Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the sort of RPG that's not afraid to throw some hulking behemoths your party's way from early on. Even besides dedicated super bosses, it's possible to wander into battles against enemies that tower above the battle camera a short ways into the open world, making me feel dizzy to look up at, and like I have about as much chance of winning the match-up as I do understanding what 'Clair Obscur' actually means.
A page from Xenoblade Chronicles' book, perhaps? That distinctly open world RPG is all about meeting your freedom of exploration with the peril of getting stomped by ginormous roaming creatures. Not quite. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels unique in the pantheon of RPGs by how skill-based its battle system truly is. There's always the option to come back later, or grind your way through experience now – but you don't actually have to do so in order to dominate some of the game's toughest enemies. The flexibility is one of the things we loved most about our adventure in our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review.
