Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the role-playing video game from French studio Sandfall Interactive, initially began with a handful of developers embarking on a self-funded passion project. They'd go on to develop and pitch their prototype, successfully securing the investment needed to realize the full potential of their game, and in doing so, deliver one of the biggest success stories of 2025. I love this type of personal development story and the freedom that it affords creators to implement their vision in their own way, without boundaries and expectations. You feel that self-driven quality throughout this game, and that story sits in the mind when you ask yourself what allowed this game to stand out in the way it has.

This is only my second time playing a reactive turn-based RPG. Sea of Stars (2023) was my first dip into the genre, but it didn't land with me at all. The mechanics appealed to me in principle, and the art style was amazing, but I found that particular game to be tedious, lacking nuance, and too easy to master. Fast forward 12 months and the buzz around Expedition 33 was in full force, so I was keen to see if this time the hype was warranted. I purchased, cranked the difficulty to max, and went in feeling optimistic that this time I would find the challenge and strategic complexity I was looking for.

I do typically go into games wanting to have an experience that requires me to give it my all, whether that's through immense concentration, perfecting skills, or applying my self-proclaimed genius to difficult challenges. There's just a great satisfaction in working hard for something and coming through successfully on the other end. Expedition 33 at expert difficulty had much of this, and the combat exceeded my expectations. It was fun, almost rhythmic-like gameplay, providing this perfect balance of pushing me to my limits, but rarely beyond a time frame where it might become frustrating. I memorized move sets, locked in my concentration with parries, and at times had to think carefully about my next move. When failing constantly at boss fights, my inner monologue would kick in: "You can do this," and after a determined run i'd find victory and be buzzing.