Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Steam Charts & Stats

You've heard it all before. This game is perfection in ever way. From music, to visuals, to gameplay, fun factor, voice acting, story. Magical. Just a clear 10 across the board. One of those games that makes you not want to stop. We haven't had many games this impactful in a long time. In fact they happen once in a decade, this decade we got 2 of them in a row. On top of it being a 10, this game has done a lot outside of itself. It has mixed up the genre and made it a lot more exciting. No longer do you have to wait for every enemy to take a turn, you're in the action the whole time, even more so while defending. It's simply genius and has reinvigorated the genre, or perhaps produced a spin-off that will most certainly be copied. This game also hit the AAA industry hard, in a good way, it has flipped the script. Inexpensive, amazing, no microtransactions or other predatory practices, no need for any kind of messaging that isn't congruent with the world. It has achieved everything gamers have been asking, and AAA studios been denying is possible. All with the 33 developers that poured their hearts and souls into it, and filled up ours. Looking forward to what this studio does next, and to other studios learning an important lesson.

Absolute goddamned cinema. Expedition 33 is the GOTY of 2025, and I dont even idgaf what else comes out in the remainder of the year. This game is astonishingly good. It's beautiful, heartfelt, and I found it deeply affecting. I won't get spoilery in this review, but the way the game approaches the very nature of storytelling, and the many roles that art as a whole plays in our lives, was deeply interesting. This game got hella layers. I don't often go on reddit and the steam forums to read people's interpretations of game narratives, sadly not many games warrant that type of further investigation, but the way Expedition 33 was written and the larger lore surrounding it, made it a fascinating experience to go on a bit of a deep dive. The music, the writing, the worldbuilding, the performances, the art direction, holy shit all of it is really good stuff. A brand new, [b]wildly[/b] original IP to boot. I tend to complain about all the remakes, remasters, rehashes and reboots quite a lot, but I dont think even I realised how starved I was for something new and fresh until this came along. I do not buy games on or around release date, because the industry has well and truly fucked me a few too many times, but this is one of those rare instances where I'm really happy I did. Combat is pretty unique, and it took me almost 10 hours to really click with it. On the top layer you have all the tactical turnbased stuff which can get deliciously strategic, but it is [i]constantly[/i] underpinned with realtime mechanics. The parry windows in particular are punishing, and missing a parry can have pretty severe consequences based on how you built your characters. Enemy animations are purposefully designed to trip you up, but once you realize how crucially important the sound cues are it becomes more manageable. Your eyes will deceive you, but your ears wont. Mostly. The realtime mechanics often play out like a rhythm game almost. There is a definite and measured flow to it, and even as a person who generally hates souls-likes I found this combat system engrossing. And very, very satisfying when I pull off a huge counter. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3478038438 Options and synergies are plentiful, and respeccing your builds isn't too costly so I had a lot of fun trying all kinds of different strategies. Character building was really fun, in part because everyone has their own unique mechanic. My one gripe with the game's systems was the inability to downgrade weapons. The perks on them are often major and can massively impact your character builds, however upgrading them is costly and once you've committed a lot of resources into a particular weapon it becomes suboptimal to start using a different one, even if it has better or just different perks. What really stuck out to me the most about it all was how much I came to care about these characters. The writing and voice work are really top tier. Sandfall is a relatively small studio, but they've delivered a level of quality that puts massive AAAs to shame that are literally 10 times their size. Honestly, there are not a lot of games that manage to engage me emotionally as much as Expedition 33 did. I really loved how the dialogue just flows. Characters can interrupt eachother, or talk over eachother. RPGs really seem to struggle with stilted voice direction so I was pleasantly surprised with how polished that aspect of the game is. Combined with the outstanding facial animations and that intensely beautiful soundtrack Clair Obscure grabbed me tightly by the balls and didn't let go for a second. My fave character turned out to be Verso, bless his duplicitous little heart. You learn about him by observing him. You learn who he is by looking at his actions throughout the game and putting it together