When previewing CHideout Obscur: Expedition 33 At the beginning of this year, I had a feeling it was going to be something special. The timing-based RPG combat was reminiscent of Super Mario RPG and felt very satisfying and flashy. The core of the usable story had a strong sense of world-building. And the visuals were so strikingly clear that they immediately caught my eye. Based on just the first few hours of the game, it felt like the rest of the game could be just as good or better than the preview content. Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 It had a very good chance of becoming my game of the year. And I was right.
Sandfall Interactive is already on a tear as awards season begins. Claire Obsker I cleaned up at the Golden Joystick Awards and I'd be shocked if we don't see some hardware at The Game Awards next week. playing the same game hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksongand death stranding 2 It deserves a lot of praise and will definitely get some attention. it feels like Claire Obsker It has a certain momentum.
I love Clair Obscur, but it almost lost me in the third act.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a great game, but certain developments in Act 3 don't quite work out like the rest of the experience.
For me, the timing-based combat, story, performances, music, and visuals make for a memorable experience. The gameplay is satisfying and addictive, the world is fascinating, and the cast will stay with you for a long time. I have a few games in my backlog that need to be done, but for now Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 It's my game of the year. It's no surprise that this game topped my personal top ten list, but what's surprising is that it got the nod despite including two of my least favorite video games.
first annoying thing Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 Guilt is unique to RPGs, This includes forcing you to use a specific character as part of your team or swapping characters without control.. I know this is common in RPGs, but I'm the type of gamer that likes to invest in a specific team composition and go all-in on it. I want to have a healer/mage, damage dealer, and utility character, and focus on leveling and optimizing them as much as possible.
Because you never know how much friction you'll encounter over the course of an RPG, I'll generally go to great lengths to level up or upgrade my core team members. I may or may not be too high a level, but I generally like unlocking new abilities, leveling up my weapons to higher levels, and freeing up money to spend on useful stuff. But when the game decides you can't access a character for story reasons, it's frustrating because a weaker character has to go into the rotation. Now you've lost a key member of your team composition and need to try to make this new member work.
As I mentioned, Claire Obsker There is nothing unique about this approach. Final Fantasy IV Does he switch to Cecil very early on?Chrono Cross brings some very significant changes to its core characters after the first act. final fantasy 12 It forces teams to change frequently. That's a pet peeve of mine and something I actually look forward to at this point. But what makes the difference Claire Obsker Different games have different ways of solving this.
I think Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 We approach this idea by having all party members gain XP in battle (even if it's less than the main party member). so, Even if you decide not to use Maelle, Lune, Gustave, or whoever, they are still close to core team level. For the sake of spoilers, I won't go into more detail than that. However, I appreciate how easily a potential switch can be overcome using Sandfall.
Additionally, each character had mechanical differences, so I wanted to change the character. I enjoyed experimenting with different roles and learning the value of each character's mechanics in relation to the enemy before me. Plus, I like how Sandfall addresses the Fall status by allowing you to swap in a new expedition team if all three members are eliminated at the start. For all the elements of the ‘forced transition’ that I found frustrating; Claire Obsker I gave a reasonable answer.
Other pets hate it Claire Obsker An include is something that is platformed when the game doesn't have a mechanism to support it. You can find many forum threads filled with anger about Gestral Beaches. Expedition 33And I share that frustration. final fantasy 15 There was an optional platform section that did something similar, ostensibly in an effort to mix things up. The lack of precision in platform-centric mechanics can lead to a lot of frustrating moments jumping and landing, and on those beaches it feels like you're playing Only Up rather than an RPG.
Like the Pythios ruins Final Fantasy XVMost of the platforms Claire Obsker Optional. Being a masochist and completionist myself, I still felt compelled to finish that section, but for others it might just pass by. yet, That's probably my biggest hit with this game.. I might have felt differently if the mantle wasn't more consistent or if the roll after sprint jumps wasn't as difficult to control. I know I am not alone in this.
Despite there being a couple of factors that would usually knock the game down a notch or two on my personal review scale; Claire Obsker: Expedition 33 This is my favorite game of 2025. When it comes to character swapping, I think Sandfall Interactive has some elegant solutions that won't be an issue in my playthrough. Platforming, on the other hand, is a problem, but mostly optional. It's difficult to maintain that throughout the game.
Actually, it's to the game's credit that despite containing those two complaints, I still rate it highly. And I think it's fair if those factors affected your enjoyment of the game. But for me, everything else around the game was so fantastic that nothing “bad” affected my enjoyment.
- released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Ages 17 and older / Blood and gore, strong language, suggestive themes, violence
- developer
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Sandpole Interactive
- publisher
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Kepler Interactive
