The Alters vs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: A desolate, alien planet
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass
• Unique Feature: A unique blend of base-building survival with a deep, psychological narrative about managing alternate versions of oneself, each with distinct personalities and skills.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Belle Époque-inspired Fantasy World
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Game Pass
• Unique Feature: An innovative blend of strategic turn-based combat with engaging real-time actions like parries, dodges, and aim-based targeting.

• The Alters: The Alters are the core companions and crew. They are not passive followers but fully interactive characters with their own skills, needs, and personalities. They perform tasks assigned by the player, such as mining, cooking, researching, and repairing, but also require social interaction and management to prevent conflicts and maintain morale.
  Human (Alternate Versions)

• Party Members: The game revolves around a core party of characters who travel and fight together. Up to three characters can be active in combat at one time, and players can swap them in and out at camp sites. Their different abilities and mechanics create complex synergies.
  Various (Human, Gestral, etc.)

• Personal Logs: Datapads and audio logs left behind by the original, deceased crew members of the crashed ship. These provide backstory on the mission and the events leading to the crash.
• Geological Samples: Unique mineral or organic samples found during exploration. These can be analyzed in the Research Lab to unlock new technologies or provide insight into the planet's ecosystem.

• Logs of Past Expeditions: Found in abandoned camps and ruins. These journals and audio logs detail the journeys and ultimate fates of the 32 previous expeditions, providing lore and clues.
• Colours of Lumina: A special collectible currency found throughout the world. These can be given to a character called 'The Curator' to increase the party's total Lumina points, allowing more Pictos bonuses to be activated.

• Existentialism
• Identity
• Regret
• What If Scenarios
• Psychological Drama
• Survival
• Resource Management
• Interpersonal Dynamics
• Sci-Fi
• Isolation

• Existentialism
• Mortality
• Hope vs. Despair
• Found Family
• Adventure
• Belle Époque
• Fantasy
• Time Limit
• Quest for a Future

• Gustave's Blade & Pistol: Sword and Firearm Combo
  Gustave wields a one-handed blade for melee attacks and a pistol for ranged attacks. His gameplay revolves around landing hits to charge his 'Overload' ability for a massive single strike.
• Maelle's Rapier: Fencing Sword
  Maelle uses a rapier and her combat is built around switching between Offensive, Defensive, and the powerful Virtuose stances, each providing different bonuses to damage and defense.
• Lune's Elemental Magic: Magic
  Lune is the party's primary magic user. She accumulates elemental 'stains' with her attacks, which can then be consumed to empower other abilities or exploit enemy weaknesses. She is also the main healer.
• Sciel's Foretell: Magic / Debuff
  Sciel's abilities revolve around applying 'Foretell' stacks to enemies, which trigger delayed magical effects. Her power is enhanced by consuming 'Sun' and 'Moon' charges.

• Worker Suit: Jan and his Alters wear a standard worker suit. While not 'armor' in a combat sense, it is essential for survival outside the base. It has a limited energy supply that powers tools and must be recharged with batteries. Upgrades likely focus on improving its efficiency or radiation resistance.

• Character-Specific Outfits: Armor is primarily cosmetic in the form of different outfits for each character. The Deluxe Edition provides the 'Flowers Collection' and two unique outfits. Defensive stats are primarily managed through character attributes and the 'Pictos' system rather than traditional armor pieces.

• Default Expedition Gear: Each character has a unique default outfit that reflects their personality and role (e.g., Gustave's engineer attire, Maelle's practical duelist gear).
• Deluxe Edition Outfits: The Deluxe Edition includes 'The Flowers Collection' (providing six floral-themed outfits and hairstyles for each character) and two exclusive outfits, 'Clair' for Maelle and 'Obscur' for Gustave.

Progression is tied to base expansion and research. Creating Alters with specific skills (e.g., Scientist, Technician, Miner) unlocks new capabilities. The Scientist Alter can work in the Research Lab to unlock new technologies, base modules, and crafting recipes. The Technician can repair the base more efficiently. Upgrades focus on improving the base's efficiency, resource production, and survivability against environmental threats.

