Clair Obscur Expedition 33 PS5 Review

“There’s beauty in the end of things”. That idea kept echoing through my mind as I played Clair Obscur Expedition 33, the visually arresting and emotionally devastating debut RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive. From the first brushstroke of its surreal, painted world to the final, heart-shattering moments of its story, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 refuses to conform. It demands patience, reflection, and, above all, emotional engagement. It’s not just an RPG—it’s a message about life, death, and the will to defy inevitability.

I’ve played a lot of RPGs—Final Fantasy, Persona, Chrono Trigger, Tales of Arise. I’ve watched stories rise and fall, combat systems dazzle and fizzle. But Clair Obscur Expedition 33 left a mark on me that few others have. And no, it’s not just because of the combat—though we’ll get to that—it’s because of its tone, its world, and its absolute commitment to its theme: resistance against erasure.

A Story Inked in Tragedy

The story is as bleak as it is beautiful. Every year, a mysterious figure known as The Paintress paints a number. Anyone above that age simply disappears—vanishes as if erased from the canvas of the world. This year, the number is 33. You play as Gustave, a brilliant, quiet engineer who has just turned 32. One year left.

There’s no bombastic villain entrance. No gods to fight or crystals to protect. Just the quiet, creeping dread of time running out. Instead of waiting for erasure, Expedition 33 is formed—a final mission to kill the Paintress and break the curse.

The narrative unfolds through deeply personal dialogue, haunting environmental storytelling, and incredibly poignant flashbacks. I connected most with Maelle, Gustave’s adopted sister, whose sharp tongue and fencing blade hide a wounded heart. There’s also Lune, a mage fascinated by “stains”—the coloured fragments of reality—who seeks to uncover the truth behind the Gommage. Each character carries their own trauma, their own reasons for joining this doomed expedition.

What struck me most was how human they felt. They joke, they cry, they fail. The game doesn’t rush through grief—it lets it sit there, like oil on water. I found myself pausing frequently, not because I was stuck, but because I was affected. That rarely happens to me in a game.

Combat: Turn-Based With a Pulse

Let me tell you: Clair Obscur Expedition 33 doesn’t just reinvent turn-based combat—it revives it with real-time adrenaline.

At its core, it’s turn-based, yes. Each character has Action Points (AP), allowing you to plan attacks, skills, or support abilities. But once actions are queued, the fight isn’t over—you’ve got to stay alert. Enemies attack in real-time, and you can dodge, parry, and counter manually. That mechanic had me sweating in boss fights, and I loved it.

Each character plays distinctly:

• Gustave builds up Overcharge to unleash devastating area damage.
• Maelle switches fencing stances, combining elegance and lethal precision.
• Lune manipulates elemental Stains that must be aimed and timed for maximum impact.
• Sciel, the team’s brute force, specializes in staggering enemies and absorbing punishment.

Bosses don’t just hit hard—they change the rules. One boss removed my ability to parry. Another shifted the battlefield terrain mid-fight. I was never allowed to coast on a strategy. That constant adaptation reminded me of Souls combat—but reinterpreted through turn-based philosophy.

For RPG veterans used to static encounters, this system is a revelation. It’s turn-based, but not passive. It’s strategic but visceral. And when you land a perfectly timed dodge and unleash a chain of synergized abilities? It’s electric.

Exploration and Environmental Storytelling

Outside combat, the world of Lumière is an oil painting that comes to life. Built-in Unreal Engine 5, its environments pulse with texture—some walls seem wet with paint, others shimmer as if drying in real-time. Atmosphere is a character in itself: sometimes oppressive, sometimes dreamlike, always evocative.

There’s no massive open world. Instead, you explore dense, interconnected areas, using tools like grapples and platforming to uncover hidden relics and secret bosses. Every area tells a story. Abandoned outposts whisper of failed past expeditions. Scrawled journal pages piece together soldiers’ final moments.

I wasn’t just opening chests—I was uncovering loss. Every collectable felt like a memory reclaimed from oblivion.

Art and Music That Paint Emotion

Visually, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is staggering. Its painterly aesthetic isn’t just a gimmick—it’s woven into the story. When The Paintress erases someone, the world reacts. Whole buildings fade into brushstrokes. Enemies flake like dried paint. It creates a visual metaphor that runs through everything: we are temporary.

The score by Lorien Testard is equally unforgettable. It swells during battles, hushes during grief, and soars when hope flickers. This is a soundtrack I’ll be listening to long after the credits roll.

Voice acting is superb across the board. Charlie Cox (Gustave) brings a quiet, weary sadness, while Jennifer English (Maelle) infuses both rage and warmth. Ben Starr (Sciel) delivers gravitas, and Andy Serkis (The Paintress) brings an eerie, detached menace. Not a single weak link.

The Flaws That Fade into Beauty

No masterpiece is flawless. Some late-game battles can feel bloated, and not every mechanic is fully explained. A couple of puzzles are more frustrating than rewarding. But these are small smudges on an otherwise stunning canvas.

There’s also the matter of pacing. The first few hours emphasize world-building and character immersion over action. It might test impatient players—but if you let it breathe, it blossoms.

Final Thoughts

When I reached the end of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, I didn’t feel triumphant. I felt changed. This game doesn’t hand out a victory—it asks you what victory means. Is it surviving? Is it being remembered? Is it resisting, even when the outcome is written in paint?

This is the kind of game that lingers. It’s about mortality, but it’s also about beauty—the beauty of fighting even when you can’t win. Of painting something meaningful, even if it fades.

For fans of story-driven RPGs, emotionally resonant narratives, or just breathtakingly original art and gameplay—this is essential. It’s a eulogy and a love letter all at once.

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Luanch Trailer

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The code was provided by the distributor.

I reviewed it, and then it was edited by my partner.