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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sets a New Standard
Recommended: Absolutely

It’s rare that a new IP arrives with little fanfare and manages to not only meet expectations but utterly shatter them. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of those rare gems-a game that, in an era of overhyped releases and broken promises, delivers on every front. I went in cautiously optimistic, but what I experienced was nothing short of magical. This is a game that will be remembered for years to come, and it deserves every bit of praise it’s getting.

Gameplay - A Perfect Blend of Challenge and Fun
From the very first moments, Expedition 33 makes it clear that it’s here to play with the big leagues. The gameplay is a masterclass in balance: it’s challenging without being punishing, rewarding without feeling grindy. The combat system is deep and engaging, offering a satisfying mix of real-time action and strategic decision-making. Every encounter feels meaningful, and the variety of enemies keeps you on your toes.

The progression system is intuitive, giving you plenty of freedom to shape your character and playstyle. There’s a genuine sense of growth as you unlock new abilities and equipment, and the game never resorts to cheap tricks or artificial barriers to pad out its length. Every upgrade feels earned, and every new area is a delight to explore.

📍Story and Worldbuilding - A Rich, Immersive Experience
Expedition 33’s narrative is nothing short of captivating. The world of Clair Obscur is beautifully realized, with lore that’s both deep and accessible. The main storyline is gripping, full of twists and turns that kept me invested from start to finish. Side quests are meaningful and well-written, often shedding light on the world’s history and its inhabitants.

The characters are memorable, brought to life by stellar voice acting and nuanced writing. I found myself genuinely caring about their fates, and the choices I made throughout the game had real, lasting consequences. This is storytelling at its finest-a true testament to what games can achieve as a narrative medium.

📍Graphics and Art Direction – A Visual Feast
Simply put, Expedition 33 is one of the most visually stunning games I’ve ever played. The art direction is bold and distinctive, blending realism with a painterly, almost dreamlike aesthetic that perfectly suits the game’s themes. Every environment is meticulously crafted, from sprawling cities to haunting ruins, each brimming with detail and atmosphere.

Performance is rock-solid, even on high settings. I encountered virtually no bugs or technical issues during my playthrough-a refreshing change in today’s gaming landscape. The game supports both keyboard/mouse and controllers seamlessly, and the UI is clean and intuitive.

📍Soundtrack and Audio – An Auditory Masterpiece
The soundtrack deserves special mention. It’s sweeping, emotional, and perfectly complements the game’s tone. Whether you’re exploring a quiet village or locked in a desperate battle, the music enhances every moment. Sound effects are crisp and immersive, and the voice acting is top-tier across the board.

📍Technical Polish – Minimal Bugs, Maximum Enjoyment
Expedition 33 launched in a state that most developers can only dream of. I encountered no game-breaking bugs, no crashes, and only the most minor of graphical glitches-none of which impacted my enjoyment. Load times are quick, and the game runs smoothly even on mid-range hardware.

📍Fair Monetization – A Breath of Fresh Air
In an industry plagued by predatory microtransactions, battle passes, and paywalls, Expedition 33 is a beacon of hope. There are no microtransactions, no content locked behind a paywall, no battle passes, and no always-online requirements. The entire game is available to you from the moment you install it, and it’s fully playable offline. This is how games should be made, and I can only hope more developers follow suit.

📍Controller and Keyboard Friendly
Whether you prefer a controller or keyboard and mouse, Expedition 33 has you covered. The controls are responsive and customizable, making it easy to find a setup that works for you. I switched between both during my playthrough and found the experience equally enjoyable either way.

📍No Controversy, No Drama – Just a Great Game
Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Expedition 33 is how drama-free its release has been. In a time when every major launch seems to be accompanied by controversy, this game stands out for all the right reasons. The developers have delivered exactly what they promised: a high-quality, complete game that respects its players’ time and money.

📍Final Thoughts – A New Benchmark for AAA Games
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t just a great game-it’s a statement. It proves that you don’t need exploitative monetization or endless live-service updates to create something truly special. This is a game made with passion, care, and an unwavering commitment to quality.

If you’re looking for a game that excels in every area-gameplay, story, graphics, sound, and technical performance-look no further. Expedition 33 is a triumph, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Buy it, play it, and experience one of the best games of this generation.

