Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new JRPG-styled dark fairy tale built by Ubisoft veterans.
As the surviving members of Expedition 33, your small crew has to cross into a nightmarish realm and take the fight to the Paintress — a mysterious, Witch-like giant who, every year, paints everyone of a certain age out of existence. The number, "33" refers to the age of all who will die in the next year, effectively giving humanity an extinction clock.
The game features heavy turn-based tactical combat, giving players a large amount of control over how their squad can perform and synergize to overcome battles. It also features precise dodging and parry mechanics, making combat far more engaging and rewarding than you might expecting, emphasizing skill expression.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is incredibly good, and fans are rewarding the game in droves. After only three days from launch, Expedition 33 has crossed a million players — not including Xbox Game Pass players.
And here we are.Three days after launch.One million copies sold.Thank you for believing in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. pic.twitter.com/92T2qZxcHPApril 27, 2025
The games success is shining a spotlight on an industry that has so far refused to give true "AAA" treatment to the classic turn-based JRPG formula.
Square Enix producer Naoki Yoshida famously said that players don't want photorealistic turn-based games, which is why modern Final Fantasy games have opted for derivative hack n' slash style gameplay that focuses on spectacle rather than fun, chasing an audience that perhaps isn't as big as Square Enix hoped.
Like Baldur's Gate 3 before it, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proves that fans do want to give classic RPG genres AAA treatment — if only publishers would actually sit up and listen.
Destroy the Paintress, and save the Expedition
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is already in "game of the year" conversations, in what has, so far, has been another stacked year for high-quality releases.
The indie scene, free from telemetry data or corporate meddling, is driving a huge upswing in innovation and quality, as big publishers chase "broader audiences" to find growth, only to end up making games that appeal to nobody.
Fans are lining up in droves to praise Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is enjoying huge concurrency on Steam, and might be the highest user-rated game on Metacritic in history.
It has also contributed to what has been a stellar quarter for Xbox Game Pass, whose Spring 2025 line up includes Oblivion Remaster, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and in just a couple of weeks, DOOM: The Dark Ages.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.
