Gameplay footage from the role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

During the Xbox event in June, we got one pleasant surprise. The role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new brand from the new French studio Sandfall Interactive. Although it is a Western studio, at first glance we can compare it, for example, to the famous Final Fantasy series in terms of general presentation and to Persona in terms of gameplay with turn-based battles. Just today we got the first full gameplay demo of this game, which lasts a rather generous 6 minutes.

First of all, let me remind you that the 33rd expedition takes place in a world ruled by a being called the Artist. She draws numbers every year, and everyone dies at that age. We will be part of the 33rd expedition, which wants to put an end to the extinction of humanity and finally defeat Malirzhka.

In the gameplay demo we see a walk through a colorful landscape, here specifically a water location. Judging by the first previews (for example, IGN magazine) this is not strictly an open world, but some locations will be a little more open and they are definitely worth exploring in more detail.

In any case, the main content will be turn-based battles, but with elements of real time. Each of your actions requires real-time input, whether it is a simple press of one button at the right moment or a combination of something more complex. You will use it not only in attack, but also in defense. You can dodge enemy blows, but you can also block them and even reflect them with several successful blocks. According to the developers, it should be possible to complete the entire game without a single injury to your characters, but of course, it will not be easy at all.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is coming next year and will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It will be available on Game Pass on launch day.