Sandpool is coming for your free time. Honestly, if you haven’t seen the latest footage of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Isle of the Eyes, you’re missing out on what might be the most visually arresting turn-based RPG in a decade. It’s weird. It’s gorgeous. It feels like someone dropped a French oil painting into a blender with Final Fantasy X and a dash of Bloodborne’s gothic dread.
The developers at Sandfall Interactive aren't playing it safe. They've showcased a specific region called the Isle of the Eyes, and it’s exactly as unsettling as it sounds. Giant, unblinking ocular structures stare back at you from the landscape. It isn't just a gimmick; it’s a vibe that defines the game's stakes.
You’re playing as members of the Expedition. Every year, a being known as the Paintress wakes up and paints a number on her monolith. Everyone that age? They vanish. Poof. Gone into smoke. This year, the number is 33. Our protagonists—Gustave, Maelle, and the rest—are on a suicide mission to stop the cycle. The Isle of the Eyes is a crucial stop on that grim road trip.
The Reactive Turn-Based Combat is the Real Star
Most people hear "turn-based" and think of menus. They think of sitting there, picking "Attack," and watching a canned animation. Expedition 33 throws that out the window.
During the Isle of the Eyes walkthrough, we saw the "Reactive Turn-Based" system in full effect. It’s fast. When an enemy swings at you, you don't just take the damage. You have a window to parry or dodge in real-time. If you time a jump perfectly, you avoid a ground-cleaving AOE attack. If you parry, you open up a counter-attack opportunity. It turns a slow-paced genre into something that feels like an action game without losing the tactical depth of a traditional RPG.
It’s stressful in the best way.
We saw Gustave utilizing his dual-pistol mechanics. You aren't just clicking a target; you’re aiming for weak points. This isn't just "flavor text." If you hit a specific glowing part of a creature on the Isle of the Eyes, you might trigger a stagger. The game rewards your twitch reflexes as much as your gear setup.
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The UI is also incredibly clean. It’s minimalist. No massive bars or cluttered icons taking away from the scenery. It looks like a high-end fashion magazine layout merged with a battle HUD. Sandfall seems to understand that if you’re going to make a world this beautiful, you shouldn't cover it up with chunky blue menus.
What's Actually Happening on the Isle of the Eyes?
The lore here is thick. The Isle of the Eyes isn't just a level; it’s a graveyard of sorts. We see the Expedition moving through remnants of previous cultures that couldn't stop the Paintress.
There's this sense of overwhelming scale.
The environment design uses a technique called chiaroscuro—hence the name "Clair Obscur." It’s all about the high contrast between light and dark. In the Isle of the Eyes, this manifests as bright, almost heavenly light hitting grotesque, fleshy structures. It creates a psychological tension. You feel like you're trespassing somewhere sacred and profane at the same time.
The Enemies You'll Face
- The Sentinels: These are these lanky, elegant, yet terrifying creatures that move with a jerky, stop-motion energy.
- The Watchers: Floating entities that tie directly into the "eye" theme of the island. They force you to manage your positioning constantly.
- The Boss Encounters: We've caught glimpses of massive entities that tower over the party. The scale is reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus, but you're fighting them with a party of four.
The difficulty looks legit. This isn't a "mash A to win" experience. If you miss a parry against a high-level mob on the Isle, you're going to see half your health bar disappear. It forces you to stay engaged during the enemy's turn, which is historically the "check my phone" time for RPG fans. Not here. You blink, you die.
Why the Unreal Engine 5 Choice Actually Matters Here
We hear "Unreal Engine 5" used as a marketing buzzword constantly. However, for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Isle of the Eyes, the tech is doing the heavy lifting for the art style. The Nanite geometry allows for those insanely detailed rock faces and ocular structures without the game chugging.
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The lighting is the big winner.
Because the game is so focused on the interplay of shadow and light (the literal definition of its title), the global illumination makes the Isle of the Eyes feel physical. When Maelle uses her light-based abilities, the way the glow bounces off the wet surfaces of the island is breathtaking. It’s not just "good graphics." It’s art direction enabled by high-end hardware.
Many fans were worried about performance, especially with the real-time parry system. If there's input lag, the whole game breaks. From what's been shown in the technical deep dives, the animations are synced to the frame data, ensuring that when you press the button to dodge a Sentinel's claw, the game registers it instantly.
The Human Element: Gustave and Maelle
The relationship between the characters isn't just fluff. They talk. A lot. But it feels natural, like people who know they are probably going to die in a few weeks.
Gustave is the veteran, the leader who carries the weight of the previous 32 failed expeditions. Maelle brings a different energy—sharper, quicker. Their banter while exploring the Isle of the Eyes gives us clues about the world's history without resorting to "lore dumps."
The voice acting is surprisingly grounded. There’s a certain "prestige TV" quality to the performances. You can hear the exhaustion in their voices. They aren't "chosen ones" in the traditional, happy-go-lucky sense. They are the desperate leftovers of a dying world.
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Strategy Tips for the Isle of the Eyes (Based on Current Gameplay)
Don't go in blind.
First, master the parry. It’s more important than your attack stat. In the Isle of the Eyes, enemies have "tells" that are often visual—watch for the eye on the enemy to flash or narrow before they strike. That’s your window.
Second, manage your "Lume." This is the resource that powers your most potent abilities. On the Isle, you'll find environmental hazards that can drain your Lume if you aren't careful. Use your characters' traversal skills to bypass these zones.
Third, look up. The Isle of the Eyes is vertically dense. There are secrets tucked away on high ridges that you can only reach by using the "Grapnel" mechanic. These often contain gear that provides resistance to the "Paint" debuff, which is a major factor in this region.
Final Insights for Players
Wait for the rhythm. That’s the secret to Expedition 33. It looks like an action game, but it’s a dance. The Isle of the Eyes serves as a mid-game skill check that will likely separate the casual players from those who have actually learned the mechanics.
The game is slated for a 2025 release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It’s also hitting Game Pass on day one, which is a massive win for anyone wanting to experience this without dropping seventy bucks.
Actionable Steps:
- Watch the 7-minute gameplay trailer: Pay close attention to the parry timing during the boss fight; it’s tighter than you think.
- Study the Chiaroscuro art style: Understanding the lighting helps you spot hidden paths in the darker corners of the Isle.
- Prepare your hardware: This is a demanding UE5 title. If you’re on PC, check the recommended specs for Lumen support, as the lighting is core to the gameplay experience.
- Follow Sandfall Interactive on social media: They’ve been dropping "Monster Journals" that explain the specific weaknesses of the creatures found on the Isle of the Eyes.
The Expedition is moving. Don't let the Paintress finish her work.