Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is What Happens When a Final Fantasy Story Doesn’t Pull Its Punches

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been relentlessly compared to Final Fantasy, and justifiably so. Not only was it designed to resemble the tone and worldbuilding of classic JRPGs, it deliberately channels the spirit of those games in both its turn-based combat and character-driven storytelling. Final Fantasy 10, in particular, has often been cited as the closest cousin of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for its ensemble cast, emotional storytelling, PS2-era JRPG feel, and even its mini-games. However, despite unashamedly digging its roots into Final Fantasy, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 commits to something that many stories from Square Enix’s beloved franchise have been afraid of.