If you pay a sojourn to Metacritic and search up the gobs for the lately releasedClair Obscure : hostile expedition 33 , you might detect something about its exploiter score : a banging 9.7 at the time of writing . Yesterday , Forbes write an article talking about role player ’ incredible reception of the game , and the score was 9.6 then . That suit with our impressions of the game , too : our reviewcalls out its excited , well - write narrative , stunning art , and merriment gameplay . The score has only gone up in the 24 hours or so since the story was first published , as more than 2,000 other users have lent their ruling on the biz .
Why is that impressive ? It ’s not just a mellow score ; it ’s one of the highest user piles on all of Metacritic . The remaster ofThe Elder Scrolls IV : Oblivionhas only an 8.1 , while Metacritic ’s overall highest - shit secret plan ( allot to critics)The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Timehas a 9.1 . There are one C of games listed on the site , and the in high spirits I can find isHeroes of Might and Magic IIIwith a 9.3 . It ’s quite possible thatClair Obscurhas break all the record book .
Fans have already dubbedClair Obscuras a competition for game of the twelvemonth , with some calling it a spiritual successor toFinal Fantasy VII . The throwbacks to the classics that built the genre are evident throughout , with a member of our team comparing its exploration to “ PS2 - era Final Fantasy , in a undecomposed way . ” That ’s high congratulations indeed , especially consider it ’s the first form of address from Sandfall Interactive , a small Gallic studio apartment with just over 30 employees ( include Monoco , an adorable Spaniel with the position of “ Happiness Manager . ” )
Kepler Interactive
And perhaps therein dwell the secret to its achiever . The studio is small , independent , and able to accompany its own direction without answering to shareholders . Clair Obscur : Expedition 33is a AA plot , not a AAA , but you would n’t know it by looking at the game ’s gorgeous fine art and fascinating , haunt soundtrack .
independency allowed Sandfall Interactive to take risk of exposure and try things that a more “ experient ” studio might not , and that paid off in droves . That ’s not the only reason the game is seeing such a meteoric rise , though . The storyline is relatable , center around a radical trying to make a better world while the magnate that be adjudicate to stop them at every tour . As our reviewer points out , it feels insightful and relevant to current event . Through it all , the story focus on a theme of “ togetherness . ” Without others , change is n’t possible . No one is an island .
I do n’t require to delve too deeply into the story . Clair Obscuris a game best experienced blind , but it ’s a deed you wo n’t soon forget after play . The main taradiddle will take most players around 30 hours to finish , but there is so much more to explore that you could appear onward to 60 or more time of day of gameplay for completionists .
Sandfall Interactive
That brings me to another reason why the game brook out in a saturated market : the price . Clair Obscure : Expedition 33is only $ 50 for an incredible amount of content . When most raw game are at least $ 70 ( and in the case ofMario Kart World,$80 ) , it feels like an absolute buy . It ’s also available as part ofXbox Game Pass , put it in the hands of even more players .
More people are uncoerced to take a fortune on the biz when it does n’t be an branch and a branch . At a time when economical dubiety has many people more carefully decide what to purchase , it ’s a lot easier to rationalise a $ 50 expense than an $ 80 one .
Of naturally , a game need to hand over once someone takes a chance on it , andClair Obscur : Expedition 33does so by paying court to definitive JRPGs in its conflict and exploration system . The act - based combat feels familiar to anyone who has played a game like Final Fantasy X , while the ( frankly ludicrous ) science Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree lets playerscreate custom buildsto suit every playstyle , but the game does n’t stop there .
Sandfall Interactive
Every character stand out in their own way , from their personality to how they fight . The change keep things sweet even after you ’ve sunk a dozen or more hour into the story . Clair Obscurincorporates nimble - time upshot to keep players on their toes and includesthe alone Lumina systemto further expand on build alternative .
A massive world map provides plenty of opportunities for geographic expedition , and it’sfull of secrets to tag downthat can give you an edge in combat andsecret bossesthat take exception your skill . Our review calls it a “ true homage to RPG account , ” and I ’m inclined to agree . At a time when JRPGs like Final Fantasy XVI are submit on more westerly - style elements like material - time combat , Clair Obscur : Expedition 33is a unique , intriguing secret plan that uses intimate elements without swear entirely on nostalgia .
Its succeeder might not cover , but of the 2,300 substance abuser reviews already , 97 % are positive , 1 % are mixed , and only 2 % — a total of 48 reviews — are minus . 2025 has shown itself to be a powerhouse twelvemonth for gaming with a lineup that includesAvowedandMonster Hunter Worlds , but Sandfall Interactive has carved out its own slice of the pie with the launch ofClair Obscur .
