Clair Obscur will not be a sport to play casually – it needs to be understood, found, and skilled. Those that take it on will expertise probably the most spectacular role-playing video games within the historical past of the style.
There are video games which can be harking back to a relaxed trip on a kids’s carousel: leisurely, predictable, good to take a look at. After which there’s Clair Obscur, which seems like a curler coaster trip at night time from the very first minute – full with loops, backward sections, accelerations to 120 km/h, and a free fall that may make your coronary heart skip a beat.
As lovely because the world of Clair Obscur seems at first look, it’s no place for strolling. Behind the dreamy Belle Époque buildings, between the glowing mists and dancing shadows, lurks a sport that challenges you time and again and sometimes leaves you shocked.
Clair Obscur doesn’t simply inform a narrative – it sucks you right into a mosaic of vivid recollections, emotional dialogues, insightful expedition diaries, and fateful encounters. And as you attempt to piece collectively the puzzle, you notice that this sport has depth. A depth that you simply don’t simply need to uncover alongside the best way, however expertise totally. And that makes it probably the most extraordinary role-playing video games of latest years.
Age is not only a quantity
Every year, a mysterious determine generally known as “the painter” awakens and decides life and demise with a single brushstroke. She paints a quantity on her monolith, and each one that has handed that age actually disappears into skinny air. Yr after 12 months, the quantity decreases, decimating the inhabitants of the fictional metropolis of Lumière, which is clearly harking back to Paris.
The story begins shortly earlier than the departure of the eponymous Expedition 33. The objective is to cease the painter earlier than she paints once more. A activity that 67 earlier expeditions have failed to perform. We accompany Gustave, Maelle, Lune, and their expedition colleagues on their journey to interrupt the lethal cycle.
Spoiler-free evaluate
A lot of the fascination of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 comes from unraveling its secrets and techniques your self. Spoilers can actually spoil the enjoyable right here. That’s why this evaluate solely accommodates screenshots we took ourselves through the first few hours of gameplay, in addition to photos revealed by the developer that don’t reveal something essential with out context. We’ve marked the latter accordingly.
In quest of solutions
Upon arriving on the continent, it turns into clear that that is no strange rescue mission. A mysterious white-haired man confronts the expedition and practically wipes them out utterly. As Gustave, you get up coated in blood and got down to discover survivors of the assault.
A lot is intentionally left imprecise initially, however that’s precisely what makes Clair Obscur’s story so interesting. The journey to the monolith and the seek for the reality lead via a world filled with contradictions, secrets and techniques, and loss. Who’s the painter? Why does she kill the inhabitants of Lumière yearly with a single brushstroke? Why has no expedition ever managed to cease her?
Top-of-the-line tales in role-playing sport historical past
Clair Obscur isn’t a narrative you may sit again and calm down with; it’s one you need to lose your self in to grasp. As a substitute of clear chapters or hours of cutscenes, the sport depends on fragmentary storytelling that’s strongly harking back to FromSoftware titles: expedition logs, quick asides in dialogues, cryptic objects, and small particulars within the sport world—all of which turn out to be items of a bigger puzzle.
In contrast to Darkish Souls and Elden Ring, you may perceive the essential define of the story even in the event you simply stubbornly observe the principle mission. Nevertheless, you’ll miss out on the very best half. Those that hearken to the characters, learn between the strains, and discover each nook and cranny with attentive eyes and ears can be rewarded with a spider’s net of knowledge unfold throughout all the world, which steadily makes the story extra vivid and full.
Exactly as a result of the sport leaves a lot open initially, there are actual “aha” moments when a long-forgotten dialogue immediately connects with new fragments of the story or provides the sport a totally new twist.
We have been significantly captivated by the conversations between the characters: they’re approachable, interrupt one another, giggle, stay silent, argue – and in doing so appear extra credible and alive than many characters in blockbuster role-playing video games. The subjects vary from on a regular basis considerations to philosophical questions on guilt, that means, demise, and reality. None of it’s trivial – each little element contributes to a greater understanding of the world of Clair Obscur.
Belle Époque meets the tip of time
Hardly any role-playing sport in recent times has drawn you in as shortly as Clair Obscur. The world appears to have fallen out of a romantic, surreal portray, revealing an typically disturbing combination of Belle Époque and darkish fantasy: Parisian pomp, magnificence, and glamour meet apocalyptic silence, decay, and melancholy. Each scene seems as if an artist’s studio has been dropped at life.
