At a time when so many new games fall into a handful of overpopulated categories, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 immediately stood out from the crowd upon its reveal at last summer’s Xbox Games Showcase.

Expedition 33 is the game to finally answer that cry, and this demo of the first few hours shows how French studio Sandfall Interactive is bringing Western triple-A design ideas to the genre in a fresh way without losing any of the fun from the classic JRPG formula.

Expedition 33 has all the makings of a modern turn-based classic. After playing a few hours of Sandfall Interactive’s dark fantasy RPG, I can say that Expedition 33 grasps the melodrama of modern Final Fantasy and marries it with the tactical turn-based combat fans of that series have been craving a return to for decades.

A Japanese role-player made by French developers, that replaces anime sensibilities with Gothic fantasy, is one of the most interesting RPGs of the year.

N ow just under two months away, I’ve been pretty mesmerised by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 since it was announced. Trailers so far have promised a stunning-looking RPG with a t