Sandfall Interactive has released new information about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, including its release date, characters, and gameplay mechanics, during Xbox's Developer Direct. Read on to learn more about this upcoming game!
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 In-Depth Information Unveiled
Put an End to the Paintress's Madness This April 2025
Set in a fantasy world inspired by "Belle Epoque France," Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has had its release date revealed by Sandfall Interactive. The announcement, made during Xbox's Developer Direct yesterday, confirmed its launch on April 24, 2025.
The latest Xbox Direct highlights how the Sandfall Interactive developers built the game from the ground up, reinventing and innovating classic turn-based combat. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass.
Players can pre-order the base game for $44.99 or the Deluxe Edition for $59.99 on the Xbox Store. The Steam and PS5 storefronts offer a 10% discount on both editions, priced at $44.99 and $53.99. Meanwhile, the game can only be wishlisted on the Epic Games Store.
The Steam discount will end on May 2, 2025, while the PlayStation discount will be available until the game’s release date at 3:00 PM (local time). However, PS5 players must be subscribed to PlayStation Plus for this introductory price.
Aside from the game’s release date, Sandfall Interactive provided in-depth information about the game’s new characters and its gameplay mechanics.
New Characters of Expedition 33: Monoco and Esquie
The developers have finally revealed the game's full cast, expanding the roster to seven fully playable characters and one dedicated to exploration. The mysterious and otherworldly characters joining the 33rd expedition are Monoco and Esquie.
Monoco is the team’s "friendly and bloodthirsty Gestral," beings that enjoy combat and "view competition as a form of meditation." This being can transform into defeated enemies, adding a unique layer to combat by utilizing the powers of his fallen foes. Intrigued by the future battles the team may encounter, Monaco joined the group. Interestingly enough, Gestrals are unaffected by the Paintress’ power.
Meanwhile, Esquie is a living legend, even dubbed as the oldest and strongest being in the world. Despite that, this character takes a backseat in combat and only provides the group access to various locations scattered around an open world map. The team must bring back his special stones to unlock new abilities and access unreachable areas in the game.
The devs previously revealed the other playable casts on October 16, 2024, in a YouTube video. These characters are Gustave, Lune, Maelle, Sciel, Renoir, and Verso. Despite their clashing personalities and different motivations, these characters teamed up to stop the cycle of death, once and for all.
Turn-Based Combat Innovation and Deep Character Customization
Sandfall Interactive aims to make Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 more than an eye candy by reviving and reinventing the classic turn-based RPG combat according to an article from Xbox Wire on January 23, 2025.
"We didn’t want the game to just be a pretty face," said the CEO and creative director Guillaume Broche. "We wanted it to be like a game that feels like a real game. So every character has their own playstyle and you can really play them in a lot of different ways – but they also feel very different from each other, and they all have their unique mechanics and their unique skill tree."
To achieve this, they incorporated a real-time element into the game’s turn-based combat, enabling players to dodge enemy attacks or inflict massive damage by parrying. Characters can also deliver more powerful attacks by pressing specific buttons. The developers dubbed this combat mechanic the reactive turn-based system. Rest assured, players without "Sekiro-caliber timing" can adjust the difficulty settings to increase or decrease the parry and dodge window, providing extra breathing room at lower difficulty levels.
The game also offers deep customization of characters. First, each character has unique mechanics and skill trees, like Lune’s ability to accumulate a resource called "Stain" and use it to enhance her abilities. There are also Luminas or passive effects that can be gained by evolving "Pictos," modifiers tied to equipment, after four battles. Turning Pictos into Luminas makes them permanent, providing more ways to modify each character.
With deep character customization, players can try hundreds of different builds to create a playstyle that suits their preferences through Luminas, unique skills, and abilities. The reactive turn-based system also offers a fresh take on a classic combat mechanic, challenging not only their strategic thinking but their reflexes as well.
Sources:
Xbox’s Developer_Direct 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Official Website
Xbox Wire Interview with Sandfall Interactive Devs
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Cast Reveal