Character progression involves leveling up to increase base attributes and earning skill points to unlock active and passive abilities in unique skill trees. A 'Pictos' system allows players to equip items that provide powerful passive bonuses. Once enough battles are won with a Pictos equipped, its bonus can be permanently unlocked for the whole party using 'Lumina' points, allowing for deep build customization.

The game is structured across several large, distinct maps that Jan must traverse in sequence. Each map represents a different biome of the alien planet, presenting unique environmental hazards, resources, and exploration challenges. The gameplay is not a seamless open world but a series of large, explorable zones that the mobile base travels between.

The game features large, explorable zones rather than a single seamless open world. Players lead the expedition through diverse and wonderous regions, including lush forests, scenic cliffs, and bizarre underwater areas where one can walk on the ocean floor. The world is filled with secrets, unique enemies, and traveling merchants.

• Jan Dolski (The Player): Protagonist / Base Leader
  The original Jan, a simple worker whose choices led him to this mission. He is the player character and is responsible for creating and managing his alternate selves.
• Jan Technician: Alter / Engineer
  The first Alter created. Pragmatic and skilled with machinery, he is essential for base repairs but has a cynical and sometimes abrasive personality.
• Jan Scientist: Alter / Researcher
  A career-driven and ambitious Alter who excels at research, unlocking new technologies for the base. His ambition can lead to friction with the other Jans.
• Jan Miner: Alter / Resource Gatherer
  A hardy Alter with skills in geology and mining, making him more efficient at extracting resources from the planet's surface.
• Jan Botanist: Alter / Biologist
  An Alter with a green thumb, skilled in cultivating food within the base. He is crucial for upgrading the crew's diet from nutrient mush to proper meals, significantly boosting morale.
• Jan Doctor: Alter / Medic
  An Alter with medical expertise who can work in the Infirmary to drastically speed up the healing of injured or irradiated Alters.

• Gustave: Playable Character / Engineer
  The leader of Expedition 33. A resourceful engineer dedicated to protecting his people. He feels the immense pressure of the mission. Voiced by Charlie Cox.
• Maelle: Playable Character / Duelist
  A shy but formidable orphan who joins the expedition to forge her own destiny. She is the youngest member and an expert with her rapier. Voiced by Jennifer English.
• Lune: Playable Character / Researcher
  The daughter of prominent researchers, Lune is the expedition's chief scholar and strategist, driven to solve the mystery of the Paintress. Voiced by Kirsty Rider.
• Sciel: Playable Character / Warrior
  A cheerful farmer-turned-teacher who masks a painful past. She is a calm and committed warrior who has accepted the harsh realities of their world. Voiced by Shala Nyx.
• Monoco: Playable Character / Gestral Warrior
  A member of the Gestral race, who are immune to the Paintress' curse. Monoco joins the expedition for the thrill of battle, which his people view as a form of meditation.
• Renoir: Key NPC / Ally
  A man relentlessly driven to save his family, who will make any sacrifice necessary for victory. Voiced by Andy Serkis.
• Verso: Mysterious Stranger
  An outsider of unknown origin who closely tracks the expedition's every move for his own mysterious reasons. Voiced by Ben Starr.

• Main Story Acts
  The game is structured in a prologue and three main acts. The primary objective is to survive, expand the base, create the necessary Alters, and successfully move the mobile base across the planet's surface to escape the encroaching, lethal sunrise.
• Alter Storylines
  Each Alter has their own personal storyline and emotional needs. These manifest as side tasks and dialogue encounters where the player must make choices to resolve conflicts, improve morale, or deal with the consequences of their past decisions.
• Resource Expeditions
  A core gameplay loop that involves sending Jan outside the base during safe periods to explore the environment, locate resource deposits (metals, organics, Rapidium), and set up mining rigs to gather materials needed for crafting and base expansion.

• The Final Expedition
  The main story quest follows Expedition 33's year-long journey to find and destroy the Paintress before she can paint the number '32', which would erase them from existence. The narrative is linear and story-driven.
• Character Quests
  Optional side quests that delve into the backstories and personal motivations of each party member, allowing players to get to know them better and unlock unique rewards or abilities.
• Exploration & Discovery
  Exploring the world to find hidden paths, secret bosses, and powerful 'Pictos' that grant permanent passive bonuses to the party.

