Round Up: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Previews Say You Need to Be Excited for This PS5 RPG – Push Square
GuestGuestLogin | Sign UpPush SquareGuestLogin or Sign UpObscured no moreFresh previews for upcoming PS5 RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have arrived, and it’s clear that excitement is really starting to surge.Generally speaking, the previews are incredibly positive. Many state that this could be one of the best RPGs of 2025 — and we’re only in March! — while praise is heaped upon the title’s art direction, sense of style, and intense turn-based battle system.Indeed, ‘intense’ may not be a descriptor often associated with turn-based combat, but Expedition 33’s fights incorporate real-time reactions like dodges and parries — and apparently, it makes for a surprisingly challenging adventure with high stakes.But perhaps most importantly, a lot of the previews note interesting characters and a narrative that captures the imagination. Several writeups mention impressive storytelling in particular, with the three-hour demo coughing up some fascinating themes and concepts, while the world building appears to be impressively rich. Honestly, it sounds brilliant.”Clair Obscur entranced me with its strange world, mysterious lore, engaging combat, and absolutely gorgeous graphics. In just a couple of hours, Expedition 33 soared close to the top of my most anticipated games of the year.””Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 certainly sounds like someone’s fever dream, but I couldn’t stop playing it. In fact, I played through the preview four times, discovering something new each time. I played it on multiple difficulties until I became proficient at the highest one, and I leveled my characters as high as possible when I realized there was nothing more to do.And I was sad that there was nothing more to do.”” I can clearly see the brilliance lying at the heart of this game. I just hope that its final release on April 24th won’t get too bogged down in the tedium of navigation to let us appreciate it in all its glory.””Surprise. Conviction. Curiosity. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 nails all three. It had my interest before I played it; now it has my undivided attention. If Sandfall can stick the landing, they’ll have put together something remarkable.””If the game’s world and story can make good on the promise teased by its early hours, RPG fans are in for something truly special.”Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is still set to release for PS5 on the 24th April, but are you looking forward to this rather unique-looking RPG? Gather a party and prepare for sights unseen in the comments section below.About Robert RamseyRobert (or Rob if you’re lazy) is an assistant editor of Push Square, and has been a fan of PlayStation since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the incredible world of video games. He still takes his fighting games seriously, but RPGs are his true passion. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s played ’em all. A little too much, some might say.Comments 34Im sure am..Hope it is a Lengthy adventure..Next few months are packed with games!Amazed previews are this early. Glad to hear it’s good though.@TheLotteryMan1 The devs said “you can expect 30+ hours of main game, and as much side content for our completionist Expeditioners”Really looking forward to this. I was worried it wasn’t going to meet the expectations and hype surrounding it, but it looks like they’ve pulled it off. Bring on April.This is of comfort to me as I’m very interested in it, especially as the developers have been honest about it being a tighter RPG at its core (which I love because time isn’t always a friend) and being that it is a creative, new IP. I’m looking forward to playing this one for myself. I’ll likely use Gamepass… unless I hear it runs poorly on Series S. Even if I haven’t played a game that clicks with me yet this year, I feel like the hits are incoming! April in particular is a massive month.So happy this is shaping up to be great. Obviously reviews will be the thing to seal the deal for me but I’m excited to get behind a big, ambitious and original new title.That game needs to be played with HDR. You know, because clair/obscur means bright/dark in french and you need the better contrast… I’ll see myself out.No mention of Eurogamers preview pointing out that there’s no map?”but the act of trying to find a way forward – coupled together with some truly excessive motion blur that I couldn’t disable for the life of me in this particular build – made navigating these lush environments more of a chore than I was expecting”Ever since I saw the trailer for it the moment it had turn based combat I was interested and I have been ever since I can’t wait for it even if it gets a 6/10 I’ll