Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes the player into a world where grace is combined with monsters and constant threat. Squad number 33 is sent not for glory, but to stop the Artist, who every year erases people of a certain age from the lives of people. The world around us resembles a painting in motion: the canvases, diffused light and decorations are so dense that a walk down the street looks like a staged act. The battles are turn-based, but without the right to take a break: attacks take place in a rhythm, and defense requires you to press a button in time to dodge or parry. A miss costs health, but a successful fightback adds strength and opens up countermeasures. The companions are gradually revealed through short scenes in the camp, and during the hike you manage to get to know each one. The squad consists of characters with their own fighting styles: one shoots and targets vulnerable points, others build combinations on elements, healing and support. Development comes through weapons and passive skills, and builds are assembled quite freely. The heroes have few parameters, but each level feels like a step forward, and new equipment changes the feeling of the battle. The world is made in the spirit of French painting and fashion of the beginning of the last century: hats, frock coats, streets with lanterns and monsters crawling out of canvases. The music and stage direction make even ordinary transitions between locations look like a theatrical performance. The musical themes were recorded with an orchestra, and individual compositions live separately from the game, which almost never happens in projects of the genre. Anyone who misses strong role-playing games with a clear story and is not afraid to press buttons at the right time will remember this trip for a long time.