Expedition 33 has all the makings of a modern turn-based classic. After playing a few hours of Sandfall Interactive’s dark fantasy RPG, I can say that Expedition 33 grasps the melodrama of modern Final Fantasy and marries it with the tactical turn-based combat fans of that series have been craving a return to for decades.

Expedition 33 is the game to finally answer that cry, and this demo of the first few hours shows how French studio Sandfall Interactive is bringing Western triple-A design ideas to the genre in a fresh way without losing any of the fun from the classic JRPG formula.

When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was revealed last year at the Xbox Games Showcase, I thought my prayers had finally been answered. But after spending four hours hands-on with a recent preview build of the game, I found that it's not exactly the turn-based RPG I was longing for. Instead, it's something even more exciting.