Gamers are buzzing about Sandfall Interactive’s breakout game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

In this doomed world, the members of Expedition 33 attempt to destroy the Paintress, a deity who each year paints a single number on the horizon, then erases anyone who’s reached that same age. Each volunteer in the Expedition offers a different talent, but they’ll need to give all they have to save the ones they love most. While the story is decidedly grim, it’s also filled with laugh-out-loud wit and pensive themes that make the game a true masterpiece.

Painting the world

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 began with a core team of roughly thirty developers, who then hand-picked and outsourced additional help for its development. The game relies on conventions typical of JRPGs (Japanese role playing games), including turn-based combat, intentional narrative focus, and vivid world aesthetics. Admittedly, turn-based combat isn’t my strong suit, because I’m unapologetically a button-masher. But Expedition 33 adds quick-time events during enemies’ attacks that keep players focused and engaged.

Ultimately Expedition 33 appeals to my love for beauty and my love for incredible stories. Developers steep this world in artistic metaphor and designs that soak into the narrative and themes. Clouds and sunlight swirl like spilled paint. Clothing and architecture reflect the gilded, geometrical style of Art Deco.

Even the game’s name, Clair Obscur, is French for a painting technique that emphasizes contrasts between light and shadow, which speaks to an endless warring dichotomy within the game’s central narrative.

Music flows in rhythmic waves of emotion, blending Neoclassical and opera with the focused beat of cinematic game orchestration. Every detail of this world moves as one cohesive force like an elaborate, synchronized dance meant to enrich the overall story.

Interpreting the themes

Beyond the visuals and score, Expedition 33’s literary narrative introduces a level of storytelling rare to console games. What begins as a simple mission leads to deeper reflections on family, love, and the meaning of grief.

Thanks to flawless motion capture and voice talents like Charlie Cox and Andy Serkis, characters move, speak, and express themselves in such a human fashion that you could easily feel you are bingeing a top-rated Netflix series. Interspersed with heartache is love, humor, and genuinely beautiful moments. With the sadness comes joy in the form of comic relief and wit that had me howling with laughter at 3 in the morning, keeping me emotionally engaged until the end—and long after.

Ultimately, Expedition 33 explores both healthy and destructive ways to navigate tragedy and complicated families, though without pushing a one-way solution to grief. By design, the game’s theme lends to intentional discussion of these topics, but may raise questions for Christians. One could argue that the narrative offers a nihilistic view of the world with nihilistic solutions. Grieving characters lack a greater Hope in Christ and can only find healing or escape through their own stubborn will (or lack thereof), as signified by the game’s expertly delivered refrain: “When one falls, we continue.” Many of the game’s themes are deliberately open to player interpretation. But in my view, Expedition 33 suggests we must choose between facing reality alone or running from it. But as believers, we’re thankful for our third choice: running to Christ for restoration and healing.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 unquestionably values excellence, a refreshing change from cobbled-together narratives that force-feeds agendas with glitchy gameplay. Creativity still lives in the game industry, even if it’s lacking from typical AAA studios. What I thought would be an intriguing adventure turned out to be more akin to classical literature filled with artistic beauty, lovable characters, and themes that stick with you long after the game ends.

Discern: This game contains strong language, some suggestive and suicidal themes, and violence.