Subj : I loved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and as a Final Fantasy fan, h To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Sun Jul 27 2025 15:15:08 I loved Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and as a Final Fantasy fan, here's what the long-running JRPG series could learn from 2025's unexpected hit Date: Sun, 27 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000 Description: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings some fresh air to the JRPG world. Final Fantasy should take some notes. FULL STORY ====================================================================== From French developer Sandfall Interactive, with a relatively small team, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has taken the gaming world by storm. Wonderfully, 33 days after its release, it had sold 3.3 million copies: you couldnt write a better stat! Naturally, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is often compared to the likes of Persona, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and the Tales series to name a few. But its Final Fantasy , one of the best role-playing game (RPG) series, where the comparisons mostly come back to. But why is that? Well, if you havent checked in on the Final Fantasy series for a while, it abandoned the concept of traditional turn-based combat a while ago. Players hark back to the 90s-2000s era where Final Fantasy had arguably one of the greatest runs in gaming - from Final Fantasy 6 all the way to Final Fantasy 10 (and theres a lot of love for 4 , 5 , and 12 as well). Final Fantasy has now taken on a more action-based style in recent years, especially with its most recent releases of Final Fantasy 16 and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series, and needless to say, this has been met with mixed reactions from longtime fans of the beloved series. Expedition 33 gives these fans that turn-based combat high theyve been chasing. Crucially, however, Expedition 33 innovates in simple ways not just in this tried-and-true combat formula, but it delivers in other key areas, and as a Final Fantasy fan, I think there are a few things the old dog of JRPGs could learn from this young pup. Same, but different Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 offers a fresh take on the turn-based combat formula with its dodging and parrying system. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive) Traditional turn-based combat has players taking turns to select an action, and once that action is executed, its the enemy's turn. It necessitates planning and strategy for what the enemy could throw at you, while praying they dont. Many a time in Final Fantasy have I stared at a characters sliver of health, praying the boss doesnt annihilate them (spoiler: they often do). Expedition 33 changes this. During the usually passive elements of the turn-based gameplay (the enemy's turn), players can dodge or parry enemies' incoming attacks to not only negate damage but depending on what Pictos and Luminas ( Expedition 33 s semi-active abilities) players have equipped, they can earn back health, pull off powerful counterattacks or gain Action Points (AP) to execute stronger skills on their turn. This simple innovation rewards the players skill and timing with instant bonuses. A quick heads-up for those who havent got around to playing Expedition 33 yet: you will die, often, especially against late-game bosses. The point is to learn your enemys moves, nail the timing, and reap the rewards. Yes, you will get frustrated (lord knows I did more than a few times), but when I finally killed off a comically large and difficult boss, the sense of achievement was staggering. While the Final Fantasy series is now using an action-based, almost hack-and-slash approach in its newer games, which I have sometimes enjoyed, if it were to go back to turn-based combat, it could definitely take some pointers from Expedition 33s style. Bigger isnt always better Expedition 33 features an overworld reminiscent of classic JRPGs like earlier Final Fantasy games: and it feels good to be back. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive ) One of the first things I noticed playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on its release was just how massive the world was. Every area was interconnected with sprawling fields, towering mountains, and wide open spaces that got me so excited. I could hop on a Chocobo and make the trip from Kalm to Junon with this much detail and these gorgeous graphics?? Heck yes! Then came the side missions from arguably gamings most irritating companion, Chadley. Scan this ten times, beat these enemies five times, etc. It sucked my enjoyment out of the world. Yes, I could ignore these missions, but when theyre plastered across the screen and Chadley often calls you to remind you about the them, its quite difficult to ignore. Also, I do blame the completionist in me for getting drawn in. So, when I booted up Expedition 33 and made it to the games overworld for the first time, it was like being greeted by an old friend. Taking cues from its predecessors, areas were divided up into solitary, linear levels and dotted around the overworld, each