AchilliesBadger Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review

I had never heard of this game before seeing it on Cohh's stream. It wasn't even on my radar, and I wasn't interested in playing, but after seeing the prologue as seen on Cohh's stream, I decided to give it a try as it was on Game Pass. Started the game and finished the prologue and first act in 1 sitting because I was so immersed with the way the game felt and played. The story, characters, environments, and combat encounters felt refreshing in a sea of mediocre games. After finishing act 1, I knew this game was different from other games, I knew this was a passion project, and I knew I had to do the right thing. So I bought the game on Steam to show my support for these amazing developers. The turn-based combat system might not be for everyone, and some will hate it, but the story is worth it. The story is very mature and covers some dark topics and philosophical questions that will take some time to process. The strongest part of the story is the way it's presented to you as the player. It's a story with multiple layers and throws many questions towards the player and trusts the player to connect the dots, and that's a refreshing way to present a story. A story where you actually are rewarded for listening to conversations and where many clues are hidden inside dialogue or cinematic scenes, or where every map/zone has secrets that reward the player with actual lore that further enhances the player's understanding of this incredible detailed world.