Gorgeous turn-based RPG Clair Obscur Expedition 33 now has Steam launch date

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 puts some European flair on RPG tropes defined by Final Fantasy, and it'll arrive on Steam and Game Pass soon.

The likes of Final Fantasy and Persona have long defined sprawling, story-driven RPGs. Their entries trade hard on ensemble casts, sweeping storylines, and universes you want to visit every inch of. Developer Sandfall Interactive is giving them a run for their money with some European flair in Clair Obcsur: Expedition 33, which has just locked in a release date for later this year.

Immediately, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a recognizably operatic sensibility for an RPG. The protagonists, led by the roguish Gustave, are challenging the Paintress, a deity of some description who can bring doom upon whomever she chooses.

You know the broadstrokes if you’ve played a few JRPGs, but it’s the delivery that’s eye-catching here. Every second of Expedition 33 so far looks exquisite, drawing on French history and genre influences for its costuming and world design. There’s an airship, because what epic fantasy game doesn’t, and we meet all manner of beguiling side characters in the latest trailer.

There’s ambition to spare, and the combat, a tricky area for this kind of role-playing game, looks substantive. It’s real-time, though the moves have cinematic heft to them and the battle areas look quite large. Three heroes are attacking at a time, and dodges and counterattacks are available to keep things flowing.

This is one of the bigger new games from publisher Kepler Interactive, who handle Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn and the Cat Quest series as well. No sign of any feline friends, but they can’t spoil everything in the trailers, can they?

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 releases on Thursday, April 24, 2025 and will hit Game Pass on day one too. You can check out its Steam page now.

We have a list of the best Final Fantasy games if this has you in mood for that franchise, and our upcoming PC games list is full of titles that will expand your wishlist considerably.

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