10/10 – An instant classic. Thank you, Sandfall Interactive, for reminding us what gaming can be.

For those who come after ⚔️

I love this game

~ DIFFICULTY ~
🔲 My 90 year old grandma could play it
🔲 Easy
☑️ Normal
🔲 Hard
🔲 Dark Souls

~ GRAPHICS ~

🔲 MS Paint
🔲 Bad
🔲 Meh
☑️ Graphics dont matter in this game
🔲 Good
🔲 Beautiful
🔲 Masterpiece

~ MUSIC ~

🔲 Bad
🔲 Not special
☑️ Good
🔲 Beautiful

~ STORY ~

🔲 This game has no story
🔲 Like playing Temple Runners for the story
☑️ It's there for the people who want it
🔲 Well written
🔲 Epic story

~ PRICE ~

🔲 Free
☑️ Underpriced
🔲 Perfect Price
🔲 Could be cheaper
🔲 Overpriced
🔲 Complete waste of money

~ REQUIREMENTS ~

☑️ You can run it on a microwave
🔲 Average
🔲 High end
🔲 NASA computer

~ LENGTH ~

🔲 Very Short (0 - 3 hours)
🔲 Short (3 - 15 hours)
☑️ Average (15-50 hours)
🔲 Long (50-90 hours)
🔲 Extremely long (90-110 hours)
🔲 No ending

~ FUN ~

🔲 I'd rather watch paint dry
🔲 Hard to enjoy
🔲 Repetitive
🔲 Actually pretty amusing
☑️ Ride of your life

~ REPLAYABILITY~

🔲 It's a one-time experience
🔲 Only for achievements
🔲 If you wait a few months/years
🔲 Definitely
☑️ Infinitely replayable

~ WORTH BUYING ~

🔲 No
🔲 Wait for sale
☑️ Yes

~ SIDE NOTES ~
- As of writing this, there are no online co-op but there are third party apps that can be used to bypass that problem and also by using Steam's Remote Play Together! 🥳
- Regarding "Length" it doesn't include DLCs, but if we include DLCs, prepare for a three to four digit of playtime! 🩸
- このゲー� は本当に楽しいです。私たちが覚えていて愛していた古典的なレトロゲー� の� 晴らしいバージョンのように感じます。パズルがあり、サバイバルゲー� の� 晴らしいバージョンです。これまでの DLC も� 晴らしいです!
- Castlevania!!! 🧛🏻

I can't believe I just got a
Shiny
Holo
Rainbow
Sparkling
Ghost
Glossy
Glassy
Bright
Polished
Burnished
Gleaming
Satiny
Sheeny
Lustrous
Smooth
Nitid Banana!

~ DIFFICULTY ~
🔲 My 90 year old grandma could play it
🔲 Easy
☑️ Normal
🔲 Hard
🔲 Dark Souls

~ GRAPHICS ~

🔲 MS Paint
🔲 Bad
🔲 Meh
🔲 Graphics dont matter in this game
🔲 Good
☑️ Beautiful
🔲 Masterpiece

~ MUSIC ~

🔲 Bad
🔲 Not special
☑️ Good
🔲 Beautiful

~ STORY ~

🔲 This game has no story
🔲 Like playing Temple Runners for the story
☑️ It's there for the people who want it
🔲 Well written
🔲 Epic story

~ PRICE ~

🔲 Free
🔲 Underpriced
☑️ Perfect Price
🔲 Could be cheaper
🔲 Overpriced
🔲 Complete waste of money

~ REQUIREMENTS ~

🔲 You can run it on a microwave
☑️ Average
🔲 High end
🔲 NASA computer

~ LENGTH ~

🔲 Very Short (0 - 3 hours)
🔲 Short (3 - 15 hours)
☑️ Average (15-50 hours)
🔲 Long (50-90 hours)
🔲 Extremely long (90-110 hours)
🔲 No ending

~ FUN ~

🔲 I'd rather watch paint dry
🔲 Hard to enjoy
🔲 Repetitive
☑️ Actually pretty amusing
🔲 Ride of your life

~ REPLAYABILITY~

🔲 It's a one-time experience
☑️ Only for achievements
🔲 If you wait a few months/years
🔲 Definitely
🔲 Infinitely replayable

