Sandfall Interactive just announced its latest game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is set to launch in 2025 and brings a unique take on turn-based combat mechanics.
The RPG was a relatively surprising announcement during the Xbox Games Showcase and is said to be available via Game Pass and will come to PC and PlayStation 5 as well. The announcement also featured a trailer that showed players what they can expect from the game.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Announced
(Photo : Sandtall Interactive / Screenshot taken from official website)
The story of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes place in a world where a mysterious entity, known as the Paintress, "repaints" the world every year
Whenever she does so, she paints a cursed number on a monolith, which causes every one of that particular age to instantly turn to smoke and disappear from existence.
After that, the number ticks down by one every year, which means that younger and younger generations are being killed off each time. On the cusp of the Paintress' awaited painting of the number "33," an expedition sets out on a journey to stop the killing of their beloved friends and family, according to IGN.
The expedition is being led by a man who is known as Gustave and the group of brave individuals decided to follow in the footsteps of past failed attempts in order to stop the Paintress once and for all.
The game presumably will let players take control of members of this group of people and will have to put together parties of several individuals. The footage also showed them fighting against opponents in turn-based battles as they journey to their objective.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is being created in Unreal Engine 5 and the developers promise "immersive real-time offensive and defensive commands to enhance combat." You will be able to customize character stat growth, skill trees, and gear.
The announcement trailer also showed the game's beautiful and surreal landscapes and the unique combat features with turn-based strategy but with real-time actions. The latter lets players dodge certain attacks similar to other popular titles, such as Paper Mario, said GamesRadar.
A Unique Take on Turn-Based Combat
The developer explained, "In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat." They added that players will be able to build parties with up to six characters and craft unique builds.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's real-time actions also let you dodge, parry, and counter in real-time. You can also chain combos by mastering attack rhythms and target enemy weak points using a free-aim system.
Originally, the game was technically announced some time ago as Project W, which is Sandfall Interactive's first. On its official website, the studio said that it has a focus on single-player experiences and they aim to deliver incredible stories with intriguing characters in beautiful fantasy worlds.
The footage of the game showed flower meadows, icy tundras, and foggy forests, all of which feature a new kind of creative boss. The trailer also showed off a lot of various fights that all looked vastly different from one another which is sure to keep things fresh, according to PCGamer.
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