This article contains spoilers aboutClair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Paintress identity, early game spoilers forFinal Fantasy 10, and revelations about Shadowheart’s personal narrative inBaldur’s Gate 3.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is a breakout title that pushed boundaries with its painterly visuals, rhythmic combat, and layered emotional storytelling. Developed by the small team at Sandfall Interactive, the game has sold over 3.3 million copies, standing out during a crowded release window that includedThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Even French President Emmanuel Macron publicly congratulated the team—a rare moment of national recognition for a debut RPG.
Its success can be traced to a strong narrative core, an unconventional turn-based combat system, and a world that draws from art history, music, and existential dread. Players looking for their next experience may find it in one of the following games, each offering something that reflects or deepens the themes ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Legend of Dragoon Combat Feels Surprisingly Familiar
Many players noted thatClair Obscur’s rhythmic attacks brought to mindThe Legend of Dragoon. In that 1999 title, players perform timed button presses during attacks called “Additions,” which made basic actions more interactive and satisfying. That mechanic is echoed inClair Obscur, where spells and melee strikes often require timing-based inputs to land critical hits or stagger enemies.
The two games also mirror each other in how they treat transformation. InThe Legend of Dragoon, characters unlock Dragoon forms that change their abilities and animations mid-fight.Clair Obscursimilarly lets Maelle shift combat flowwith unlockable skills that change tempo and allow chain reactions, especially during the painterly “Final Touch” sequences.
WhileThe Legend of Dragoonshows its agewith sluggish pacing and dated localization, it still captures a raw emotional intensity. Dart’s mission to avenge his village and uncover his lineage offers a familiar blend of grief and duty, much like Maelle’s reluctant role in certain story events.
The PS4 and PS5 versions ofThe Legend of Dragooninclude save states and rewind features, which help offset its slower moments and make it easier for modern players to enjoy.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and the Weight of Fate
BothFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthandClair Obscurexplore the heavy theme of fate. InRebirth, the party grapples with the implications of the Whispers, ghostly entities that enforce destiny. InClair Obscur, the selection of those destined to die is final, and Maelle’s role is heartbreakingly interconnected with it. Players who enjoyed the tension between choice and predetermination will find a deep narrative parallel.
The comparison between Aerith and Maelle also goes beyond visual elegance. Both characters serve as emotional centers in their respective stories and carry burdens they rarely voice aloud. InRebirth, Aerith’s cryptic awareness of future eventsadds a layer of tragedy. Similarly, Maelle’s internal monologue and journals provide insight into the guilt she carries.
Combat in both games blends action with pause-and-plan mechanics. InRebirth, players can freeze time using Tactical Modeto issue commands, whileClair Obscuruses rhythmic spell casting and paint-based abilities that feel responsive and deliberate. An example fromRebirthis the ability to synergize Aerith’s “Ray of Judgment” with Cloud’s “Infinity’s End,” echoing how Maelle’s late-game spells require coordination between timing and enemy vulnerability states.
Final Fantasy 16 Offers Intensity and Introspection
Final Fantasy 16is a more controversial choice, but there is thematic overlap and a shared commitment to character-driven storytelling. Clive, like Maelle, is shaped by tragedy and betrayal. His homeland is destroyed, his family torn apart, and his own identity questioned throughout the game. For players who connected to Maelle’s quiet unraveling, Clive’s emotional arc offers a similar introspective journey.
The voice actor,Ben Starr, bringsFF16’s Clive to lifewith a performance that mixes restraint and fury. That’s particularly evident during the Phoenix Gate scene, where Clive relives a traumatic moment in slow, suffocating detail. Maelle’s breaking point during the latter parts ofClair Obscurshares that same emotional clarity.
The combat inFinal Fantasy 16discards party systems in favor of one-on-one combat with cinematic spectacle. For example, players cansummon Eikonic abilitieslike Titanic Block or Garuda’s Deadly Embrace to interrupt enemy patterns. While more action-focused thanClair Obscur, both games emphasize visual flair and clean inputs over overwhelming systems.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 Balances Lore and Humanity
Indeed,Xenoblade Chronicles 3andClair Obscurboth anchor their conflicts in existential dread. InXenoblade 3, characters are born into a war they don’t fully understand and are locked into ten-year lifespans known as “terms.” The parallels toClair Obscur’s annual purge of artists, those most connected to emotion and rebellion, are stark.
