Gaming

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: Beautifully haunting

‘For those who come after’

Published

April 23, 2025

Let’s get one thing straight. None of the words I string together will be enough to adequately describe the breadth and depth of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is visually arresting, the combat is engaging, the characters are fleshed out, and the story will have you hooked. I can confidently say that you will come out of this experience absolutely enthralled.

But what is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? It’s the debut game of Sandfall Interactive. They’re a team of developers from France who come from more well-known publishers but decided to band together to deliver a game that truly speaks to their sensibilities.

That sensibility is a love and reverence for JRPGs. And you’ll immediately see that influence if you care to check a few of the marketing they have already put out for the game.

Gustave, The Paintress, and Lumiere

Speaking of the game, you’re thrust into a world at the mercy of The Paintress. Year after year, she paints a number on the Monolith. The number indicates the age that will succumb to The Gommage. Think Thanos-type of being dusted away. And boy, it does not feel good.

You play as Gustave who is voiced by Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox. Gustave is a respected engineer in Lumiere and one of the key members of Expedition 33. Lumiere appears to be a piece of land that broke off away from the main content where The Paintress is.

Right before you embark on the Expedition, you immediately see Gustave suffer a loss. As do the rest of Lumiere as The Paintress erases 34, dusting away people of that age.

Expedition 33, as with the expeditions that preceded it, are mostly composed of people who only have a year to live. They embark on the journey to prevent The Gommage by slaying The Paintress.

It’s a harrowing task but one that must be taken to give hope, as Gustave says, “for those who come after.”

Visually arresting

Despite the gloomy and melancholic premise, the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t drab and devoid of color. Quite the opposite, really.

The environments are vibrant, captivating, and imaginative. You go from what appears to be a typical ‘fantasy game’ forest to an area that appears to be submerged in water with creatures floating around and proceed to a village whose populace seem to want to do nothing but fight.

In between these areas is an even more breathtaking overworld. Yes, it’s a similar kind of overworld prominent in 90s period JRPGs where you roam around until you get to the next area of interest.

This is a great evolution of the overworld present in games like Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX

In the overworld, the perspective shifts from your typical third-person view to one that’s more isometric. Encounters, however, aren’t random. You’ll see enemies lying in wait which you could either fight or avoid.

The characters also look very distinct. The art style is unique. Human but not quite photorealistic. Animated but not cartoony.

Outside of some lip-syncing issues, you’ll likely find yourself enamored with how the game looks.

Active Turn-based combat

I’ve already gone in quite some detail on combat in my preview. To reiterate and summarize, the base of the combat is turn-based. But the game adds a few wrinkles to keep you engaged. There’s a parry, dodge, and jump mechanic as response to the enemies’ attacks.

When launching your own turns, you can perform a base attack, use items, free aim, or use a skill. Free aim and skills consume action points or AP. Performing a base attack, parrying, and more lets you gain AP.

Learning each enemy type’s attack pattern to dodge or parry can be tough. But once you do, it’s extremely satisfying. The window to dodge is generous but parrying can be unforgiving. Impeccable timing is absolutely required.

Each character also has their own mechanic. Gustave is your sword and pistol weilder. Your typical damage-dealing protagonist. His mechanic is Overcharge where some of his skills and attacks build-up which then let’s him unleash a powerful attack.

The next two characters you’ll control are Lune and Maelle. Lune is your mage with the Stains mechanic while Maelle is a fencer with the Stances mechanic.

You have the usual skill tree.

Planned carefully, you can string together moves that can help set up your party members to do more damage, thus ending the encounter much more hastily.

Each skill also has QTE which plays more like a rhythm game. Time your button presses, and you will increase damage or the effect of that particular skill.

Pictos and Lumina

Then you have Pictos and Lumina. Pictos are essentially equippable items you can acquire through exploration. These items contain buffs or combat effects. If equipped after four fights, the Pictos are then ‘learned.’