still get it@Intr1n5ic That good to hear..Thanks for the heads up..I am ready for this game 😆😆😆😆😆😆@Rhaoulos I did wonder about the name lolIf Demon’s Souls was a Western RPG as seen through Japanese devs eyes, then this looks like a JRPG as seen through Western devs eyes.That’s grossly simplified of course, but still proves that a few changes to a known formula can sometimes make for something exciting and unique.I haven’t read any of the previews, so I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned it, but I hope there are towns in this game.So hyped for this game, hopefully it sells really well, that way Square Enix and can see that they can go back to turn based combat now and again.This is on my radar for sure. I like that it’s only going to be 30-40 hours.And I am excited, thank you very much.Man, this game looks and sounds fantastic. I don’t need to read or see any more news about it—I want to go in somewhat blind. What a great year for games so far, and we just hit March.Still cautiously optimistic. Been burned one too many times with similar hype before, so holding off on the pre-order, but I’ll have my money ready to buy it once reviews are out if it lives up to the promise.My concern is more on the technical side, that it might fall off a cliff outside of opening hours.@Hyena_socks Out of curiosity, you’ve been burned by which hyped-up games?Yup day 1 for meGlad it’s looking good 😎 this was one of the top games on showcase for me and I reckon Be the gamepass goty at least if not in general 🙂@Intr1n5ic are we looking 60 hours then for 100%? I remember seeing the 30 but that was it. Just asking If 60 it’s not as short as was seeming 🙂 looks ace n turn based my preference 😎@Foxhound take your pick! Every game seems to launch in a bad state, to be patched and fixed a month or more into coming out.But to put names to them: Cyberpunk 2077 was a biggie (love it now though), Guardians of the Galaxy (again, excellent now), Star Wars Outlaws, Baldur’s Gate 3 (act 3, mainly), recently, luckily didn’t preorder as it was free, Lost Tapes: Bloom & Rage (common glitch recently wiped my whole save few chapters from the end).It’s the exception when a game launches in a decent state from Day 1, and that’s when you’re paying the most.@Decimateh-xblz It sounds like it. Just as much side content implies its around 30 as well. Devs sometimes over or underplay those numbers though.Really excited for this game.However, I think it’s Eurogamer’s preview who pointed a lack of map wharsoever and, as a person with no orientation skill (both in real life and video games), that frightens me a bit.I really wish the final release would have a map of some sort featured in.Since many people pointed out their concern regarding the lack of a map, I’ve contacted the ever reliable industry tipster RimJyan69 and he informed me that the publisher will send a physical map printed on high quality cloth to all the game owners@Intr1n5ic bonuss then I thought it was 30 on total until now 😅 glad it’s bit bigger then as looks amazing. Thanks for replying 🙂Going in blind for this one. Not seen anything apart from the origional trailer.@Deadp001Come on now. Source criticism. Eurogamer’s Katherine Castle couldn’t find her own way out of a telephone booth even if she had a reliable minimap.Also, maps are great and all, but games have come a long way and could be enjoyed without having your eyes fixed on a mini map which negates natural exploration and wayfinding.@Hyena_socks Thanks! Now that I think about it, the only game I bought right after release that was perfectly bug-free was Astrobot…Nice. We need more turn-based RPGs to guide Square & Final Fantasy back into the lightDay one on Game Pass. Let’s Go!@Foxhound I’ve heard Kingdom Come 2 is also pretty solid out the box, which is amazing for something that scale. It is possible, I think a lot of studios just use us as free QA these days to cut costs. Show CommentsLeave A CommentHold on there, you need to login to post a comment…PS Plus Essential Games for March 2025 Include Some Massive NamesA shockingly strong monthLast Chance to Get These 12 PS5, PS4 Games At Their Lowest Ever Prices in the Weekend OfferThe best PS Store deals from the Weekend OfferFree PS Plus Compensation for Recent PSN Downtime Is Being Issued NowYou don’t need to do anything43 PS5, PS4 Games You Should Buy in PS Store’s Dealmania SaleRecommended PS5 and PS4 games going cheapThese 13+ New PS5, PS4 Games Are Coming Out Next Week (3rd-9th March)Age of Mythology Retold! Split Fiction! Two Point Museum! MoreGame ProfileTitle:Clair Obscur: Expedition 33System:PlayStation 5Also Available For:Xbox Series X|SPublisher:Kepler InteractiveDeveloper:Sandfall InteractiveGenre:Action, Adventure, RPGPlayers:1Release Date:PlayStation StoreWhere to buy:Pre Order on Amazon
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