Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 News

2025

April 3

⚫︎ Get ready, PC players! Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a range of graphical presets from Low to Epic, ensuring you can tailor your gaming experience to your system's capabilities. Console enthusiasts aren't left behind; you can choose between Performance and Quality modes. The game has been confirmed as PS5 Pro Enhanced, though the specifics are still under wraps. Meanwhile, Xbox fans can start pre-loading the game right now, gearing up for the global launch on April 24 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET. Dive into the adventure and conquer 56 achievements and trophies, including tough challenges like defeating bosses without taking a hit and collecting all 33 music records.

Read more: [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Reveals Graphics Settings, Trophy Expectations, and Xbox Pre-Load Info Ahead of Launch](Noisy Pixel)

March 24

⚫︎ Sandfall Interactive has made a bold move with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by ditching the minimap in favor of a compass. Producer Francois Meurisse explained that this design choice was made to enhance the sense of exploration and adventure. It's not just a gameplay tweak; it's deeply tied to the narrative. As players, you're part of an expedition venturing into the unknown, following in the footsteps of those who came before but never returned. "They don’t have a map because every previous expedition failed," Meurisse noted, immersing players in the same uncertainty as their in-game characters.

Read more: [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won't have a mini map to preserve its sense of discovery, says producer](PC Gamer)

March 21

⚫︎ The director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Guillaume Broche, started this project out of a personal passion for turn-based RPGs. In 2019, feeling a void in the genre, Broche decided to create what he longed to play, believing others would feel the same. His vision was to blend the strategic depth of Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey with the skill-based mechanics of FromSoftware's Sekiro, crafting a unique gaming experience.

Read more: [Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's director was 'starving for new turn-based RPGs,' and figured if he wanted them, there would be others out there who'd want to play his game](PC Gamer)

March 19

⚫︎ Producer Francois Meurisse recently shed light on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's innovative gameplay, which merges turn-based strategy with challenging, unpredictable enemy attacks. While rooted in JRPG traditions, the game stands out with its Belle Epoque-inspired art style, a nod to Sandfall Interactive's French heritage. The game takes cues from Final Fantasy, infuses real-time defensive mechanics from Sekiro, and incorporates action point-based skills reminiscent of deckbuilders, offering a fresh take on the genre.

Read more: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is Sekiro Meets Belle Époque Meets JRPG

March 3

⚫︎ Ahead of its release, gaming media got a hands-on demo of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Critics lauded the game's turn-based combat as a fresh evolution, drawing from the best of its predecessors and combining them into a compelling new experience.

Read more: [How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s turn-based combat pays homage to all-time great JRPGs](Epic Games Store News)

January 30

⚫︎ Before even hitting the shelves, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to become a movie. Sandfall Interactive has teamed up with Story Kitchen, known for adapting games like Sonic and the upcoming Dredge film. Although details like the director and cast are yet to be announced, the project is in capable hands with producers Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg, and Elena Sandoval. Story Kitchen is eager to bring the game's rich narrative and intricate characters to life on the big screen.

Read more: Clair Obscur is Getting Its Own Live-Action Movie

2024

August 29

⚫︎ Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proudly wears its influences on its sleeve, drawing heavily from classics like Final Fantasy VIII-X, Persona, and Octopath Traveler. Creative director Guillaume Broche, a devoted fan of turn-based RPGs, aimed to create a game with high-fidelity graphics that blends real-time reaction-based combat with strategic depth. Players can switch party members on the go and use unique traversal abilities to solve puzzles. Broche has been overwhelmed by the game's positive reception and hopes players will experiment and "break the game" with creative builds, aspiring for Expedition 33 to leave a lasting impact, just as the RPGs that inspired it did.

Read more: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wears Its FF and Persona Influences on Its Sleeves

July 30

⚫︎ Creative director Guillaume Broche revealed that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws inspiration from the 17th-18th century French Clair Obscur artistic movement and the novel La Horde du Contrevent. The game focuses on high-fidelity visuals and introduces a reactive turn-based battle system that modernizes the genre. It pulls influences from Souls games, Devil May Cry, and NieR, aiming to bring a fresh perspective to turn-based RPG combat.

Read more: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Historical Roots and Innovations