Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review — the turn-based RPG everyone is talking about: is it worth a month of rental

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched in April 2025 from the French studio Sandfall Interactive and quickly became one of the highest-rated games of the decade: over 90 on the review aggregators and Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025. It is a turn-based RPG set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France, where a being known as the Paintress erases everyone of a certain age every year. You lead Expedition 33, a party sent to destroy her.

Below is a spoiler-free overview: what works, what does not, how long it takes, and whether it is worth a rental.

Account rental · SteamClair Obscur: Expedition 33from 70 ₴Rent

What kind of game it is

Combat is turn-based, but you are never just waiting. On the enemy's turn you dodge, jump or parry in real time. A well-timed parry earns action points and a counterattack, so you need to watch the screen even when it is not your character's turn. On your own turn you can pick a skill or aim a free shot at a weak point by hand. There are six playable characters, each with their own weapons and skill tree, and perks come from equippable items called Pictos (over two hundred of them), which later unlock Luminas that every party member can use.

The world is made of linear but branching areas with side quests, collectibles and optional bosses, connected by a travel map. The music is by Lorien Testard, and it is praised in nearly every review.

Scores and player reception

PC Gamer is the noticeable outlier. Every other outlet we checked sits at 4–5 out of 5 or 9–10 out of 10. Awards include nine wins at The Game Awards 2025 (Game of the Year among them), the Golden Joysticks, the D.I.C.E. Awards and more.

What critics praise

• Combat. Parrying and dodging make turn-based fights feel alive rather than like a menu with animations. Critics call it a modern take on the genre.
• Visual style. Reviewers praise the art direction; Edge called the look "dreamily intoxicating".
• Music and voice acting. An operatic score and performers who carry the emotional scenes.
• Story. IGN singles out how the game handles mortality and loss.

What critics criticise

• Exploration. GameSpot finds it mechanically uninteresting, and several outlets (Game Informer, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, GamesRadar+) note the lack of a mini-map, which makes large areas easy to get lost in.
• Side quests and balance. According to Edge, side quests can over-level your party and take the edge off later fights.
• Small interface annoyances. GameSpot lists a few quality-of-life issues.
• The texture incident. Placeholder textures made with generative AI were found in the launch build; a patch replaced them within five days, but the Indie Game Awards organisers rescinded two awards they had given the game.

How long it takes and whether a month is enough

Outlets and players give these numbers (we could not check HowLongToBeat, so these are estimates from reviews and guides):

Ukrainian, copy protection and multiplayer

• Ukrainian is supported for the interface and subtitles. Voice-over is English and French (Steam flags a few more languages), but there is no Ukrainian dub.
• The game is single-player, no multiplayer, so offline rental is no obstacle.
• The Steam page does not list Denuvo. Still, launch the game once with internet before switching Steam to offline mode (see how it works).
• Full controller support, and Steam marks a gamepad as recommended.

PC requirements

You need 55 GB of space and an SSD. OS: Windows 10 (minimum) or Windows 11 (recommended).

Who it is for, and who should skip it

It is for you if you like story-driven RPGs, do not mind turn-based combat and find timed parrying a fun layer rather than a chore. It also suits anyone who wants one complete story of 30–50 hours.

Skip it if you want an open world with free exploration and a mini-map, or you simply cannot stand turn-based fights. Combat is the core of the game and the story cannot be seen without it, so "just reading the plot" is not an option.

Verdict: is it worth a month of rental

Yes. It is a rare case where the high score is backed by both critics and players (95% positive on Steam) and the length fits inside a month of rental. The main caveats are the weak exploration and the missing mini-map, and neither breaks the game. Ukrainian interface and subtitles remove the main language barrier.

Sources

• Steam store page — languages, requirements, reviews, price
• Metacritic (PC)
• OpenCritic — average score, recommend rate, outlet scores
• Wikipedia: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — mechanics, awards, review summary
• Lootlevelchill: how long to beat
• Insider Gaming: how long to beat
• Deltias Gaming: how long to beat