Sumptuous visuals and brilliant writing in an Indie RPG? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Has it All
So… if you are an enthusiast of single player RPGs and have not spent any time thoroughly engrossed in this modern masterpiece, you’re either buried under a pile of rubble or not allowing yourself enough time for brilliant escapism.
In either case, you’re missing out on what was unequivocally the 2025 GOTY.
I’ll work up a proper review at some point but am simply too busy playing this stunning piece of interactive art with all of my spare time to do so now.
My very short take, aside from the above, is that this is essentially the game that Square Enix has been wishing they could have produced over the last two decades. I truly do not remember the last time I played a game that checked every box I have on my list of desired qualities after a lifetime of video games.
Fresh, engaging mechanics, sumptuous visuals, deeply developed world-building, top shelf voice acting, brilliant writing with staggering emotional depth, and the most phenomenal score since Final Fantasy VII.
All from a tiny French studio with barely more than 30 team members, most of whom are Ubisoft refugees.
Buy it, play it, support Sandfall Interactive. But even if they never produce another game again, their debut masterwork will prove to be an enduring legacy in the field for decades to come.
Joshua Dinges’s last game review for Black Gate was Return of the Obra Dinn.
Ah. That one with the Paintress. The people who have played it and with whom I’ve spoken universally agree with you. They also agree with each other that its sole weak point was the ending, which one characterized as “feels like an author misjudged a book contract deadline.” What are your thoughts on the strength of the story until its end? Was this a fair assessment, or does it show a misunderstanding of the game progression?