Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I'm speechless. I've rarely seen a project that exuded so much love, passion, and heart and soul. It's simply incredible what this team of just 30 (!) people has conjured up.

I could go into every aspect of the game, but rarely has anything been so close to perfection, so that's unnecessary.

If I had to highlight one thing, though, it would be the music. Wow. I've rarely heard such a powerful, emotional, and high-quality soundtrack. A special thanks to Lorien Testard, who created one of the best OSTs of all time.

This game is an absolute work of art in every respect and an absolute must-have for every non-gamer, gamer, and especially JRPG fan.

It's nearly perfect, and even if I nitpick, it's a 10/10 just for the amount of pure love and dedication this team put into this game. You can tell they actually care about making and immersive and stunning experience.

The visuals are so much better than I thought a small team could even do. The characters start off as strangers and grow into familiar friends.. you'll tear up, you'll mourn with them, you'll laugh, you'll feel hope as they do, and you'll learn as they learn.

If you're a feely, empathetic person, you can't help but think about your own life and what you would do if you were in their shoes... the things we as humans struggle with like the fear and acceptance of death, but also how our lives are finite and maybe that's the beauty of life... that it ends someday.

It's thought-provoking and full of heart. This is what games are missing nowadays from AAA titles. This is what gamers want, and I'm so happy it's receiving the recognition it deserves.

As an avid and long-time player of the RPG genre, with over thirty years of experience dating back to the Final Fantasy series on the Super Nintendo, I feel qualified to offer a comprehensive perspective.

Without reservation, I can state that Expedition 33 represents the pinnacle of my role-playing game experiences. The developers have achieved a remarkable synthesis, effectively blending elements reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series with the challenging engagement found in titles like Dark Souls. Notably, the turn-based combat system is exceptionally well-executed, providing a level of excitement and immersion typically associated with action-oriented gameplay.

Beyond the mechanics, the narrative is compelling from the outset, possessing a depth that would stand alone as a compelling story in other mediums such as film or literature.

Furthermore, the artistic design and musical composition are objectively outstanding and significantly contribute to the overall immersive quality of the game. Expedition 33 demonstrates a mastery of its craft across multiple disciplines, setting a high bar for future entries in the genre.

It's a strange thing, I've been a "gamer" my whole life, at over 40 years old, I've played some of the best games in each gaming generation. However, over the last 10 years I felt like my passion for games had dissipated into just a normal hobby. I've played some great games that came out recently and that I loved like Cyberpunk, Hollow Knight, RDR 2, among many others. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed those significantly, I never felt the joy I had in the past. The magic feeling I had playing A Link to the Past, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy 7 & 8 or Resident Evil 2 (to name a few) seemed to be gone forever...

Enter Clair Obscure: Expedition 33 and somehow that feeling is back. I'm stuck to my seat like before and when I'm not I'm thinking about it.

I'm having such a blast with this game and it came as a complete surprise.

The story is amazing, the characters are perfectly flawed and the performances are award worthy. This paired with an amazing and fun turn based combat system and an hauntingly beautiful soundtrack make experiencing this game a true pleasure.

Now that does not mean the game is perfect, there is some jank in the controls when outside of combat ( i got stuck in the environment a few times) and some stuttering in the visuals here and there (for example in the few climbing moments, for some reason). These small nitpicks however do nothing to bring this game down significantly as the good so far outweighs the bad that the bad is almost invisible.

In the end, I could ot recommend this game enough... and all of this from a core team of around 30 people.... truly impressive.

Thank you for bringing back my passion for games!!!

A small team that set out to make a great game, for gamers. The story is well-crafted with interesting characters, motives, and dialogue, the leveling and build system is enjoyable and thought-out, the combat is addicting (and cinematic), and the performances are top-notch (the voice cast is nothing short of S-tier). Beautiful graphics and atmosphere throughout make the journey stunning from beginning to end. It's a game you'll want to finish, before it is spoiled for you. Take in every moment, it's worth your time.

In a world of rushed and stale games, money-hungry companies with no imagination and agenda-filled motives, this game is the direction things need to move in.

10/10 GotY Material.