Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – A Technical Deep Dive into 2025's Game of the Year
In a year where over 19,000 games launched on Steam, with nearly half struggling to garner even ten user reviews, a true gem emerged from the deluge: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Developed by the French studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, this turn-based RPG not only captivated critics and players alike but also swept The Game Awards 2025 with a record-breaking nine wins, including the coveted Game of the Year. Its success stands as a testament to focused development and innovative design in an increasingly crowded market. This review delves into the technical prowess, performance, and overall value proposition of this standout title.
Technical Breakdown
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, built on Unreal Engine 5, delivers a visually stunning experience set in a dark fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France. The game's unique blend of traditional turn-based combat with real-time mechanics, such as dodging, parrying, and chaining combos, demands both strategic thinking and responsive execution from players.
System Requirements and Performance
To fully immerse oneself in the enchanting yet perilous world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a capable PC is recommended. The game requires a 64-bit processor and operating system, with a minimum of Windows 10. For optimal performance, Windows 11 is suggested. Storage-wise, 55 GB of available space is needed, with an SSD being a mandatory requirement for both minimum and recommended specifications, highlighting the game's reliance on fast data access.
Benchmark analyses reveal that achieving a smooth 1080p experience at 60 frames per second (FPS) on high settings necessitates a robust configuration. For those aiming for the pinnacle of visual fidelity at 4K resolution with Epic settings, top-tier GPUs such as the NVIDIA RTX 4090 or the newer RTX 5090 are required to consistently maintain over 60 FPS. The game supports NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS for upscaling, which can significantly improve performance, though it notably lacks native AMD FSR support.
Visual Fidelity and Build Quality
The visual design of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a significant highlight, praised for its "painterly visuals and poetic storytelling" and "awe-inspiring world." The game makes effective use of Unreal Engine 5's features, including Lumen for impressive global illumination and consistent lighting. Character models are highly detailed, and environments are richly textured, contributing to a memorable aesthetic. On the PlayStation 5 Pro, the game runs at a rock-solid 60 FPS in Performance Mode, with Quality Mode offering enhanced visuals with occasional frame drops.
While generally well-optimized, some minor build quality observations include occasional lip-syncing issues in cutscenes, minor object pop-in, and a few instances of lower-quality full-motion videos (FMVs). However, these are largely considered minor blemishes in an otherwise polished experience, especially considering it is Sandfall Interactive's debut title.
Price-to-Performance Ratio
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched with a standard price of $50, a notable departure from the increasing trend of $70+ for many new releases. This pricing strategy, coupled with its critical acclaim and an engaging main story that offers approximately 20-30 hours of gameplay (extending to 35 hours with side content), presents an excellent price-to-performance ratio. The game's development budget was reportedly less than $10 million, yet it has sold over 5 million copies by October 2025, demonstrating remarkable commercial success and efficient resource utilization by the developer.
Specs Comparison Table (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 PC Requirements)
| Component | Minimum Requirements (1080p 30FPS Low) | Recommended Requirements (1080p 60FPS High) | High-End Performance (4K 60FPS Epic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 11 (64-bit) | Windows 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 1600X | Intel Core i7-12700K / AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | Intel Core i9-13900K / AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D (or newer) |
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB / AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB / Intel Arc A380 6 GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8 GB / AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT 16 GB | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB / AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB (or newer) |
| DirectX Version | Version 12 | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 55 GB available space (SSD required) | 55 GB available space (SSD required) | 55 GB available space (NVMe SSD recommended) |
Expert Verdict
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a monumental achievement, especially as a debut title from Sandfall Interactive. In a year characterized by an overwhelming number of game releases and significant discoverability challenges, this RPG carved out its own space through exceptional artistic vision, compelling narrative, and innovative gameplay mechanics. Its technical execution on Unreal Engine 5 is commendable, offering stunning visuals and generally solid performance across various hardware configurations, particularly when leveraging upscaling technologies like DLSS and XeSS. The game's accessible price point further enhances its appeal, delivering a premium experience without the premium cost. For hardware enthusiasts and RPG fans alike, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 represents not just a fantastic game, but a benchmark for what focused, creative development can achieve in the modern gaming landscape.