The following contains major spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
If its immediate success has proven anything, it's that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a lot going for it. Already one of 2025's Game of the Year picks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has everything a great RPG needs, from a captivating story to a breathtaking world, as well as one of the most engaging and rewarding combat systems in an RPG to date. One thing players might discover rather quickly, however, is how they can often manipulate combat scenarios with the use of Clair Obscur's most powerful element: Fire. By keeping stacks of Burn on their enemies at all times (most enemies, anyway), players can whittle away at health bars with ease and even take down some of the game's toughest bosses.
Many RPGs with elemental mechanics, should they favor one element over the other, often do so without any explanation or reason for it. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, on the other hand, justifies its preference for fire in its story. This justification roots itself deep in Clair Obscur's narrative, though, to the point that one must complete Act 2 to know the truth. Once that truth is revealed, although Clair Obscur doesn't outright say "This is why Fire is so powerful," the reason for that becomes clear.
The Unwritten Rules of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Explained
Before venturing into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, there are some unwritten rules about its combat and exploration players should take note of.
Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Fire Element Is So Powerful
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's World Is Actually One Big Painting
During the concluding cinematic sequences of Act 2 in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, players learn that the Paintress isn't who they thought she was, and neither is the world they've now become familiar with. In reality, the Paintress is actually Verso and Maelle's mother, though she is merely an artificial version of her real self. The world of Clair Obscur is, in truth, a massive painting constructed by Verso himself in the real world. This all becomes apparent when everyone in the world fades away shortly after the Paintress is defeated and then at the game's conclusion.
In the real world, there are at least two factions: Painters and Writers. While not much is known about Writers yet, Painters are able to create things by painting them on a Canvas. As a Painter, then, Verso painted the world of Clair Obscur on a Canvas and that world came to life, along with all the world's inhabitants. However, after Verso was killed, the Paintress entered the Canvas and reshaped it. This is precisely why everyone is "gommaged" in Clair Obscur when the Paintress is defeated within the Canvas, as her demise releases Renoir from the Monolith, after which he uses his Chroma to begin dismantling the Canvas.
Fire's Power in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is a By-Product of the Paintress' Grief
As far as why Fire and its ability to inflict Burn are so powerful in Clair Obscur, that comes down to Verso's death. In the real world, Verso and Maelle (who is actually called "Alicia") were caught in a tragic house fire. Alicia managed to make it out alive, although her entire body was scarred by it, and she lost her voice and one eye as a result. However, Verso was not so lucky. The fire ended up claiming Verso's life, leaving his mother Aline to grieve.
The world of Clair Obscur is, in truth, a massive painting constructed by Aline, Verso and Maelle's mother, in the real world.
Unable to handle the loss, Aline entered Verso's Canvas and then reshaped it to immortalize his memory, leading to her becoming the Paintress as a result. In other words, the reason the element of Fire and its Burn effect are so powerful in Clair Obscur is because fire is the very thing that took her son's life. In essence, the power of Fire in Clair Obscur is a by-product of the Paintress' grief, and it explains why it is not only overpowered in the game but also its most prominent element.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
