We've been excited for Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ever since it was announced for Xbox Game Pass a little while ago, but after watching today's Xbox Developer Direct Showcase, it's become a must-play!

The game, which now has a release date of April 24, 2025, takes the form of a turn-based RPG featuring unique real-time mechanics, and follows a group of adventurers in their attempt to save their lives and prevent the evil Paintress from "painting death".

Confused? Here's a bit more context to the story and the basics of gameplay:

"Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again."

"In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system."

Just to clarify, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not being published by Xbox Game Studios despite featuring in the Xbox Developer Direct event, but nevertheless is definitely one of the most highly-anticipated titles on our short-term radar!

Excited for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on Xbox Game Pass? Tell us down in the comments below.