Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a masterpiece. A display of skill, creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that overdelivers to such a degree that I’ve decided to do something I’ve never considered in the 17 years I’ve been reviewing video games.

I’ve decided to score a game higher than a 10 out of 10.

Yes, I’m serious.

Watch the video or keep reading below:

Now, before you call me a brain-dead douche canoe, at least let me explain. I want to make it clear that there’s no need to worry if you haven’t finished the game yet. I’m not going to be spoiling anything in this review. I’m only using footage from the earlier parts of the game, and I won’t be revealing any major story points, boss battles, or anything like that.

Let’s start with what it even means for a game like Clair Obscur to exist in today’s industry. Then we’ll take a deep dive into what exactly makes this game so special, why it deserves to be called a masterpiece, and why it has earned the score I’m giving it.

This is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Let’s take a look.

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I know some of you are still reading because you can’t believe I was dumb enough to say a game deserves an 11 out of 10. But I say, if students can get more than 100 percent on an exam by nailing every question and getting extra credit, then why can’t a video game be treated the same way?

It’s incredible to witness and experience a creative vision executed this well. To see what happens when passion, talent, and hard work are allowed to fire on all cylinders, without the need to force in monetisation systems, recycled intellectual properties, or input from a corporate suit who has never actually played a full game.

The creator of this game used to be at Ubisoft, bored out of his mind, before deciding to go off and build his own thing. He pulled together this crazy little team from all over. They found the composer on SoundCloud, and that composer had never worked on a video game before. The lead writer originally auditioned as a voice actress, and then switched roles to write what I think is one of the best video game stories I’ve ever experienced.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is, quite frankly, a big fat French middle finger to the publishers who spend ten times more money making games that end up half as good. And the talent is right there, sitting in their offices, going to waste.

But enough about that. Let’s get into why this game deserves every bit of praise it’s getting, and why I’m giving it the completely absurd score of 11 out of 10.

1. The concept

I’ll never forget the night of the Xbox Showcase when I saw the announcement trailer. I remember sitting up, thinking, “What is this? This looks new. This looks fresh. This actually has my attention.”

It’s like a JRPG. It feels like Final Fantasy and Persona, but it’s also realistic and French.

As I started playing and moving through different areas, I just kept thinking, “This looks so unique. I genuinely feel like I’m seeing something new for the first time in a long time.” This is what pure creativity looks like. A vision brought to life. And you can’t believe that something with a modest budget is delivering something this incredible.

2. The gameplay

This game somehow makes turn-based combat exciting and fun. It has a dodging and parrying system that keeps you alert. You can’t just sit back while the enemy takes its turn. You have to be on point. You watch what they’re doing, you learn their move sets, and then you respond by dodging or parrying at the right moment.

It creates tension. And when you pull it off, it feels amazing. The visuals, the sound, the character moves, they all combine to make every battle feel thrilling.

It becomes even more rewarding as you go. At first, you’ll struggle with the timing. But later, when your party is working in sync, dodging, parrying, and dishing out massive counterattacks, it just feels fantastic. They absolutely nailed this part of the game. It makes you excited for every fight.

The game doesn’t stop there. Exploration is also a big part of it. In the main areas, you explore in third person. If you run into enemies, or attack them, the game shifts into turn-based combat.

There’s also an overworld map, which is a nice callback to older JRPGs. And thankfully, there are no random encounters. You can see enemies on the map and decide whether you want to engage or avoid them. Some enemies will even chase you, and if you attack first, you get to strike first in combat, which is a meaningful advantage.

It’s a great system. Exploration feels good. The music is beautiful. The world is big and worth exploring. And over time, the world changes. Places you couldn’t reach earlier open up later. The map expands. Everything feels carefully crafted.

Even if gameplay was the only strength this game had, it would be enough for many players.

But this is where the game goes even further.

3. The Visuals and Design

The game looks stunning. And I don’t just mean the Unreal Engine 5 graphics, even though the engine holds up fine. What really stands out is the art direction. The design. The world-building. The characters. It’s all something special.

It’s this strange blend of Western and Eastern influences. A JRPG made by French developers, with a strong French art style. There are influences from painting, sculpture, architecture, and it all feels cohesive.

Combat animations are smooth and stylish. Visual effects during attacks are crisp and powerful. Every hit looks and feels like it matters.

And then you have the more subtle moments. The facial expressions. The body language. You can read the characters. You see their thoughts in their reactions. It brings depth to the story. These quiet little visual cues add layers, and they’re incredibly effective.

Maybe Unreal Engine 5 is helping smaller teams do more with less. I’m not an expert on that. But whatever the reason, the final result is outstanding.

Everything, from the world map to creature design, looks unique. And it’s such a pleasure to play a game where you’re constantly seeing things you haven’t seen before.

4. The Music and the Sound

Music in this game is on another level. And remember, the composer had never worked on a game before. They made over 120 tracks, from character themes to world themes, and everything fits perfectly.

It sounds like something a veteran of the industry would have done. You would never guess it was a first-time game composer.

Sound design is just as strong. Combat hits feel powerful. Explosions, movement, atmosphere—it all sounds great. Voice acting is strong too. Everything works together to keep you immersed.

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5. A Story You Won’t Easily Forget

No spoilers here, but this game’s narrative is in a league of its own. It’s fascinating, it’s intelligent, and it respects you as a player. It doesn’t explain everything up front. You’re allowed to be in the dark for a while. You figure things out as you go.

It reminds me of how Star Wars felt when it first released. You didn’t fully understand the world, but you were drawn in anyway.

The story unfolds slowly and unpredictably. And that only works when the writing is good. If it wasn’t, the whole thing would collapse. But it doesn’t. It works. And it works brilliantly.

The characters feel like real people. They’re not just there to tick a box or follow a formula. They’re written with personality, and they stay true to themselves. The dialogue is believable, and it all feeds into the narrative without feeling forced.

And once again, the performances bring it to life. The smallest glance or posture shift can reveal so much. If you pay attention during cutscenes, you’ll notice one character might have a different expression than the others. Later in the game, you’ll understand why. Those little clues are all intentional. It’s thoughtful and clever.

If you love story-driven games, this alone is reason to play. Put it on story mode if you want. Just don’t watch it online. Play it yourself. Experience it. Be there with the characters. It really matters.

Of course, if you’re playing on higher difficulties, you’re in for a strong gameplay experience too.

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5. Exemplary Value

We now live in a world of $70 and $80 games.

This game is $50.

It launched on Game Pass Day One.

It has a 40 to 60 hour campaign, with even more content if you want to dive deeper. There’s no filler. No microtransactions. No product placement. And it’s polished.

This is not something we’re used to from big studio releases anymore. And it’s $20 cheaper.

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Final Thoughts

Sure, Clair Obscur isn’t perfect. No masterpiece is. The UI could use a bit of work. The Unreal Engine can look a little noisy in places. The name is a bit of a mouthful.

But honestly, none of that matters.

When a small team delivers something this good, and they’re not charging $70 for it, you forgive those little things instantly.

That’s the point.

Clair Obscur costs $20 less than games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which is already dead, and Skull and Bones, which is not looking great either. Yet it delivers a beautiful, polished, engaging 40 to 80 hour campaign, with great story, excellent combat, New Game Plus, no microtransactions, and no unnecessary bloat.

The team at Sandfall Interactive undercharged and overdelivered.

If this game had launched at $70 or $80, it still would have been a 10 out of 10. It would have been a Game of the Year contender.

At $50?

It deserves more.