One of the industry’s most respected creators has joined the chorus of praise for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the JRPG developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive. Neil Druckmann, president and creative director at Naughty Dog and creator of The Last of Us franchise, wrote on Instagram:
Rolled credits on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’m in awe. One of the most moving, creative stories I’ve played in a long time.
Druckmann, who recently announced he would leave his role as co-showrunner and director of the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us to focus solely on game development, certainly isn’t the only one to rate the game so highly. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the highest rated new releases of 2025 so far, not to mention one of the most successful, with over 3.3 million units sold in 33 days despite also being available on Game Pass.
In his 9.5/10 review of the game on Wccftech, Francesco De Meo similarly lauded the game’s narrative:
Every little story development serves a purpose in the grand scheme of things, like the strokes from a brush. Everything comes together extremely well when the adventure ends, ultimately making the 40 or so hours needed to clear the game an enjoyable rollercoaster of emotions that is hugely satisfying, if not a little emotionally draining, like only the best of stories manage to do.
Besides the excellent pacing of the story, the characters are the reason Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is so enjoyable. Even though the members of the Expedition 33 and a few others met during the journey on the continent get the most development, which is greatly enhanced by the tapestry their relationships wove, even those that only appear briefly manage to leave an impact. For example, it is tough to forget about the characters met before the Gommage, and remain indifferent as the ritual concludes. The excellent writing and the stellar performance of the English voice cast, including performances from Charlie Cox, Jennifer English, and Ben Starr, are the cherry on top of the most interesting setting seen in RPGs in a long time.
Have you played the game yet, and if so, do you agree with all these compliments?