~ WORTH BUYING ~

🔲 No
☑️ Wait for sale
🔲 Yes

~ SIDE NOTES ~
- There are some jank and bugs (minor) and especially some part of the story wherein Lara suddenly having a Horror Movie IQ, hence, story became jumbled and all over the place
- このゲー� は本当に楽しい。我々が記憶しているクラシックなトゥー� レイダーの� 晴らしバージョン� 。パズルもあるし、サバイバルゲー� の� 晴らしいバージョン� 。これまでのすとーりーも� 晴らしい。

~ DIFFICULTY ~
🔲 My 90 year old grandma could play it
🔲 Easy
☑️ Normal
🔲 Hard
🔲 Dark Souls

~ GRAPHICS ~

🔲 MS Paint
🔲 Bad
🔲 Meh
🔲 Graphics dont matter in this game
🔲 Good
☑️ Beautiful
🔲 Masterpiece

~ MUSIC ~

🔲 Bad
🔲 Not special
☑️ Good
🔲 Beautiful

~ STORY ~

🔲 This game has no story
🔲 Like playing Temple Runners for the story
☑️ It's there for the people who want it
🔲 Well written
🔲 Epic story

~ PRICE ~

🔲 Free
🔲 Underpriced
☑️ Perfect Price
🔲 Could be cheaper
🔲 Overpriced
🔲 Complete waste of money

~ REQUIREMENTS ~

🔲 You can run it on a microwave
☑️ Average
🔲 High end
🔲 NASA computer

~ LENGTH ~

🔲 Very Short (0 - 3 hours)
🔲 Short (3 - 15 hours)
☑️ Average (15-50 hours)
🔲 Long (50-90 hours)
🔲 Extremely long (90-110 hours)
🔲 No ending

~ FUN ~

🔲 I'd rather watch paint dry
🔲 Hard to enjoy
🔲 Repetitive
☑️ Actually pretty amusing
🔲 Ride of your life

~ REPLAYABILITY~

🔲 It's a one-time experience
☑️ Only for achievements
🔲 If you wait a few months/years
🔲 Definitely
🔲 Infinitely replayable

~ WORTH BUYING ~

🔲 No
☑️ Wait for sale
🔲 Yes

~ SIDE NOTES ~
- There are some jank and bugs (minor) and especially some part of the story wherein Lara suddenly having a Horror Movie IQ
- このゲー� は本当に楽しい。我々が記憶しているクラシックなトゥー� レイダーの� 晴らしバージョン� 。パズルもあるし、サバイバルゲー� の� 晴らしいバージョン� 。これまでのすとーりーも� 晴らしい。

Upon checking, I lost access to Half Life 2 Episode One and Episode Two and Lost Coast. Even though I previously own those and played those.

And later on I read that for Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary, Episode One and Episode Two were merged with the base game and now they no longer appear as separate games. As it is kinda weird now that the Orange Box has a price tag, and you won't receive any extra copy or extra giftable copy upon purchasing them. I'm kind of getting tempt to buy those just to give money for possible HL3.

Also I lost my 100% achievement due to merging. I wished they also merged achievements since I have them all 100% before the update.

Upon checking, I lost access to Half Life 2 Episode One and Episode Two and Lost Coast. Even though I previously own those and played those.

And later on I read that for Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary, Episode One and Episode Two were merged with the base game and now they no longer appear as separate games. Can't they just add those back to my account? as it is kinda weird now that the Orange Box has a price tag, which shouldn't be possible.

Upon checking, I lost access to Half Life 2 Episode One and Episode Two and Lost Coast. Even though I previously own those and played those.

And later on I read that for Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary, Episode One and Episode Two were merged with the base game and now they no longer appear as separate games. Can't they just add those back to my account? as it is kinda weird now that the Orange Box has a price tag, which shouldn't be possible.

Upon checking, I lost access to Half Life 2 Episode One and Episode Two and Lost Coast. Even though I previously own those and played those.

And later on I read that for Half-Life 2's 20th anniversary, Episode One and Episode Two were merged with the base game and now they no longer appear as separate games. Can't they just add those back to my account? as it is kinda weird now that the Orange Box has a price tag, which shouldn't be possible.