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"Escape. Yeah. That's What I Wanted"

Square Enix had 15 damn years to get this right — they didn't. Sandfall shows them how it's done, and does it at a fraction of the price. Absolute legends.
For anyone planning to play, here’s a heads-up that’ll seriously double your experience. I used RTX HDR mode and Clair Obscur fix that removes those annoying black bars in cutscenes, a mod that gets rid of the over-sharpening and subtitle background blurs, and DLSS V310.2.1.0 (using DLSS Swapper), which actually looks better than native 4K. Definitely check these out before you dive in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN91jLQJjcQ
Some games aren't just about flashy graphics or tight gameplay. And they’re not just trying to tell you a story either. They feel like a painting coming to life pulling you in with their colors, style, and atmosphere.It’s got serious artistic flair, a poetic vibe in its storytelling, and turn-based combat that feels deep enough to stand beside genre greats.
Expedition 33 leans into a darker tone at times, but overall, it’s dressed in the elegance of the French Belle Époque—just with a fantastical twist. You can feel it in everything: the environments, the character and enemy designs, the overall atmosphere. The devs clearly didn’t stick to a traditional fantasy playbook—they went for a unique visual language, and it seriously pays off.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3492231079
One minute you’re up against puppet-like enemies that look like they’ve walked straight out of a dark fairy tale, the next you’re fighting elemental creatures in epic battles. The storytelling occasionally throws in those quirky, light-hearted JRPG-style moments that give you a breather from the plot—but make no mistake, this game takes itself seriously. And it shows, especially in how the narrative is built and delivered.
The story of Expedition 33 revolves around a mysterious entity known only as the Painter, and a haunting cycle that grips the world. Every year, the Painter marks a single number on a massive canvas—counting down, one year at a time. And when that number is drawn, everyone of that age... simply vanishes, erased with a single brushstroke.

The narrative is sometimes brutal, often tragic, and it moves with a sense of urgency and tension. Especially in the first half, the story stays tightly paced—you’re constantly drawn in, not just by what’s happening, but by what’s hiding beneath it all. The game drops just enough hints to keep you theorizing, wondering about the bigger picture without giving everything away.
Relationships between characters, the heavy emotional stakes, and the ever-present mystery all give the story real depth—it’s not just a frame around the gameplay; it is the canvas. That said, the momentum does slip a bit toward the end. The pacing drags at times, and there are moments when you start to feel like you’re just pushing through to see it end. Still, even with those lulls, the narrative manages to leave a strong impression overall.
In Expedition 33, you’re not just stuck controlling a single character—you can switch between different members of the squad even outside of combat, which adds a nice bit of variety to the exploration. The world design itself follows that classic JRPG "corridor" structure we saw a lot in the late '90s and early 2000s. At first, the paths branch out just a little, but later on, things get more intricate. There’s no in-game map, though—so you’ll need to memorize the layout yourself if you want to find all the extras. It encourages exploration in that old-school way: pay attention, remember the routes, and dig around for hidden goodies.
One of my favorite features was the world map system, which really brought back that JRPG nostalgia. It’s got that Final Fantasy vibe—especially games from the PS1/PS2 era—where you travel between main and side areas using a world map, complete with roaming enemies and a camp system. It’s not just functional, it’s actually fun to wander around in. And later in the game, when you get access to Esque, it basically turns into an airship-style travel mechanic. That really hit home for me.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3492711330
Honestly, the game feels like it was designed by people who deeply love classic JRPGs. From the turn-based combat to the map structure and progression style, it’s clear they were aiming for that same kind of magic. If I had to compare it to something specific, I’d say it lands somewhere around the vibe of Final Fantasy X—and that’s a big compliment coming from a long-time fan.
That said, exploration also highlights one of the game’s weaker spots: side content. Optional areas don’t really expand the lore or introduce meaningful subplots—instead, they mostly exist as grinding zones. Sure, you'll occasionally run into tough enemies on the map, but often it’s more efficient to find a high-yield grind spot than to take them on. This throws off the game’s balance a bit.
It really could’ve used something like Final Fantasy XII’s Hunt system or FFX’s Dark Aeon-style story integration to make those encounters feel worthwhile. As it stands, those big threats often feel like missed opportunities for narrative payoff or unique challenges.
Expedition 33 hits surprisingly hard on the emotional front. Sure, we've seen games go for a dramatic tone before—but here, the voice cast really takes it to another level. With names like Andy Serkis, Charlie Cox (yep, Daredevil himself), and Kirsty Rider from The Sandman, the performances are top-notch. But it's not just the big names—actors like Ben Star, Jennifer English, and Seline Melou (who’ve been making waves in other games and projects lately) also bring serious weight to the story.
The result is a cast that truly sells the world’s emotional depth, making the highs more powerful and the lows hit even harder. And let’s not forget the soundtrack. Some tracks don’t just set the mood—they stick with you, the kind of songs that end up in your playlist long after the credits roll.
Now, if turn-based systems aren’t your thing, this probably won’t change your mind. But if you grew up on Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, or Persona, this is a modern JRPG-like experience that’ll scratch that nostalgic itch while offering something fresh.

+Jennifer English and Charlie Cox absolutely steal the show.
+The game's combat system is so good that it will likely inspire turn-based games to try and copy it for years to come.
+Lorien Testard basically dropped one of the best game soundtracks in history and then just bounced.
+The game’s presentation punches way above its budget—it looks like something a multi-million dollar studio made. Honestly, it’s on a whole other level compared to those Japanese games throwing around pointless millions.
+The main story is way too good for a game—honestly, it’s on the level of The Matrix 1. Plus, every ending isn’t just a random ‘different’ wrap-up; each one hits just as hard and leaves a real impact.
-The biggest flaw in the game? Later on, it just can’t keep up with you. If you power up enough and build your characters right, you can one-shot pretty much everything—even the final boss.
-The game lacks DLSS 4, doesn’t have FSR at all, and misses out on several other technical features like frame generation and native HDR support. Most importantly though, there’s no photo mode, which feels like a big miss for a game released today.


Review Score 96/100