Acoustically, too, the sport unfolds with an influence that’s troublesome to place into phrases. The orchestral soundtrack alternates between goose bumps and melancholy, underscoring each massive scenes and small, intimate moments.
Along with the wonderful English voice appearing, that includes top-class actors corresponding to Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Black Panther), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3) and Ben Starr (Closing Fantasy 16), the result’s an audiovisual maelstrom that you can see troublesome to flee – and even need to. One small downside: there isn’t a German voice appearing, however a minimum of the subtitles are very effectively translated.
In return, the sport showers you with spectacularly staged cutscenes. Given the comparatively small staff and restricted funds, the manufacturing high quality of Clair Obscur is just unimaginable. And all this with none bugs or technical issues.
The one compromises are minor, however they’re there: the character animations might use a number of extra particulars, which is mirrored, for instance, within the lack of facial expressions outdoors of cutscenes. And in some areas, it’s fairly apparent that they have been mainly assembled from the identical parts time and again.
Nonetheless, presentation and environment are the sport’s biggest strengths and play a decisive position in making the world of Clair Obscur so fascinating and unforgettable.
Parry or lose
At first look, Clair Obscur seems like a basic Japanese role-playing sport with turn-based fight. The builders even borrowed the battle display nearly 1:1 from the style masterpiece Persona 5.
However anybody who depends on simply choosing assaults and comfortably munching on a bag of chips will shortly study higher – and can nearly definitely get crushed up by the primary mini-boss on the newest.
By way of fight, Clair Obscur is energetic, demanding, and unforgiving: in the event you don’t parry, you lose. The numerous hidden and significantly robust non-obligatory bosses particularly wish to knock unprepared teams utterly off their toes with only one assault.
Every capability in fight prices motion factors (AP), which may be constructed up via regular assaults and ideal dodging or parrying. Using particular abilities, magic, or significantly highly effective assaults subsequently requires intelligent useful resource administration.
On the similar time, good timing is crucial: the quick-time occasions require you to present the sport your full consideration, even throughout fight. Should you dodge or parry on the proper second, you can be rewarded with AP and highly effective counterattacks, supplying you with a decisive benefit, particularly in later battles.
Clair Obscur manages to make the battles really feel each entertaining and epic. Trash mobs may be knocked out in a matter of seconds, whereas the frequent and spectacular boss fights typically exceed the 15-minute mark.
Trial and Error
Every part of the sport surprises you with new enemy varieties, which is each a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, this retains the battles difficult till the very finish, as every enemy has particular person elemental weaknesses and resistances, hidden weak factors, unpredictable motion patterns, and highly effective particular assaults.
Then again, because of this you’ll encounter new enemies greater than as soon as that offers you an actual beating. “Trial and error” is the secret right here and is simply as a lot part of progressing via the sport as leveling up your characters.
Dodging and parrying is certainly a problem in Clair Obscur. As in FromSoftware video games, your success relies upon crucially on studying your enemies’ motion and assault patterns. Cleverly, the three problem ranges “Story,” “Explorer,” and “Knowledgeable” not solely have an effect on injury numbers, but additionally the time home windows for dodging and parrying.
Even in Story mode, nonetheless, the motion parts stay a central a part of Clair Obscur. And so, alongside the story, they’re the decisive consider how a lot you’ll benefit from the sport. As a result of the reality is, other than speaking, exploring, character administration, and combating, there’s little else to do in Clair Obscur. Maybe except a number of, largely non-obligatory talent passages, which, nonetheless, are extra annoying than a welcome change because of the terribly imprecise leap controls.
The character system: versatile however difficult
Clair Obscur helps you to form your characters nonetheless you need. Every character has their very own combating fashion, however the way you develop and play it’s completely as much as you. Gustave, for instance, is way slower however extra highly effective than Maelle, whereas Lune can deal severe injury to enemies with elemental magic.
Attributes corresponding to vitality, agility, and luck may be developed freely and affect your well being, velocity, and demanding hit likelihood. As well as, there are so-called Pictos and Lumina, which unlock highly effective bonuses and provides your characters extra skills. Every character additionally has totally different weapons at their disposal. Oh, and on high of that, there are distinctive abilities that you should utilize in battle in change for AP – all the pieces from a number of assaults to buffs on your group.
It sounds complicated, and it’s. Should you don’t take the time to grasp the stats and synergies, you’ll attain your limits in the end. Though this technique permits you to develop highly effective characters, even in story mode, you received’t win later battles with sturdy weapons and pictos alone. Clair Obscur requires you to essentially interact with the characters and enemies.
When is it value parrying? When do it is advisable to shoot? Which enemies are significantly susceptible to elemental injury? How can weapons, pictos, lumina, and attributes be mixed to extend the important hit likelihood? Which pictos are appropriate as counters for the particular skills of a seemingly invincible boss? Solely those that can reply these questions will get probably the most out of the system.
Detours are worthwhile
The world of Clair Obscur will not be open, however cleverly intertwined. As you recognize from basic Japanese role-playing video games corresponding to Ni No Kuni or Closing Fantasy, there’s an overworld map that connects all areas and dungeons. As you progress via the sport, you may unlock new methods to journey and return to locations you couldn’t entry initially of the sport.
Regardless that the principle story tells you precisely the place to go subsequent, it’s value venturing off the crushed path. Those that are attentive and curious can be rewarded – not solely with weapons and new outfits, but additionally with new story fragments that may enable you perceive the world of Clair Obscur a little bit higher.
An additional serving to of Souls-like, please
Many elements of Clair Obscur cry out for a Souls-like comparability, not least the extent design. In basic role-playing video games, a mini-map with a marker kindly exhibits you the place to go subsequent. In Clair Obscur, you need to determine for your self get from A to B.
Typically you’ll uncover a shortcut on the earth’s intricate areas that may take you again to the start, and typically you’ll run straight right into a useless finish – on the finish of which a mini-boss is ready to present you a superb beating.
The paths in Clair Obscur are not often linear; you typically transfer in loops, return, open new paths, and join areas with one another. That is precisely what makes the world natural – you get to realize it as a result of you need to discover it your self.
Taking part in via as soon as is sufficient – however you’ll nonetheless need extra
Clair Obscur will not be a brief role-playing sport for a wet Sunday afternoon, however one that may simply take up 30 hours of your time only for the principle story. If you wish to discover hidden areas and actually absorb all of the background data, you may simply spend 40 to 60 hours on it. Nevertheless, the taking part in time feels effectively spent: there isn’t a downtime or pointless assortment duties for insignificant NPCs. Solely a bit right here and there that drags on a bit.
What makes replaying the sport significantly interesting is the number of attainable builds on your characters. Completely different attribute and talent level distributions, totally different mixtures of weapons, pictos, and lumina – and you’ve got a totally new gaming expertise.
Final however not least, the sport additionally affords a story incentive to play via once more within the non-obligatory New Sport Plus mode. Even in the event you’ve already pieced collectively the Clair Obscur story puzzle throughout your first playthrough, you’ll need to dive again into this narrative masterpiece, similar to you’d along with your favourite guide or film.
Editor’s conclusion
Be careful, massive weapons: Clair Obscur tells top-of-the-line tales I’ve ever skilled in a pc sport. Its story is fascinating, transferring, thought-provoking, and haunts me in my desires. I discover it significantly exceptional how Clair Obscur combines a linear narrative with fragments scattered all through the sport world. It doesn’t simply trace at issues like Elden Ring, however tells its core story in a really concrete approach. On the similar time, it leaves me loads of room for interpretation, but additionally alternatives to fill it with concrete puzzle items. There’s a understandable clarification for nearly all the pieces on this wondrous, fascinating world.
The second nice power of Clair Obscur lies in its character and fight system. Sure, the utterly free character growth requires some getting used to, however it additionally permits for all kinds of construct and fight methods. No two events are alike right here.
At first, I used to be skeptical as as to whether the fast time occasions would put on skinny over time. Nevertheless, since Clair Obscur works nearly completely with out display shows, a minimum of on the defensive, dodging and parrying feels rather more like Elden Ring than God of Struggle and stays persistently thrilling.
Nevertheless, it’s additionally true that there aren’t any options and fight dominates a lot of the gameplay. Should you don’t get pleasure from it, even the very best story received’t reserve it. But when each fight and story spark your curiosity, Clair Obscur will burn itself into your reminiscence without end.