The game was released with a Standard Edition and a Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, a digital artbook, and the original soundtrack. A physical Signature Edition with collectibles like a 'Pierogi Press' was also available from specific retailers.

The game was released with a Standard Edition and a Digital Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes the base game, 'The Flowers Collection' (six outfits and hairstyles for each character), and two exclusive custom outfits: 'Clair' for Maelle and 'Obscur' for Gustave.

• Q: What kind of game is The Alters?
  A: It's a unique sci-fi game that blends base-building and resource management with a deep, psychological narrative about survival and identity. It has been described as a mix of 'This War of Mine', 'Fallout Shelter', and a narrative adventure game.
• Q: Is there combat in The Alters?
  A: No, the game is non-violent. The primary challenges come from survival against the harsh environment, managing resources, and navigating the complex social dynamics between the different versions of Jan.
• Q: How do you 'create' an Alter?
  A: Using a quantum computer, the player explores a branching tree of Jan's past life choices. By selecting a different path (e.g., 'What if Jan became a scientist?'), a new Alter with the corresponding skills and personality is manifested using a rare resource called Rapidium.
• Q: Is The Alters on Game Pass?
  A: Yes, The Alters was available on day one on both Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass.

• Q: What kind of game is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
  A: It is a turn-based RPG with a unique combat system that incorporates real-time actions, such as parrying, dodging, and aiming for weak points. It is set in a new fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France.
• Q: Is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 an open-world game?
  A: No, it is not a seamless open world. The game is structured around exploring large, linear levels and zones as the expedition progresses on its quest.
• Q: What makes the combat unique?
  A: Unlike traditional turn-based RPGs, players must actively defend during enemy turns by timing dodges and parries. On offense, players can chain combos with rhythmic button presses and use a free-aim system to target specific enemy body parts.
• Q: Is the game on Game Pass?
  A: Yes, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was available on day one on Xbox Game Pass.

Built on Unreal Engine, the game features a distinct visual style with a striking, alien planet filled with bizarre, physics-defying anomalies and beautiful yet menacing landscapes. The mobile base is highly detailed, with a modular, industrial aesthetic.

Developed in Unreal Engine 5, the game boasts a breathtaking and unique art style inspired by Belle Époque France and surrealist art. It features stunningly beautiful landscapes, fantastical creature designs, and highly cinematic combat animations.

The game features a full voice cast for Jan and all his Alters, with the same actor (Alex Jordan) delivering nuanced performances for each personality. The soundtrack is atmospheric and emotional, emphasizing the themes of isolation and introspection. The launch trailer notably featured the song 'We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow' by Soko.

The game features a full, emotional orchestral score composed by Lorien Testard, designed to enhance the beauty and tragedy of the world. It also has a full English and French voice cast featuring prominent actors like Charlie Cox, Andy Serkis, and Ben Starr.

The UI features a time bar at the top of the screen, indicating the safe daylight hours for exploration. Menus on the left side show the status and mood of each Alter and current tasks. A resource counter is displayed at the bottom. The interface is designed to provide critical survival and management information at a glance.

The combat UI clearly displays the turn order on the left side of the screen, allowing for strategic planning. Real-time defensive prompts appear during enemy attacks. Outside of combat, the UI is clean, with a focus on immersive exploration. Menus for skills, equipment, and the Pictos system are stylized and easy to navigate.

The game includes three distinct difficulty modes (Story, Expeditioner, Expert) that adjust enemy power and the timing windows for real-time defensive actions. It also features fully customizable subtitles and support for various upscaling technologies to ensure smooth performance across a range of hardware.

