Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 announced at Xbox Games Showcase

Announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new fantasy RPG coming to consoles and PC in 2025.

Taking place in a lucid depiction of the world we know, the entire planet is held in the vices of an omnipotent being called the Paintress, who has been slowly whittling down the global population with a curse that erases anybody from existence upon reaching the age painted upon her monolith. With each passing year, she lowers this age limit, eliminating swaths of lives, and spurring those who remain to seek her out and stop her from inking her canvas in blood.

The most striking quality is the dynamic RPG action with real-time prompts, which the developers refer to as reactive turn-based battles. Players are able to take their time selecting which abilities to use but then must perform action commands to execute the moves effectively, such as mashing button presses or aiming at weak points. These actions can also be reactive, allowing players to parry an incoming attack with a well-timed input. Think Paper Mario, but with spells, guns, and fantastical cinematic flare.

Despite all the added action elements, the game is still first and foremost an RPG with upgradable equipment and branching skill trees that encourage players to craft a playstyle that suits them best.

This ethereal adventure is being developed in Unreal Engine 5 and is the first game from developer Sandfall Interactive, with publisher Kepler Interactive backing the project.

Time is ticking away, so look forward to playing this day one on Gamepass, Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5, and PC (Steam and EGS) when the calendar year is painted to 2025.

This is a developing news story.