In a summer announcement week rife with leaked announcements and showcases, the Xbox Games Showcase brought at least one genuine surprise in the form of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It's a new RPG being developed by Sandfall Interactive, it's coming in 2025 to Xbox via Game Pass day one, PC, and PlayStation 5, and it looks sick as hell.
Based on the trailer, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes place in a world where a mysterious entity known as the Paintress, who "repaints" the world each year. When she does, she paints a cursed number on a monolith, causing everyone of that age to turn to smoke instantly and disappear. Each year, the number ticks down by one, killing off younger and younger generations each time.
On the cusp of the Paintress' awaited painting of the number "33," an expedition travels out to stop the painter so they don't lose anyone else. Led by a man named Gustave, the group expects to follow in the footsteps of past failed attempts to stop the Paintress.
It looks like we'll be playing as members of that expedition, putting together parties of characters to fight off opponents in turn-based battles in hopes of reaching our eventual goal. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is developed in Unreal Engine 5, and promises "immersive real-time offensive and defensive commands to enhance combat." Players will customize character stat growth, skill trees, and gear.
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