character plays differently, which is cool:

• Maelle switches stances mid-battle like she’s got multiple personalities, going from tank to glass cannon and back again.
• Lune uses these elemental “stains” to power her spells. Also, she’s barefoot the entire time. Somehow, it works?
• Sciel has this “Foretell” thing where he plans ahead for big combos. Feels like playing chess while also doing parkour.

Honestly, I stuck with Maelle, Lune, and Sciel most of the game because they just clicked. Tried Verso and Monoco a few times, but their mechanics didn’t vibe with how I play. Which is fine—everyone’s got different tastes.

Moments That Hit Harder Than My Ex's Texts 😉

There's this one scene early on that completely blindsided me. Like, I was sitting there thinking "Okay, cool, story time," and then boom - it pulled the rug out of me. Left me staring at the screen wondering what the hell just happened. Can't say more without spoilers, but damn. (If you know about what I am talking about, drop "Here we go again" in the below in the comments. 😉)

And the Flying Waters area? chilling, beautiful, and weirdly emotional. Finding remnants of past expeditions felt like piecing together a puzzle no one wanted you to solve. Felt like I was trespassing into something sacred, you know?

Have to talk about soundtracks too,

Seriously, whoever made this score needs an award. Lorien Testard nailed it. From soft piano melodies that made me want to cry to epic orchestral swells that made me feel like a hero, the music just gets the game. No wonder it charted on Billboard—this isn’t background noise; it’s part of the experience.

🧠 Not All Roses, Though

Look, I loved this game—but I’m not gonna pretend it’s flawless.

First off, the pacing gets wonky in the middle. There were sections where I kept thinking “Alright, when’s the next plot twist?” but the game was like “Nah, explore this maze now.” Got a little tedious.

Some of the side characters also feel underdeveloped. I liked Monoco’s design and all, but man, did the game ever give her anything meaningful to do? Feels like she’s just along for the ride most of the time.

And don’t even get me started on some of the boss fights . One or two felt less like tests of skill and more like sadistic endurance trials. I respect the difficulty, but I almost threw my controller once or twice.

🧩 Final Verdict Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the kind of game that reminds you why you fell in love with RPGs in the first place. It’s not perfect, but it’s passionate, ambitious, and full of soul. If you’re into games that make you think, feel, and maybe yell at your screen once in a while, this one’s worth checking out.

Now drop a comment below—did you fall for this floating city too? What moment stuck with you? Or did you rage-quit during one of those brutal boss fights? Let’s chat.