Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took the gaming world without warning when it turned probably the greatest reviewed video games of 2025 to this point, and offered over 3.33 million copies. It hit ranges of on-line dialog and reward usually reserved for the Elden Rings and Legend of Zeldas of the world. A part of that reward has described Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as revitalizing the turn-based style, one thing that is not actually true until you solely play Final Fantasy video games. However with the excessive reward from critics and constructive reception from followers, it appears doubtless that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will affect future RPGs, and that may have each constructive and damaging repercussions. There are some facets that possibly should not be taken for different video games, however there are methods in right here that different RPG builders completely ought to be taught from.
RPGs ought to steal character-specific fight mechanics
On paper, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s use of character-specific fight mechanics simply appears like a special model of lessons or jobs in turn-based fight, nevertheless it goes past that. Whereas a knight will excel at completely different facets of fight than a mage, the stream of fight for every is usually both the identical or has small variations, like the kind of buffs and debuffs you possibly can apply to every character.
The fight variations in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 go far past class variations, and permit for excellent class constructing consequently. For instance, the best way that Maelle’s stance altering works encourages far completely different Lumina builds in comparison with Monocco or Lune, creating 5 characters that really feel like distinct people, and never simply class archetypes.
RPGs ought to keep away from parrying (sure, actually)
Parrying is key to each Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s fight and success, because it presents an interesting strategy to actively take part in turn-based fight. But a part of the explanation that it really works is as a result of it is basic–the total sport is constructed round parrying enemies. Enemy actions, fight issue, and full facets of character builds are designed fully round this method.
As a result of recognition of Sekiro and different FromSoftware video games, parrying has change into pretty commonplace in video video games of late. This not solely makes the mechanic really feel much more stale than it ought to, nevertheless it has additionally made it straightforward to establish the 2 sorts of parry video games. There are parry video games like Sekiro and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which can be constructed round parrying, and there are video games like The First Berzerker: Khazan, which have parrying, however aren’t reliant upon the mechanic.
Sekiro and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 require parrying, and are designed round that. Enemies assault in methods meant to confuse your capability to parry, however all the time observe the identical assault patterns, to allow them to be discovered. In different experiences, parrying is a instrument in your instrument belt, and since you do not have to make use of it, enemy assault patterns cannot be constructed with that in thoughts. It usually turns into probably the most highly effective transfer in that form of sport, since parrying deflects away assaults and can supply a gap for a powerful assault. In these instances, parrying truly takes away from the opposite facets of fight.
What RPG makers ought to take from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is that they need to put money into fight methods that function facets that add depth and dynamism to turn-based video games, and construct round these features–not that they need to simply copy Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s homework. Flip-based RPGs have been using lively parts for many years with video games like Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and one of the best examples share that purposeful use of lively parts. One other turn-based sport may use parrying efficiently, but when it is simply being tacked on as a result of it is in style, the outcomes will not be anyplace close to as profitable.
RPGs ought to steal extra impactful gear
Weapons, Luminas, and Pictos are among the extra underrated facets of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as these methods permit for artistic (and busted) fight builds. Whereas I do not want these particularly lifted, nor do I want each RPG to permit me to interrupt the fight with a busted construct, I discover that many RPG’s gear feels so easy that it isn’t price serious about past the numbers getting larger.
Weapons in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 all have distinctive passive talents that drastically change the way you play. For instance, the weapon I used with Sciel all the time utilized the utmost quantity of Foretell, as an alternative of the quantity listed on a ability. That allowed me to make use of expertise with decrease prices to use Foretell, since I’d all the time get the max, so I may use the financial savings to afford higher-cost talents that apply further harm based mostly on Foretell, maximizing my harm. If I used a special weapon, I’d have needed to fully change my battle technique. The best way these facets can drastically change your method even to a single character presents a lot extra depth than many RPGs.
RPGs ought to keep away from a whole lack of map markers
The pushback towards sport world maps coated in goal markers has been going sturdy, reaching a fever pitch with the discharge of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017, which opted to have few goal markers on its large map. Folks towards goal markers argue that they flip any quantity of story-telling or exploration that would occur into you simply going from one goal to the subsequent, not participating with the areas in between.
The argument has been that not having map markers encourages exploration and discovery, and when applied nicely, like in Elden Ring, it really works wonders. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn’t have degree design, nor overworld design, that works nicely with a scarcity of goal markers. Essentially the most profitable examples are open-world video games, however Clair Obscur options small, largely linear ranges. Even the aspect areas are normally brief, winding areas, so as an alternative of a scarcity of map markers resulting in participating exploration, it results in you getting misplaced in these areas, as you possibly can’t all the time establish which means leads ahead and which leads again when you get circled.
The overworld map suffers not as a result of it is easy to get misplaced, however as a result of so many areas are finest left to return again to. However when you attain the purpose the place you need to return, you will notice you are not certain which areas you’ve got explored, and which of them you have not. With out an in-game tracker, and even one thing so simple as stamps for the map, you are left to your reminiscence or a guidelines exterior of the sport, which may take you out of the story.
RPGs ought to steal quick intros
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has obtained excessive reward for its shorter runtime, clocking in someplace between 24-60 hours, shorter than different high-profile turn-based RPGs, like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Whereas I believe there’s a place for RPGs of all lengths, there’s a side of Clair Obscur’s shorter run time that I do assume different RPGs ought to steal.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hits the bottom operating. You get a quick however actually efficient stroll across the metropolis of Lumiere at first that gives tons of world-building to chew on, earlier than shortly sending you out into the world. Flip-based RPGs can usually spend a ton of time at first, front-loading a ton of world-building, leading to it taking just a few hours to truly get into the rhythm of the sport. Clair Obscur’s quick intros not solely present a extra engaging hook to stay round, however the sooner tempo additionally signifies that it would not have the time to overwhelm you with backstory and correct nouns. The sluggish introductions in different RPGs are sometimes used to do a considerable amount of exposition and world-building, which can’t solely make for a sluggish begin to the story, however may overload you with info, making it troublesome to truly digest.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will proceed to be a scorching subject on the subject of video games, particularly in dialog with different RPGs. It has an excellent shot at making an look in many shops’ sport of the 12 months conversations, so it is prone to be on the thoughts of different builders for some time, too. However whereas there are many nice facets of Clair Obscur to take inspiration from, hopefully not each aspect will make an look in future turn-based RPGs, and builders will put ingenuity first.