With its reveal buried in the middle of Microsoft’s mammoth Xbox showcase over the summer, you could be forgiven for not being aware of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a fantasy RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive that looks like a mashup of Dragon Age and Final Fantasy. The turn-based adventure continues to look stunning though, and it just announced an all-star voice cast to boot that includes Andy Serkis.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a dark fantasy RPG inspired by the French Belle Époque (think French Impressionism and the Lumière brothers) about a group of explorers trying to take on a god called the Paintress who’s terrorizing the countryside with arbitrary mass killings. The turn-based combat mixes in real-time elements, while the gorgeous menus and evocative UI look like a cross between Persona and Dishonored. If the actual game can live up to its early trailers, we could have something really special on our hands.
And despite coming from a brand-new studio, the just-revealed cast for the game is full of top-notch talent. In addition to Serkis, best known as Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and as Andor’s Kino Loy in the single best episode of Star Wars TV ever produced, Expedition 33 also features the voice talents of Final Fantasy XVI’s Clive Rosfield (Ben Starr) and Baldur’s Gate III’s Shadowheart (Jennifer English). Here’s the full cast list so far:
- Andy Serkis (13 Going on 30) as a man trying to save his family named Renoir
- Charlie Cox (Daredevil) as the lead engineer Gustave
- Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI) as the dangerous stranger Verso
- Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate III) as the shy loner Maelle
- Kirsty Rider (Sandman) as chief researcher Lune
- Shala Nyx (The Old Guard) as the cheerful warrior Sciel
The newest trailer features the talents of both Starr, who helped carry Final Fantasy XVI’s uneven story to hell and back on his shoulders, and Serkis, who we still love despite his saying some dumb stuff about AI. The gameplay footage also gives a wider look at Expedition 33‘s unique world and massive monsters. A giant clockwork golem fight demonstrates the game’s timing-based combat mechanics, and a grappling hook-like power shows off one of the game’s many traversal abilities.
Devora Wilde (Space Marine 2), Tracy Wiles (Metaphor: ReFantazio), Rich Keeble, and Maxence Cazorla are in the game as well. “The actors were phenomenal to work with (and just all-around great people),” wrote Clair Obscur lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen on the PlayStation Blog. “We had a lot of fun during the recording sessions. The cast beautifully conveyed the complexity of the characters, who have each been shaped by the harshness of their world. Every character has been affected by deep and constant loss and has dealt with this in their own way.”
Expedition 33 doesn’t have a set release date yet, but it’s supposed to come to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC early in 2025. So far the Unreal Engine 5 game looks like it’s shaping up nicely. I wouldn’t be surprised if it still gets one or two minor delays, but I’m looking forward to it whenever it finally arrives.
