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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 review: An original hit RPG

Expedition 33 does a great job setting up its world in a way that ensures everyone gets on board. The city of Lumiere, which seems to be a chunk of Paris plus change, is doomed to repeat a cycle of death, with a powerful godlike figure, the Paintress, looming on the horizon. The vestiges of humanity send out expeditions each year to “the Continent” in a bid to stop the death. This is a modern, sumptuous turn-based RPG that leans a little too much on quick time actions.

Our preview touched on Gustave’s super-charged robot arm, Lune’s elemental stains which she can store up and apply to add more oomph to spells, and Maelle’s battle stances that can risk weakened defense for heavier hits. Fortunately, the cast of Expedition 33 have the dramatic bonafides to deliver on the emotional beats, including Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Jennifer English ( Baldur’s Gate 3 ’s Shadowheart) Ben Starr ( Final Fantasy XVI) and Andy Serkis (do I even have to say? Once Esquie takes to the skies, there’s no shortage of mini quests and new areas, including gorgeously hued floating islands, paintings to test your battle strategies and curios that help bolster smaller story beats.

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