The following contains minor spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 does a lot of things very well, but one element that particularly stands out is its world design. It's not just the captivating visuals that reinforce this aspect of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 either, as it really comes down to the environmental diversity of the world, ensuring players are never bored with what they're looking at or where they're going. As players explore the Continent in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, each location they visit is likely not to blend in with everything else, thanks to Sandfall Interactive's attention to detail and willingness to branch out.
That being said, while almost every location in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is worth a visit, not all are created equal. Some zones stand out for their distinct and often unpredictable approaches to exploration, traversal, combat, and lore. One such location is Frozen Hearts, which players can visit shortly after arriving at Monoco's Station, though the area may be too difficult for some if they venture in early. Now, it's locations like Frozen Hearts that deserve a reprisal, whether it be in a future game or DLC for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, on account of its unique style, mechanics, and lore.
In Defense of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Platforming
Clair Obscur’s platforming may frustrate some, but there’s intention behind it, and the game knows exactly what players will do for the right reward.
The Case for More Locations Like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Frozen Hearts
Frozen Hearts Is a Melting Pot of Mechanics and Style
Again, there are plenty of locations in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that are guaranteed to stick with players long after their first visit, but Frozen Hearts is one of those that's on a different level. What makes Frozen Hearts so unique is how it has a combination of just about every element in the game, on top of the fact that it doles out what are arguably some of the best outfits in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Pelerin for Verso, and Danseuse for Lune and Sciel. Furthermore, everything ultimately culminates into one major boss battle, which isn't the case for every location in the game, and completing that boss battle then opens up a bunch of options for a Gestral merchant at Monoco's Station.
To get Lune's Danseus outfit, players are even required to complete a rhythmic parry-based battle with an enigmatic NPC called "Danseuse Teacher," and it turns out to be one of the most distinctive combat encounters in the game.
Combat in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Frozen Hearts also boasts unique mechanics that players don't find just anywhere in the game's world. Specifically, combat in Frozen Hearts is characterized by enemies that shift between fire and ice elements, depending on the player's attacks, meaning players can't just rely on builds that prioritize Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's powerful Burn effect. This is a pretty significant shakeup in the game's combat, which largely allows players to maintain one build across the board, making Frozen Hearts even more distinct in its design.
Why Frozen Hearts Deserves a Reprisal
All of this said, Frozen Hearts deserves a reprisal, either in a DLC or the next game. It's a shame Frozen Hearts is only one of a few locations in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that is built around such unique elements. As such, the IP's future should consider what makes Frozen Hearts so special and then design locations around that blueprint. Frozen Hearts not only features a unique approach to combat, special outfits for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's playable characters, and a major boss battle, but there are also fun platforming sections that take players to extremely tall heights in the zone.
There are plenty of locations in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that are guaranteed to stick with players long after their first visit, but Frozen Hearts is one of those that's on a different level.
There is just too much to like about Frozen Hearts for its design philosophy to go untouched in the future. Even its brief exploration of Verso's personal connection to the zone, which paints the location out to be a repository of past expeditions, is a notable characteristic that sets it apart from many other locations in the game. On the one hand, perhaps it's better that locations like Frozen Hearts are one in a million, as it makes them more special. On the other hand, it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's future to feature more locations like it.
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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
