Clair Obscur: Expedition 33shows its inspirations on its sleeve in the best way possible. It takes the magical genre of the RPG and creates magnificent gameplay and stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals from it.
Suppose you’ve enjoyed Clair Obscur from the small team of Sandfall Interactive. In that case, you’ll likely enjoy the games the team was inspired by, including Final Fantasy X and, surprisingly, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Here are the best games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
7Persona 3 Reload
Persona 3 Reload
One of the best turn-based RPGs out there is Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the beloved PS2 entry in the series. In an imaginative dark story revolving around creatures called Shadows, you’re working your way up Tartarus, an evolving dungeon that holds many horrors in store for every player.
While you’re not taking down foes and recruiting them to your team (like Pokemon), you’re ranking up your social links, engaging in conversations with your allies and friends around town. You’ll also be earning money at your job and boosting your stats by engaging in activities. During battles, you’ll have to master the turn-based system and use the right skills to overwhelm your opponents. The levels themselves have plenty of plunder to find too.
6Child of Light
Child of Light
If you like the active focus of the turn-based system in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you may enjoy Child of Light as well. Made by Ubisoft in its beautiful UbiArt Framework engine, you’ll explore a fantasy world called Lemuria and try to get back home to 1895 Austria. You’ll be fighting the Queen of the Night and her minions to escape. The game uses an Active-Time battle system and lets you switch between the characters of your party.
You’ll need to master magical spells and the Child of Light Aurora’s overly big sword to conquer against the darkness. The game interestingly tells its story in rhyme and the watercolor-like art style will draw you further into the world this game showcases.
The UbiArt Framework engine also helped create the spectacular Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends 2D platformers.
5Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sandfall Interactive producer Francois Meurisse has directly said that FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a direct influence on Clair Obscur: Expedition. “The game director was playingSekiroat the same time, and he thought that the feeling of dodges and parries felt so good in From Software games, that’s when we started to implement a more reactive, turn-based system in our own game,” said the studio’s producer Francois Meurisse toRPGSite.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is an exciting action game from the developer of Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Parrying is essential to succeed in the game, and you’ll have to have your wits about you during a playthrough. This is arguably FromSoftware’s most difficult title, but the hard grind is very much worth the struggle for players who fall in love with the game. You’ll also get a gritty narrative that follows this Sengoku era-inspired Soulslike.
4Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG
Admittedly, the art styles of Super Mario RPG and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are wildly different from each other. However, if you like active turn based system which require an input from you for additional damage, Super Mario RPG might be for you. For example, while Mario is readying his hammer, if you hit the button at the right time, the Italian plumber will take out more HP.
Review: Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG succeeds at invoking feelings of nostalgia for the 16-bit era while looking good enough to pass for a modern game.
Originally a Super Nintendo game, it was remade for the Nintendo Switch with all new visuals and music by the original composer,Yoko Shimomura. The brimming colors of the remake truly shine on the Nintendo Switch.Our reviewgave it a 4.5/5, saying it’s “a game that is as simple as it is fun.”
3Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles
We don’t see many Japanese RPGs, if any, set in a fictional take on World War 2, and Valkyria Chronicles does a fantastic job of telling a compelling story within that 1930s timeframe. There’s camaraderie between the characters as they try to save the Gallians from the invasion and secure the invaluable natural resource Ragnite. There’s a unique art style to this game that’s inspired by watercolour paintings, and despite this game originally launching on the PS3 still looks gorgeous to this day.
Like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, expect a dramatic story set within the war setting. In turns, you’ll be firing weapons and controlling tanks to take down your enemy with over 100 customizable characters. It’s usually on sale so keep an eye out!
2Sea of Stars
Sea of Stars
If you want to support another indie developer and enjoy another love letter to the Japanese RPG genre, Sea of Stars should be your next best bet. It has a charming retro-inspired art style with wonderful sprites and environments to explore. The animations are appealing too.
The combat system revolves around active combat. You’ll need to press buttons to interact with certain attacks, and if you time your presses perfectly, you’ll get maximum damage. The music is also a highlight, with ten of the tracks being composed by Chrono Trigger’s Yashonori Mitsuda. Eric W. Brown also put in an excellent effort on the soundtrack. The game has nowreached over six million players.
1Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
In the same interview with RPGGamer, which spoke about Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it has also been mentioned that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been inspired by Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, and Final Fantasy X. The latter game explores the provoking story of Tidus and Yuna as they try to settle down a beast called Sin that wrecks havoc around the world. There is a rising sense of drama that occurs as the love story between Tidus and Yuna intensifies. Yuna’s role as a summoner is a gripping problem that she and her guardians have to wrestle with, making a riveting story.
The combat system is turn-based like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and plays around with the concept more than other entries in the series. You can interact with the environment to change the dynamics of intense boss battles. Additionally, there are special moves that can be utilized that require precise button inputs to be successful. The music of Final Fantasy X is arguably the best in the series with a standout battle theme, the emotional “To Zanarkand,” and of course the main theme “Suteki Da Ne” that makes you cry every time you hear it.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - The Manor Dining Hall Puzzle Guide
Puzzles are plentiful in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and The Manor holds many of them.