Xenoblade 3’slead duo, Noah and Mio, are Off-Seerswho play flutes at the funerals of the fallen. Music is woven directly into the worldbuilding. That artistic use of sound mirrors how French classical music plays an atmospheric and narrative role inClair Obscur. The moment when Mio’s melody lingers over a battlefield in Chapter 5 recalls Maelle’s solitary violin scene after a pivotal loss.
Combat inXenoblade 3revolves around class-swapping and Ouroboros transformations. These require long-term planning, but moment-to-moment control is satisfying. A concrete example is how the “Incursor” class allows critical damage chains that require positional awareness and cooldown management, an echo of howClair Obscurdemands focus and precision from players juggling rhythm patterns and enemy weakness cycles.
Lost Odyssey Builds Emotion Through Silence
Lost Odysseyis often remembered for its “A Thousand Years of Dreams” novella segments, but the core game tells its story just as effectively through quiet observation. Kaim, the immortal protagonist, begins the game without memory, mirroring howClair Obscurfeeds players information slowly through environmental design and side stories rather than lengthy exposition.
One memorable example comes from the “A Thousand Years of Dreams” segments, particularly the story titledA Hero’s Return. In it, Kaim visits a village that worships a fallen soldier. The quiet restraint of his revelations in this moment mirrorsClair Obscur’s environmental storytelling, like when Maelle finds remnants of a forgotten artist’s final work. Both games trust the player to find significance in silence, rather than action.
Mechanically,Lost Odysseyuses a ring-based combat systemthat requires players to time their attacks to deal extra damage, not unlike how Maelle’s brush strokes must land within narrow windows to achieve bonus effects. Both games require presence, not just inputs.
Final Fantasy 10 Grapples with Death and Duty
InFinal Fantasy 10, Yuna embarks on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin, a monstrous being that terrorizes the world. The twist is that this ritual comes at the cost of her life. Maelle’s role inClair Obscuras the “Paintress,” tasked with executing chosen artists, carries a similarly sacrificial undertone.
One concrete story parallel is the Farplane scene inFinal Fantasy 10, where the dead appear as memories. Tidus watches his mother fade into pyreflies, questioning what is real. InClair Obscur, the hallucinated encounter with a deceased comrade during a fever dream sequence invites that same discomfort with memory and mortality.
TheConditional Turn-Based (CTB) system inFinal Fantasy 10allows players to manipulate turn order by selecting faster abilities or debuffs. For instance, using Haste or Delay Buster creates control over enemy movement, much like how Maelle’s slow spells lock down enemy actions if executed with proper timing.
Baldur’s Gate 3 and the Power of Single-Player Design
At first glance,Baldur’s Gate 3seems mechanically unrelated. Its Dungeons & Dragons framework uses dice rolls, party tactics, and grid-based combat. Yet its core design philosophy shares a heartbeat withClair Obscur: emotional storytelling, consequences that matter, and faith in single-player experiences.
ActorJennifer English voices bothClair Obscur’s Maelle andBG3’s Shadowheart. InBaldur’s Gate 3, Shadowheart’s internal conflict over her devotion to Shar creates several pivotal moments. One specific example occurs in Act 2, when players discover the fate of her parents. The player’s influence changes how she processes the revelation. InClair Obscur, Maelle’s breakdown in the latter part of the story builds toward a similar climax where emotion overrides duty.
Both games also allow characters to shape the world not just through combat but through presence. InBaldur’s Gate 3, a high Charisma statlets players defuse conflicts. InClair Obscur, players can examine brush strokes in destroyed murals to learn about the victims. There are no branching paths, but the world responds to quiet observation.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33leaves a lingering ache, the kind that only certain games can stir. Each of the titles listed here offers a different path forward, but all share the courage to confront mortality, memory, and meaning. Whatever players choose next, it’s clear thatClair Obscurhas set a new standard for what a first journey can be.
