Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is Sandfall Interactive’s first game, and I like it quite a bit. There’s a lot of compelling character writing, the visuals are gorgeous, and its take on turn-based combat itches a part of my brain I had no idea needed itching. There’s tons to love about it.
However…
Despite liking Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it’s very clear that it’s Sandfall’s first game. There are several areas where it falls short, and it has a lot of little annoyances that add up. None of my problems with the game will stop me from eventually finishing it, but as much as I look forward to sitting down to play the game every night at the end of my work day, I spend even more timelooking forward to whatever Sandfall Interactive is going to make next.
A List Of Nitpicks
Allow me to list off a handful of grievances I have with Clair Obscur. The lack of a mini-map means it’s impossible to tell which areas are the main path and which are secret paths hiding high-tier loot and punishing, optional boss fights. Some games don’t need maps, butan RPG like Expedition 33feels like it would greatly benefit from having one.
I also find Clair Obscur’s combat UI to be pretty lacking. For starters, if an enemy or teammate has a status condition, a little icon appears underneath their health bar, but unless the status is being applied for the first time in the game, there’s no explanation as to what the status effect does while in combat. You can look it up later, but it would be more beneficial to view what kind of status effects are present mid-turn. Additionally, the game doesn’t keep track of enemy weaknesses, so unless you’re writing it down or keeping track yourself, combat can feel like a guessing game.
And as much as I like the combat, I find its balance to be somewhat off as well. Common enemies that roam the map can wipe the floor with you if you aren’t careful, while story bosses that are meant to be a big deal can often be the most forgiving enemies in the game. A lot of that imbalance comes down tothe way that the game relies on its parry mechanic, which I think could use a bit more tweaking.
How Games Evolve
My gripes with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are all small annoyances. I think that relatively inconsequential nitpicks like these are a sign that Sandfall did something right, because I can’t find anything major to critique about most of Clair Obscur’s design choices. These small flaws do, however, get me excited for whatever Sandfall has in store next.
I’m certain thatthe team behind Expedition 33knows about these issues, but wasn’t able to fix them for one reason or another. With how solid of a first game this is, Sandfall won’t have to worry about reinventing the wheel when it comes time to make a follow-up to Clair Obscur. Instead, it can focus on honing and refining the solid foundation that it’s already created.
There are a lot of excellent debut games, but I’m always more excited about what the studio behind them does next to refine what worked and cut what didn’t. Games likeStellar Blade,The Callisto Protocol, andHi-Fi Rushcome to mind. Some studios won’t get the chance to make something new on account of how tumultuous the industry is, but Sandfall seems to have seen great success with Clair Obscur, so I’m hopeful that we’ll get something else from the studio at some point down the line that’ll be even better than Expedition 33.
Whatever form Sandfall’s next game takes, I’ll be eagerly awaiting it. There’s plenty to like about Expedition 33 in the meantime, and ultimately, my gripes with the game don’t mean that it’s bad, just that there’s still room for improvement. That said, there is one major thing I think Sandfall can improve with its next game:give it a good title this time, my goodness.
