Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
The Fracture ripped the globe apart nearly a century ago, and the only people who survived are surviving on the tiny island of Lumière. Since then, every year in the most remote parts of the ancient continent, a strange entity known as The Paintress has risen to etch a number into a monolith, reducing all people of that era to dust, and she is counting down. In an attempt to stop the godlike figure, even though no one has ever returned, inventor Gustave launches an expedition to those far-off beaches with just a year to go before his number runs out.
Clair Obscur, a dark fantasy with stunning Belle Époque livery, delves right in with intricate mythology while engrossing players in its eerie setting. The game feels strangely cozy, cheerful, and even welcoming, despite the fact that death permeates every aspect of it, even the lovely but frequently melancholy soundtrack. This is mostly due to its amazing ensemble of people, each of them finds a unique reason to persevere in the face of extinction that seems imminent.
Gustave (Charlie Cox from Daredevil) views the voyage as a chance to conduct research and find solace in knowledge, while Lune (Kirsty Rider), an ally, views it as a chance to overcome sorrow after his former sweetheart Sophie was abducted by the Paintress. Verso (Ben Starr), an apparently ageless figure who watches the expedition for his own purposes, and Maelle (Jennifer English), Gustave’s 16-year-old ward, who joins up young rather than squandering her brief time in Lumière, are the most intriguing character. It is fundamentally humanistic for a game that is so deeply based in esoteric strangeness—you have to encounter a tribe of irate paintbrush people, and that is not even the most bizarre aspect.
Despite being developed by Sandfall Interactive, a French business, Clair Obscur is a tribute to vintage Japanese role-playing games. Although evident, the influence of genre heavyweights Final Fantasy and Persona (as well as a hint of Dark Souls) has developed, especially in combat, which masterfully combines turn-based and real-time mechanics. Instead of using the same old “I hit, you hit” strategy, players must now take into account each character’s special abilities to accumulate damage over several turns while evading and parrying opposing attacks as they occur. In set piece boss fights, where the entire party is bouncing around while reality itself distorts and expands around them, timing them can be difficult, but it makes even the most basic exchange of punches feel magnificent.
Clair Obscur establishes itself as an immediate classic and a strong contender for one of the finest in the genre with its intensely emotive writing and truly startling plot twists, even though its advanced mechanics may be enough to please on their own. This is an adventure worth embarking on now, even though a film version is already in the works.