Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may have been on a lot of people's radar prior to launch, but its huge commercial and critical success certainly caught a lot of us off guard. That's not to say that at any point during its extensive marketing campaign, it looked bad, but rather that, at least in my opinion, I hadn't realized that the turn-based genre was as popular as Clair Obscur makes it seem. Of course, after having played it for a long while now, I can see why the game's phenomenal combat got so many people talking and buying the game.

After all, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's unique approach to turn-based combat is what made it one of 2025's most-anticipated RPGs in the first place. However, perhaps what surprised me more than anything is how quickly Clair Obscur dethroned the very best turn-based RPG in existence, pushing it firmly to one side as its far superior use of the mechanic and exploration of what the genre can offer made it a vastly more enjoyable experience. Many may disagree, but it's hard to see how much can trump Clair Obscur, at least when it comes to turn-based combat.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Turn-Based Combat Is Incredible

It Is Easily The Highlight Of The Experience

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's turn-based combat is truly exceptional, even if it is brutally difficult at times. The addition of manual parrying and dodging does turn it somewhat into a soulslike, only in the very broadest sense that one has to learn each enemy's attack patterns to overcome some of the truly challenging bosses in Clair Obscur, and even some of the minor enemies. It also helps combat stand out among the flurry of indie turn-based titles that tend to look to the classic Final Fantasy formula, rather than integrating anything new into the experience.

Of course, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 also utilizes quick-time events for each attack, with successfully mastering each one delivering a more powerful result. This, coupled with the manual dodging, makes for a more involved turn-based experience than a lot of games in the genre, with the exception of the Paper Mario games and the numerous indies inspired by it. That level of involvement is what makes the hundreds of battles throughout all of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 so exciting, as well as the sheer volume of musical tracks that score each one.

There is a lot that makes Clair Obscur a GOTY contender, including its gorgeously detailed world, expertly written narrative, and engrossing characters. However, from a purely mechanical standpoint, the innovations it brings to the turn-based genre, even if they're somewhat borrowed or expanded upon from other games, are what make it such a unique experience. They also allow it to appeal to more than the somewhat niche audience - including myself - that already adore turn-based games, and help it set the new bar for the genre.

Clair Obscur Is Better Than Persona 5

It Beats It In Almost Every Way

Previously, the best turn-based game was often regarded as Persona 5 due to its stylized visuals that brought a lot of panache to the experience, alongside its fast-paced combat that made the traditional menu trawling a thing of the past. It was concise yet mechanically deep, balancing the various elemental attacks of each Persona with the use of the Baton mechanic to create endless turns for the player and their companions. However, as well-designed and expertly executed as Persona 5 may be, it is, in my opinion, trumped by Clair Obscur.

Before singing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's praises, there is a lot that Persona 5 does better, perhaps even objectively. Persona 5's UI design and overall style is far more engaging, one that has been somewhat carried over into Clair Obscur - such as in the way the battle options float around the character rather than as a separate menu to the side - but still remains undefeated within this genre and really any other. It is also more inventive with its enemy design, although one could argue it borrows from the annals of past Shin Megami Tensei and Persona games.

There is one fundamental aspect of Clair Obscur's design that makes it a better game than Persona 5, and that's its unique characters

There is also a lot that the two share in common, such as their individually excellent and distinct soundtracks greatly elevating their respective games. While they couldn't be further apart in of tone, style, and genre, both the orchestral score of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and the jazzy tunes of Persona 5 are a foundational part of the experience, and their absence would drastically worsen each game. However, there is one fundamental aspect of Clair Obscur's design that makes it a better game than Persona 5, and that's its unique characters.

Clair Obscur's Character Abilities Make It Unique

They Make Every Battle Feel Fresh

What makes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 such an engrossing turn-based experience, beyond the aforementioned level of interactivity, is its distinct characters. Clair Obscur's playable characters are all unique in their respective gameplay styles. Gustave, for example, is focused on building up his Overcharge meter through repeated attacks, which he can then use to inflict huge amounts of damage; Sciel, on the other hand, applies Foretell with certain attacks, then consumes it to boost others, all while building up Sun and Moon charges to increase the power of her attacks.

Each and every character is drastically different from the other, which, in turn, affects which Pictos you give them and which of Clair Obscur's best weapons you use, as they all come with their own elemental effect and are boosted based on skills like Vitality, Agility, and more. Suffice it to say, there's a far greater level of strategy and tactical thinking required in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 than I personally believe there is in Persona 5. Because, for all its flash and brilliance, its characters all more or less play the same.

It is the Persona each character wields that matters, and even then, it's largely elemental-focused. You want a variety of elemental attacks in your party, but as Joker can wield any Persona, you can get that with him, just using your favorite or most powerful companions as the rest of your party. Persona 5 lacks the mechanical diversity that Clair Obscur offers, which, in turn, makes it a worse turn-based game. That isn't to say it is somehow made worse retrospectively, as it is still an incredible game. Rather, Clair Obscur is merely better.

Of course, I'm talking about two games that are the absolute peak of their genre respectively, with Persona 5's style showcasing how the genre can evolve beyond the simplicity of the original Final Fantasy games, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's mechanical complexity offering a more innovative and engrossing style of turn-based combat. Both are great games in their own right, and who knows, as much as I think Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is better, perhaps Atlus will dethrone it with Persona 6.