Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a modern masterpiece
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a beautiful masterpiece.
It is a turn-based RPG that looks incredibly pretty and adds new mechanics that breathes new life in a genre many gamers think is dying.
This raises, what I think is an interesting question, would the high popularity of Clair Obscur revitalize the desire to play more turn-based RPGs? Would it spur a new age of turn-based RPGs as developers rush to make one of their own? Quite similar to how Dark Souls has spurred the creation of multiple “soulslike” games. It would be funny to think of a new wave of RPGs and it gets compared to Clair Obscur just like how every indie Metroidvania gets slapped with an “another Hollow Knight ripoff” label.
We’ll probably find out within the next three to five years. I won’t be complaining either way. Turn-based RPGs, one especially as pretty as Clair Obscur, is probably something we need right now. Something with a steady pace, not massive, just chill enough.
The turn-based mechanics of Clair Obscur involves additional buttons during sequences. Or, pressing buttons at the right time to dodge and parry from enemy attacks, which will become crucial to survive throughout the game. This actually begs the question, with this mechanic, what if some lunatic dev out there uses these elements to create a turn-based soulslike?
Either way, Clair Obscur shows us what feels like the natural progression of a turn-based RPG. The additional inputs between attack and defense make battles combined with the high-dynamic changes in the screen make this a surprisingly fast-paced game.
The story is layered, full of mysteries that do not overstay its welcome, and it continues to add more questions than answers but things eventually wrap up in its own way. During the course of the game and from its premise, Clair Obscur sounds like a bleak game, but it contains a story that goes beyond what is expected and explores grief and loss in a hopeful way. Maybe I’m reaching, but I choose to believe it that way.
If you’re a gamer or just love games, then you would have heard of Clair Obscur by now. If not but still enjoy games, then Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a title you should not sleep on. I know Oblivion Remastered just came out. But come on, that’s technically an old game. Go for Clair Obscur.