Once they are learned, other characters can then have the same buffs by spending Lumina. Every Pictos has a corresponding fixed Lumina number. This lets you know which ones you can equip to a character. Each character also has a corresponding Lumina number that can be increased as you play the game.

And that’s not even all of it. Hours into the game and you’ll be introduced to more mechanics but not before you’ve already become familiar with its base concepts.

When not in full health after combat, characters will look like this in the game.

Overall, the combat is extremely layered without being overcomplicated. It will test how well you prepare and strategize as well as how good your reflexes are.

Fleshed-out characters

Cosmetic changes appear even in cutscenes. This one looks a little silly, but it fits the moment.

A common pitfall of many JRPGs are one-dimentional characters that act more like caricatures than actual characters. That is not the case with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

In the early part of the game, you barely know anything about any of the characters. You’re also just as lost and confused as they are after a major incident.

The way they react to the situation already tells you who they are as people. You see how they respond to a desperate situation, arguing over what to do but still coming across as people who still genuinely care about each other and their cause.

This is one of the more impactful early scenes that display this game’s strength in writing, voice acting, and cutscene animation.

This extends to the rest of the characters you meet along the way. What’s brilliant is it’s not all gloom and doom. Despite knowing the dangers they face and the unpredictability of their situation, they still find time for some playful banter that feels warm and not out of place.

Gustave, the team, and the rest of the characters are people who have known and experienced love, loss, joy, pain, grief, and more. You see it by how they act and interact. Which makes every emotional turn of the game even more impactful.

Gripping story

From the get go, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 already has an unusual premise. But it keeps the intrigue going as you go through the main campaign.

Lune, one of your main party members, says it best during the latter part of Act I: “The more we learn, the more questions I have.”

That’s the general feeling of the game’s story. You’re just eager to find out what happens next. And what happens next is… well, that’s for you to know on your first playthrough.

It’s a beautifully haunting tale set in a visually rich but broken world.

Should you play Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?

Until further notice, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is my Game of the Year for 2025. So, yes. It is a must-play.

The game will lure you in with its stunning visuals, grab you with its inciting incident, keep you focused during combat, endear you to its characters, and deliver gut-wrenching and awe-inspiring moments that will make you yearn for more.

Thankfully, it’s a 30–50-hour campaign with late game content that could double if you’re the completionist type.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out on April 24. It’s available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. It will also be available Day One on Game Pass.

Gaming

IKEA, Xbox launch nine-piece YXSTABY gaming collection

Gaming inspired furniture

Published

November 6, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Gaming setups don’t have to look like dedicated gaming rooms. IKEA and Xbox are making that easier with their new YXSTABY collection.

The nine-piece collection combines IKEA’s furniture design expertise with Xbox’s understanding of gaming. It brings together functional furniture and playful accessories inspired by Xbox controllers.

IKEA launched the collection in the Philippines on November 4 at its Pasay showroom. The event featured interactive room setups that demonstrated how the furniture fits into everyday homes.

The launch also included a cosplay runway inspired by IKEA’s iconic blue and yellow FRAKTA bag. Guests explored immersive gaming stations and experienced the collection firsthand.

Gaming furniture designed for everyday homes

YXSTABY addresses the challenges of fitting gaming setups into shared living spaces. Its furniture supports different gaming positions while keeping accessories organized.

The gaming lounge chair accommodates both forward-leaning gameplay and relaxed reclining positions. A rolling side table keeps gaming accessories within reach.

The collection also includes flexible storage for cables and accessories. Its felt inserts protect stored items, while its foldable design doubles as a laptop stand.

Families can also move their gaming setups between rooms. A TV stand with castors makes it easier to relocate equipment without dedicating an entire room to gaming.

Xbox controller-inspired accessories

Xbox’s influence extends beyond the collection’s gaming furniture. Several accessories take inspiration from familiar controller elements.

The Gaming D-pad cushion recreates the controller’s distinctive directional button. A stainless steel platter also borrows its design from the D-pad.

Another standout is the tilting thumbstick stool, which takes inspiration from an Xbox controller’s analog stick. A mirrored display box gives collectors a dedicated space for controllers and other gaming memorabilia.

Bringing gaming into Filipino homes

IKEA Philippines Sales Leader May Castillo highlighted the collection’s relevance to local households.

She pointed to the Philippines’ strong gaming culture and the country’s high engagement with video games across different devices.

IKEA Philippines Selling Manager Sarah Cox said the collection draws inspiration from Xbox controllers and how gamers actually play. It also incorporates IKEA’s playful approach to furniture design.

The collaboration brings together two brands with different strengths. IKEA understands how people use their living spaces, while Xbox understands what players need from their gaming setups.

The result is furniture that makes gaming more convenient without making the rest of the home feel like a gaming room.

Gaming

The next Elder Scrolls game is called Sentinel

And it will be set in Hammerfell.

Published

November 4, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Can you believe that it’s been over eight years since Bethesda announced The Elder Scrolls VI. Since then, we’ve seen neither hide nor hair of the upcoming title. Today, the studio has mercifully revealed a tiny bit more about the game including its title and setting.

Historically, the Elder Scrolls franchise is not known for its numbering. It’s not The Elder Scrolls III, IV, and V; it’s Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim. Now, we know what The Elder Scrolls VI will be called — Sentinel.

The name is also a huge clue as to where the game will take place. Besides being the name of the game itself, Sentinel is also the capital of Hammerfell, a region in northwest Tamriel. The teaser, which shows a sword being uncovered from a pile of sand, confirms this. After all, the Alik’r Desert is one of the region’s highlights.

Now, Hammerfell is not a new region for players. The region, especially the titular Sentinel, was previously featured in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall. Obviously, not a lot of gamers would have played this classic game before, so a return will introduce the region to a lot more modern players.

Unfortunately, despite throwing us a bone with the name and the setting, Bethesda did not reveal when the title is coming. Given that Grand Theft Auto VI is launching very soon, the time is ripe for the launch of another much-awaited title.

Gaming

Wild Rift Patch 7.3, celebrates K/DA comeback

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER

Published

November 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

Riot Games is celebrating the return of virtual K-pop group K/DA with new music, exclusive skins, and major gameplay updates in League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 7.3.

After a six-year hiatus, K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER, the group’s newest track and the title track of an EP featuring three additional songs. The release marks a new chapter for the virtual group, which brings its latest musical era to the mobile MOBA through the new HEATBRINGER skinline.

To celebrate the comeback, Riot Games hosted FIRE IT UP: The K/DA Comeback Party in the Philippines. The event brought fans together for a listening party featuring music from across Riot Games’ virtual acts, live Wild Rift gameplay, community activities, and exclusive photo opportunities.

Attendees also experienced live AAA ARAM matches featuring gameplay disruptions and augments inspired by Riot Games’ musical universe, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

K/DA returns with new HEATBRINGER skins

The K/DA comeback introduces the HEATBRINGER skinline, featuring new looks for the group’s four original members: Ahri, Akali, Evelynn, and Kai’Sa.

The skins give the champions a new visual identity inspired by K/DA’s latest musical era, with fiery red and white elements that bring their stage presence to the Rift.

The collection also includes Prestige K/DA HEATBRINGER Evelynn.

The new skins are exclusive to Wild Rift and are scheduled to launch on November 4, 2026.

The comeback extends beyond the cosmetics. With FIRESTARTER and its accompanying EP now available on major music streaming platforms, K/DA’s return brings together Riot Games’ music and gaming communities.

Wild Rift Patch 7.3 overhauls marksmen and item builds

Beyond the K/DA celebration, Patch 7.3 introduces significant gameplay changes that reshape champion builds, jungle strategies, and objective control.

One of the biggest changes targets marksmen, giving critical-strike builds more room to scale. Base critical-strike damage increases from 175% to 200%, while the attack-speed cap rises from 2.5 to 3 attacks per second.