yourself. Actually this holds true for most of the characters, and even the world surrounding them. There's no exposition dumps. There's no narrator at the beginning, telling you the 100 year history of this world. Characters can straight up lie, and not in that bullshit 'press x to doubt' way - I mean [i]really[/i] lie, to others or to themselves. They can change their minds, or their motivations, and this is so rare to see in a video game. Whenever you do learn something new, it's always strongly reflected through the lens of one of the characters. The character work in this game is really something else. Learning about Esquie and Monoco's origins turned me into a puddle. Maelle is a two for one, very good deal. Lune? I love her. A woman of commitment and sheer fucking will. Fuck! They're all complicated, flawed, interesting characters and don't even get me started on the antagonists we'll be here until next week. The level of originality oozing from every square inch of this game really is commendable. The worldbuilding on display here is often breathtaking, and there is sooo much fine detail in it all if you slow down to take it in - as I frequently had to in order to appreciate the scenery. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3471344383 Talking of the bigger picture, one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much is that the game isn't afraid to stew and simmer. It stretches out and revels in dramatic tension and doesn't feel the need to immediately pop that balloon. Maybe I'm just over-sensitive to this sort of thing because I just finished Dragon Age The Veilguard before jumping into Clair Obscure, and Bioware constantly, and I really mean constantly, seemed downright afraid to let narrative pressure build up. There was always some character quipping 'Oh, that looks really bad! omg!" and not once did they just let that tension build. Even during dramatic scenes, they had to jump in with some comic relief and break both any remaining immersion that may have been there, and worse, any sense of sincerity or vulnerability in the scene. That's not to say that Expedition 33 doesn't have moments of levity, but they always fit and feel appropriate, as opposed to the bullshit that Bioware was shoveling. I don't think there was a single joke in the game that didn't land. Overall though the game takes itself very seriously, and is committed to itself in a way that makes the audience commit to it as well. At least I sure felt that way. When a character faces almost certain death and starts making snide remarks about how expensive the drycleaning bill is gonna be afterwards, I mean thats fine sometimes, I get it, it can be fun. That style of writing has just become so tiringly overused. Expedition 33 has a moment right in the beginning with Gustav after landing on the continent where I think most other games would have done something similar. Gustav went in a different direction, which immediately set a certain tone for the game. As that scene played out, with The Veilguard still fresh in the back of my mind, I smiled to myself and hoped that the rest of the game will be just as good. And as I got deeper into it, it just kept getting better. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3477314766 It took me right around 50 hours to get close to 100% completion; I'm pretty sure the only things I haven't finished were some collectibles. A lot of games seem to think that the more time they take to get through, the better. Expedition 33 is such a perfect example of why that's usually wrong. I didn't get so deeply invested into this game because I spent 150+ hours playing it. I didn't fall in love with these characters because I collected 50 boar pelts across each region of the map or whatever the fuck. I didn't need to clear out a gazillion samey dungeons or tread through a hundred filler questlines to feel like I've experienced an epic journey. I have experienced an epic journey, because that is just how the game was written. I'm so excited to see what Sandfall comes out with next. I'll be there day one, and that puts them in very sparse company.

Juegazo, mi GOTY. Que historia, que personajes, ya estoy siguiendo a los de SANDFALL para ver cual es su siguiente juego.

The best JRPG in 2025 for sure! Great music and story. I recommend playing it.

Winner of this year's: Game of the year Best game direction Best narrative Best score and music Best action game Best RPG Probably wouldn't have hit as hard if gaming industry remained in a decent state. Currently we're at a point where releasing $80-100 asset flips with no soul and barely exisiting performance is the norm. Expedition 33 shows there's still room for reasonable projects where passion comes first. Far lower pricing compared to vast majority of titles (even though it very much has every right to be priced at $60), never before seen story and innovation in turn based gameplay. Performance is debatable because Unreal Engine 5 is still Unreal Engine 5 at the end of the day, but compared to countless other titles that use this engine I don't have major complaints, mes amis.