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for The Alters. This information is based on official PC specifications, with the inclusion of current and future-generation GPUs as requested. Laptop and 50-series GPU equivalents are estimated based on performance benchmarks and industry expectations as of July 2025.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop models of the listed desktop GPUs and CPUs should offer comparable performance. This is heavily dependent on the laptop's specific configuration, including TGP (Total Graphics Power) for the GPU and the cooling system's effectiveness for both the CPU and GPU. Given the listed requirements, most modern gaming laptops should provide a good experience, but checking reviews for thermal performance is recommended.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A higher TGP for the laptop's GPU will generally lead to better and more consistent framerates, which is important for a smooth gameplay experience.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Efficient cooling is crucial to prevent thermal throttling, which can significantly reduce performance during extended gaming sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: The game's performance can be influenced by the CPU's power limits. A laptop with good power delivery to the CPU will ensure the processor can maintain its boost clocks.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: For optimal performance and to minimize latency, a laptop with a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended, as it allows the dedicated GPU to send frames directly to the display.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game supports upscaling technologies including NVIDIA DLSS 3 (with Frame Generation for 40/50 series) and AMD FSR. These can significantly boost performance, especially at higher resolutions.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Performance will be most affected by settings such as shadow quality, texture quality, effects detail, and anti-aliasing. Adjusting these settings can help achieve a balance between visual quality and framerate.
• Game Name: The Alters

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. This information is based on the official PC specifications from the game's Steam store page, adapted to the requested JSON structure. As a visually ambitious title built on Unreal Engine 5, the game is demanding, particularly on the GPU. Laptop and future-generation GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance benchmarks and technical analyses. The official requirements target 1080p/30fps on Low for Minimum and 1080p/60fps on High for Recommended.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. For a demanding Unreal Engine 5 title like this, ensuring the laptop has a high-TGP GPU and robust cooling is critical for a stable framerate.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A high TGP is essential. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU may perform significantly worse and struggle to meet target framerates, especially at higher resolutions.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Unreal Engine 5 can heavily stress both the CPU and GPU. A laptop with an advanced cooling solution will be necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long gameplay sessions and intense, visually complex combat.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: While the game appears more GPU-bound, a capable laptop CPU with good power delivery is needed to handle UE5's features and avoid stuttering during asset loading and complex scenes.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is vital for the game's real-time combat elements.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and supports NVIDIA DLSS, Intel XeSS, and Epic's native TSR. Notably, AMD FSR is not officially supported at launch, though mods may enable it. Upscaling is highly recommended for achieving stable framerates at 1440p and is essential for 4K.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: As a UE5 title using Lumen for global illumination and reflections, these settings, along with Shadows and Post-Processing, will have the most significant performance impact. The game has been noted to have some shader compilation stutter.
• Game Name: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Upscaling Tech: The game supports upscaling technologies including NVIDIA DLSS 3 (with Frame Generation for 40/50 series) and AMD FSR. These can significantly boost performance, especially at higher resolutions.
• Key Settings Impact: Performance will be most affected by settings such as shadow quality, texture quality, effects detail, and anti-aliasing. Adjusting these settings can help achieve a balance between visual quality and framerate.

• Upscaling Tech: The game is built on Unreal Engine 5 and supports NVIDIA DLSS, Intel XeSS, and Epic's native TSR. Notably, AMD FSR is not officially supported at launch, though mods may enable it. Upscaling is highly recommended for achieving stable framerates at 1440p and is essential for 4K.
• Key Settings Impact: As a UE5 title using Lumen for global illumination and reflections, these settings, along with Shadows and Post-Processing, will have the most significant performance impact. The game has been noted to have some shader compilation stutter.

• G P U T G P: A higher TGP for the laptop's GPU will generally lead to better and more consistent framerates, which is important for a smooth gameplay experience.
• Cooling Thermals: Efficient cooling is crucial to prevent thermal throttling, which can significantly reduce performance during extended gaming sessions.
• C P U Power Limits: The game's performance can be influenced by the CPU's power limits. A laptop with good power delivery to the CPU will ensure the processor can maintain its boost clocks.
• M U X Switch Optimus: For optimal performance and to minimize latency, a laptop with a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended, as it allows the dedicated GPU to send frames directly to the display.

• G P U T G P: A high TGP is essential. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU may perform significantly worse and struggle to meet target framerates, especially at higher resolutions.
• Cooling Thermals: Unreal Engine 5 can heavily stress both the CPU and GPU. A laptop with an advanced cooling solution will be necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long gameplay sessions and intense, visually complex combat.
• C P U Power Limits: While the game appears more GPU-bound, a capable laptop CPU with good power delivery is needed to handle UE5's features and avoid stuttering during asset loading and complex scenes.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is vital for the game's real-time combat elements.