Several marksmen also receive individual adjustments, including Ezreal, Kai’Sa, Twitch, Lucian, Caitlyn, Draven, Miss Fortune, Samira, Zeri, Jinx, Vayne, and Ashe.

The item system gets an overhaul to support these changes. Players can explore new or redesigned options, including Hexoptics, Yun Tal Wildarrows, Fiendhuler Bolts, Stormrazor, Rapid Firecannon, and Immortal Shieldbow.

Lifesteal also receives changes intended to support basic attacks, on-hit damage, and abilities treated as basic attacks.

Support items are part of the update, too. Echoes of Helia is positioned toward offensive supports who want to convert damage into healing, while Ardent Censer, Staff of Flowing Water, and Harmonic Echo also receive changes.

Jungle changes reward efficient farming

Patch 7.3 also changes how junglers approach the early and mid-game.

The updated jungle system rewards consistent camp clearing with bonus gold and introduces a catch-up mechanic for junglers who fall behind. This reduces the pressure to constantly gank and encourages players to balance farming with opportunities to assist their teammates.

Clearing camps also progresses Ecosystem Protection stacks, allowing Smite to scale from 600 to 1,000 and eventually 1,400 true damage.

These changes make efficient farming more important when preparing to secure major objectives such as Baron Nashor, Rift Herald, and Dragons.

Epic monsters also adjust to the pace of each match, scaling according to the average player level rather than simply growing stronger as time passes.

Turrets receive substantial changes as well. Plating now extends to outer, inner, and inhibitor turrets and remains permanently. The new Crystalline Overgrowth mechanic lets turrets accumulate crystals that champions can detonate with their first basic attack.

Together, these changes place greater emphasis on lane pressure, defensive positioning, and coordinated pushes. Winning team fights remains important, but teams must also turn their advantages into meaningful objective damage.

Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai join the roster

Patch 7.3 expands the champion roster with three additions: Hwei, Sylas, and Rek’Sai.

Hwei, the Visionary, brings a flexible set of abilities to the mid lane. His Subject: Disaster, Subject: Serenity, and Subject: Torment ability groups give him tools for dealing damage, supporting allies, and controlling opponents.

Sylas offers explosive damage and crowd control. His kit includes an ability that pulls enemies into a stun-to-knock-up combination, while Kingslayer restores health based on his missing health. His ultimate lets him steal an enemy champion’s ultimate ability.

Rek’Sai brings another approach to initiating team fights. Her Unburrow ability knocks up nearby champions, while her ultimate helps her track nearby enemies before striking.

These additions give players more options for adapting their team compositions and strategies.

Ranked play and game modes get updates

Competitive players also get changes to Ranked and Legendary Ranked.

The S/A and MVP scoring systems now evaluate performance according to a player’s lane and champion role instead of relying on a single universal metric. Strong performances can also yield more Ranked energy.

Legendary Ranked receives adjustments to its seasonal entry requirements for former Grand Masters, alongside a new trial format designed to help top performers advance from Legendary Commander Rank.

Players looking for something different can also try Rift Rumble, a new 3v3 mode played on a symmetrical map. Teams battle for kills and compete to capture ultimate stones that can change how their champions secure eliminations.

Meanwhile, AAA Realm continues to evolve with a music-themed season and new augment cards. These include Sonic Waves, which draws inspiration from Riot Games’ musical acts, including HEARTSTEEL, Pentakill, and TRUE DAMAGE.

A new era for K/DA and Wild Rift

With FIRESTARTER, the HEATBRINGER skins, and a sweeping gameplay update, Patch 7.3 connects Riot Games’ music and gaming communities through a shared celebration.

K/DA’s return gives fans a new soundtrack and fresh looks for their favorite champions, while the gameplay changes introduce new ways to approach champion builds, jungle farming, and map control.

Players can follow Wild Rift Philippines’ official social media channels for updates on the latest patch, champion releases, and in-game content.

K/DA returns with FIRESTARTER.