taking on its own gorgeous, unique look. Crimson forests, underwater worlds, sprawling cliffs: each biome had its own identity, but felt effortlessly connected. And best of all? No distractions. Expedition 33 leaves you to your own devices, sign-posting your objective but leaving you to enter other worlds and take on enemies as you see fit. And while Expedition 33s world wasnt as big as other RPGs, no space was wasted. Its world is visually striking in every corner. Final Fantasy 16 players will know where Im coming from: big, open fields with next to nothing in them are too common a sight. The story, the music Expedition 33 's music and story are breath-taking, emotive and engaging, capturing the feeling you used to get with classic JRPG titles. (Image credit: Sandfall Interactive) Final Fantasy has always excelled is in its phenomenal scores. From Nobuo Uematsus legendary compositions, such as One Winged Angel from Final Fantasy 7 and To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy 10 , these soundtracks are special. His successors, who include Masashi Hamauzu, Yoko Shimomura and Masayoshi Soken, have done more than enough to fill his shoes since. Final Fantasy is arguably the standard bearer for video game scores. Expedition 33 smashed it out of the park with its score. Haunting, heartbreaking, beautiful, powerful, calming - Expedition 33s soundtrack captures every emotion. Alicia gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. Une vie t'aimer is an 11-minute masterpiece that stuns with its soaring vocals, captivating strings, and shredding electric guitar solo. Crucially, it does all this with a unique sound that is unmistakably French, giving it that twist again. Final Fantasys stories have always been epic tales of 'good vs evil' in fantastical worlds that arent afraid to stray from the path. But I cant help but feel that recent mainline entries such as Final Fantasy 15 and 16's stories lacked the unique flavor that each story used to have. 15 had an excellent dynamic between its four lead characters, but the antagonist felt absent for large parts of the story and the pacing was off, with the start feeling slow and the ending feeling rushed. 16 was an improvement with some excellent character depth, but the pacing again felt off and the numerous antagonists felt as memorable as past villains like Sephiroth (from 7 ) and Kefka (from 6 ). Expedition 33 s story, where groups known as Expeditions must set out to defeat the Paintress after each Gommage (where masses of the population of a certain age disappear), with every attempt before this one unsuccessful. The story feels inspired by other RPGs in its beats, but crucially has that bold originality thanks to its spectacular world and frankly, macabre, somber tone. Journals of old expeditions add to the worldbuilding in subtle ways, and the phenomenal performances of the cast give this story a really dynamic, emotionally heart-wrenching, and engaging feel like no RPG Ive played in a long time. A sequel? We can only hope (Image credit: Sandfall Interative) Without giving anything away, itll be interesting to see whether Sandfall treats Clair Obscur as a linear or anthology series, the latter invoking Final Fantasy as a series of games connected only really by name. This is hoping we actually get a sequel, of course. There arent many things Id change about Clair Obscur : its marvelous. Exquisite design, gorgeous visuals, striking music, an emotionally charged, beautifully written story with familiar but original gameplay, it really did do it all. There are some minor changes Id make, however. A journal is a faithful companion in an RPG, to keep track of quests, the enormous amount of sub-bosses to beat, side quests, and so on, and Expedition 33 doesnt really have this. Only a map and the audio logs of old expeditions. This would give players a sense of direction, and although it does hearken back to older games like The Legend of Zelda on the NES , which simply released you into the world, Id like to see one included. The Pictos and Lumina system, while a refreshing take on abilities, can be tricky to keep track of, especially if you want different builds. It would be great if you could save particular builds with certain abilities and weapons for certain situations, allowing you to easily switch in the Inventory menu. Honestly, there isnt much else Id ask for differently. There are a few ways the story could go (a prequel of an older expedition, maybe?), and although its a challenging game, its equally rewarding for your efforts and persistence. Really, for me, its the 2025 game of the year. You might also like 70 hours later, and I'm convinced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a true system seller Best gaming console in 2025: every major system tested and ranked Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sold me on the PS5 Pro, but I'm still not sure I'd recommend the premium console to everyone just yet ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/i-loved-clair-obscur-expedition-33-and-as-a-f inal-fantasy-fan-heres-what-the-long-running-jrpg-series-could-learn-from-2025 s-unexpected-hit --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .