Clair Obscur is one of those games that when you first see it you go through every possible emotion. Wow, that’s amazing! Look at the combat! This art style looks incredible! Wait, this is from a brand new team? It’s their first game? This seems a bit too ambitious. The more that Sandfall Interactive showed the game, though, the harder it became to deny that what we were all seeing looked incredible. So it’s time to finally ask the question. Is a game with great-looking gameplay, an interesting story, a beautiful art style, and an amazingly talented voice cast worth picking up at launch? Well, with the help of some incredibly talented folks, we’re about to find out.

Review Round-Up:

What I may admire the most about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is how firmly it embraces a familiar, if currently rare genre (big budget, artistically expressive, turn-based RPGs), but does so without falling into any of its traps. The adventure isn’t overlong, and you don’t spend more time than necessary fighting. The world, art, and narrative are unique, but it makes me nostalgic for a game I remember from the past. It’s as though developer Sandfall Interactive managed to make a classic RPG with only the good parts. I’m sad in a way to have concluded the journey, but the adventure to pursue the Paintress will linger with me for some time. – Kyle Hilliard, Game Informer

There are six party members in total, with each one falling pretty squarely into a familiar archetype found in countless JRPGs. This would be fine as a foundation for the characters, but throughout the game’s playthrough, very little differentiates the player’s party members from the characters of the past that inspired them. Players of almost any major JRPG will have a hard time connecting with these characters. – Arron Kluz, But Why Tho

Small issues like poor signposting and the worst platforming sections since Max Payne tiptoed over a bloodstain barely even come to mind when thinking about the last 50 hours with Expedition 33 — they’re just black spots in an otherwise lucid dream. It’s the kind of game that causes you to just stare at your reflection when the credits scroll, between the names and into the darkness of the screen. It leaves a hole behind and makes you consider your mortality. It’s dark, beautiful and bold — a real treat at a time when game stories are often sanitized with the sharp edges filed down. – Kirk McKeand, ESPN

Last but certainly not least, if you liked what you’ve read and watched, then, by all means, head on over to the PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace, or Steam to pick up Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. All you need to do is click the image below and you will be taken to the store of your choosing. Also, I lied. One final, final thing, thank you for checking out the site. If you like this type of content, the Thinks of a Thoughter Games Release Radar will be doing this for every interesting game released this year.