With less than a week before the new turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 releases, we thought it was the right time to gather together the details you need to know. Coincidentally, we ended up with 33 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 facts to share, what are the chances of that?
Let’s not waste any more time and get to the details. After all, “Tomorrow Comes”.
Studio and Inspiration
1. Developed by Sandfall Interactive, a French studio based in Montpellier and Paris, and published by Kepler Interactive. "‹
2. Clair Oscur: Expedition 33 is the first game from the studio, and took 4 years to develop.
3. Draws heavily from the Belle Époque and Art Deco periods, creating a unique aesthetic.
4. Built using Unreal Engine 5, ensuring high-fidelity visuals and performance.
5. “Clair Obscur” is a French phrase, used primarily to describe the distribution of light and dark colours in a picture.
6. Inspired by game franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, as well as films like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, aiming to evoke a similar sense of wonder.
Story & World
7. Set in Lumière, where a mysterious entity called the Paintress annually paints a number; individuals reaching that age vanish.
8. The goal of Expedition 33 is to end the Paintress’s reign, as the painted number has decreased to 33.
9. The game has a darker storyline, focusing on themes of mortality and resistance.
10. Features nonlinear environments with verticality, encouraging thorough exploration for secrets and lore. "‹
11. The game has no minimap, but it does have a world map to be explored by land, sea, and air.
12. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Lorien Testard, is designed to enhance the immersive experience of the game’s world. Early previews have praised its quality and variety, noting that it complements the game’s atmosphere effectively.
Gameplay & Combat
13. The developers have said the game’s main storyline should take players 30 hours to finish, with completionists told to expect 60+ hours.
14. Combines traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time actions like dodging and parrying. "‹
15. Certain skills require precise button presses to maximize effectiveness, adding a layer of skill to battles. "‹
16. Free Aim allows targeting specific enemy weak points, such as detonating floating mines for strategic advantages. "‹
17. Players can customize characters through skill trees and stat allocation, enabling diverse playstyles. "‹
18. Bosses have unique elements; for example, Goblu is surrounded by flowers that grant it buffs, which players can target to weaken it. "‹
19. Theoretically, players can complete the game at level 1 by mastering dodges and parries, emphasizing skill over stats. "‹
20. The achievement/trophy list for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out in the wild. The game will have 55 trophies/achievements.
Characters
21. Gustave is a dedicated engineer striving to protect Lumière, voiced by Charlie Cox. "‹
22. Maelle is Gustave’s 16-year-old foster sister, eager to explore beyond Lumière; voiced by Jennifer English. "‹
23. Lune, a passionate scholar aiming to understand the Paintress, voiced by Kirsty Rider. "‹
24. Sciel is a serene warrior with a painful past, voiced by Shala Nyx. "‹
25. Monoco is a Gestral who enjoys combat as meditation, joining the Expedition for the thrill. Check out our interview with Rich Keeble, voice actor of Monoco in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
26. Esquie, a mythical being of immense power, known for his laziness; voiced by Maxence Cazorla. "‹
27. Verso is an enigmatic outsider tracking the Expedition, voiced by Ben Starr. "‹
28. Renoir is a forceful man driven to save his family, willing to make sacrifices, voiced by Andy Serkis.
29. Expedition 33 has full voice casting in English, French, and Japanese.
Check out the character trailers for the game, and get to know your party in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Release
30. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is releasing physically and digitally on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (Steam). "‹It is also coming Day One to Xbox Game Pass.
31. The console version of the game will have different performance modes prioritising either graphical fidelity or high frame rate. The PlayStation 5 Pro will have an enhanced performance mode.
32. The price for the Standard Edition is £41.99/$49.99/€44.99, and the Deluxe Edition is £49.99/$59.99/€53.99.
33. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 releases on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at the following local times:
There you have it, expeditioners, 33 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 facts! We hope you enjoyed this quick rundown of the key details for the upcoming RPG, and be sure to check back for more coverage of the game after its release.
