Clair Obscur gripped me throughout the first minutes of its dramatic prologue. A turn-based RPG with a Belle Époque, steampunky aesthetic and a bleak world of monsters and magic? I do know they are saying to not put a hat on a hat, however when that hat’s a beret… magnifique. The story opens with the folks of Lumière celebrating its annual get-together the place the Paintress, a sobbing large past the town’s shores, etches a quantity right into a cliff, and a whole bunch of onlookers instantly evaporate into petals and smoke.
The morbid chilly open results in our protagonists, Gustav and Maelle, becoming a member of Expedition 33: a activity drive crusing to the house of the Paintress to finish her yearly ritual. The heroic journey rapidly turns into a sinister demise march, one which scratches a lot of my explicit itches. Horror, emotional gutpunches, daring, thought-provoking reveals. Its story is encapsulated by the affirmation its characters repeat to themselves after they falter: “For many who come after.” It’s as a lot a reminder of the longer term they struggle for as a bleak reassurance their ends will imply one thing.
The morbid chilly open results in our protagonists, Gustav and Maelle, becoming a member of Expedition 33: a activity drive crusing to the house of the Paintress to finish her yearly ritual. The heroic journey rapidly turns into a sinister demise march, one which scratches a lot of my explicit itches. Horror, emotional gutpunches, daring, thought-provoking reveals. Its story is encapsulated by the affirmation its characters repeat to themselves after they falter: “For many who come after.” It’s as a lot a hopeful reminder of the longer term they’re combating for as a bleak reassurance that their inevitable ends will imply one thing.
Clair Obscur teeters between grim and optimistic, and, sure, typically, even ridiculous, however it’s all the time sudden. It defies conference, and its refusal to be extra of the identical bleeds into extra than simply storytelling.
It was evident from the primary time I squared as much as an enemy. Epic music blares and the battle system explodes onto display, gushing with aptitude and character. To date so acquainted. Likewise, all of the RPG mainstays are right here: Assault, magic, particular skills. However the important thing distinction is that you just defend towards strikes in actual time. Enemies lunge with wind-up assaults, and it’s a must to time dodges to weave away.
That’s the secure possibility, anyway.
The opposite path whispered candy nothings into my ear, tempting me with a succulent threat vs reward parry system. I did not count on a battle system that appears to be born from a mix of Closing Fantasy and Persona would have such a wholesome dollop of Sekiro-like parries. You solely should learn my Whole Chaos impressions to know {that a} parry flicks each dopamine change in my mind.
When the satisfying clang of my first deflection hit, and I realized flawless parry strings result in brutal counters, perfecting it consumed me. Studying assault animations and deflection timings throughout a number of hellacious fights was the stint the place this recreation turned unforgettable. It drew me in with an obsessive demand for perfection akin to a Souls recreation, and it rewarded my finding out.
Each good block gave me additional AP that powered my particular skills, permitting me to unleash lethal strikes that completed the struggle in seconds. And as soon as I carved out that playstyle, evolving it turned my mission. I created customized Pictos loadouts, and the collectable trinkets’ distinctive perks let me customise character builds I may strategise round. By the top, AP was a candy nectar I feasted upon. My Pictos turned each string of parries right into a sea of AP, which I’d funnel into Maelle so she may unleash Goku-level tremendous strikes between quaint taunts in her British accent.
Clair Obscur created a Frankensteined concoction of interwoven programs and RPG influences that had me written throughout it. Its turn-based fights had been strategic and allowed me to achieve a bonus via tactical planning, however these plans relied on my honed Soulsborne expertise in exploiting boss patterns and executing pinpoint deflections. It’s considered one of my favorite turn-based battle programs up to now, as a result of Clair Obscur isn’t content material being each different RPG. Whether or not it is the story or the fights, it tears pages out of the rulebook and rearranges them into one thing new, and I can’t anticipate Sandfall Interactive to start out ripping them out over again.
Ollie: I can rely on one hand the variety of video games whose tales have gripped me like Clair Obscur has. The primary half-hour is already well-established as one of many strongest openings to any recreation, and the cruel twists and great characters solely appeared to hit tougher as I progressed. There’s loving craftsmanship in all places you look.