[h1][i]An unapologetically unique and interesting story plays out in a fantastical world.[/i][/h1] This game really surprised me. I went into it without investigating much about it so that I wouldn't really have any preconceived notions about it. I'm glad I did. This game pulls no punches in its presentation. It is beautiful and comes in right away with a very clear perspective and art direction. Right from the start, it is taking you by the hand for a journey. It is avant-garde yet it is still easy to consume and understand. That's the best way I can describe it. The gameplay reminds me of a lot of things. The art style also reminds me of a lot of things. Gameplay wise, parts of it really remind me of a Souls-like game. Other parts, in a certain way, remind me somehow of a rhythym game. Artistically it reminds me of gothic games like Alice: Mandess Returns and other American McGee works and Tim Burton. For me, this is my game of the year so far. Something really amazing would have to come out to replace it. It's refreshing to see a game that is so dead set on what they are trying to show you. This game delivers on that front 100%, in my opinion. It is very unique, which I always appreciate. I played it twice, and enjoyed it both times.

[h2]Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 [/h2] Absolute cinema Even though I already knew people were excited about the game when I played it, I still underestimated it and was genuinely, pleasantly surprised when I finished it. At this point, I think it’s my top contender for Game of the Year. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3475040698 The mixed combat system, where turn-based gameplay is combined with real-time parries and dodges, really boosts immersion. It has become the game’s unique and recognizable style, and I’m sure other developers will start copying it. Narratively, the game is on another level. I thought I had figured out the main twist a few times, but I was wrong and far from the truth. It’s hard to talk about this without spoilers, but I think it perfectly shows how the "white-collar" types who inevitably show up in most studios and publishers as they grow and become successful end up ruining them. They think in numbers and safe decisions, but that has never been what creativity is about, which is what games are supposed to be. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3501690738 The music and art style deserve special praise. There aren't many characters, but each one feels alive and full of personality. Everything is crafted with care and creativity, despite the game's modest budget. It all comes together in a way that feels truly impressive. You don’t even need to mention the fact that many of the major decisions are made by investors or people who don’t even play the games they publish (hello Ubisoft). https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3504361687 For regular players, the smart move is to vote with your wallet. Don’t buy or support corporate, toothless games and then complain about the state of the industry. It’s better to give bold games a chance and support them with your money. That’s how we’ll get more masterpieces like Clair Obscur.

Review after 100% completion. Also why are you reading reviews instead buying it already......? A SUBLIME game in EVERY damn sense! You Sandfall deserve a place in the LOUVRE for developing a "gem". The combat combines well implemented QTE with engaging turn based action, offering something for everyone. Even the nerve racking GLORIOUS end-game bosses are extremly enjoyable (You even have options to buff EVERY boss/monster to your heart content). And if you are here for the awesome history instead a challenge just go and adjust the difficulty for a still meaningful but more forgiving fights, Clair Obscur offers something for everyone and it does it in the best way possible. Now the voice acting, soundtrack, art design....EVERYTHING is MAJESTIC! This is ART and a stark reminder about why videogames are the future of entertainment and history telling. Stop reading and buy Clair Obscur already.....Oh! The game message? "For those who come after" wich basically means making the world (in this case video game industry) a better place than it was before for EVERYONE.

[b]Let me introduce to you the GAME OF THE YEAR of 2025![/b] This game is so good, [b]they made a better version of Only Up![/b] so casually inside the game, which was infinitely more enjoyable than the original one! This game truly is a gem, with many nice details and such a deep and creative story. This game was truly a love project by the developer team, it's so easy to see when actually playing it.

I almost NEVER give a game a perfect score, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a true MASTERPIECE and has earned a 10/10 from me!