The game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has attracted attention all year and gained more acclaim after Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann said it moved him deeply.
Druckmann is no stranger to emotional storytelling. He helped shape The Last of Us, a game known for pushing boundaries with its narrative and character development.
So if he says it affected him deeply, that is no casual praise but something serious. He posted to Instagram that he had finished Clair Obscur and simply said, “Rolled credits on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I’m in awe. One of the most moving, creative stories I played in a long time.”
It wasn’t meant to promote anything, but it came from the heart, and that made it even stronger. This game, developed by the relatively small French studio Sandfall Interactive, has become one of the most celebrated titles of 2025.
It sits comfortably at the top of review charts, with some even comparing it to the legacy of games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Witcher 3.
For half the year, it held the title of highest-rated release on Metacritic, even fending off competition from juggernauts like the Switch 2 re-release of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
Why Is Clair Obscur’s Story Resonating So Deeply?
Clair Obscur moved a storyteller like Druckmann because it blends fantasy with emotional weight and places players in a dying world where an annual force called "The Pale Hour" causes people to vanish mysteriously.
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+ 3As a member of an expedition team, you uncover the source of this vanishing while watching your characters evolve both emotionally and physically.
The story is filled with grief, reflection, and purpose, qualities that are clearly connected with the creator of The Last of Us.
Is the Combat Just as Impressive as the Story?
Clair Obscur mixes turn-based strategy with real-time reactions and requires players to watch enemy moves closely and respond quickly, like Soulslike gameplay within a traditional RPG.
click to enlarge + 3It’s no easy feat, but it brings great satisfaction, wrapped in a hauntingly immersive vibe.
The art direction leans toward oil-painting aesthetics, and the music builds tension with elegance, not excess.
Are Other Developers Talking About It Too?
The game earned praise not only from Druckmann but also from CD Projekt Red’s community head, who wants more games like it.
click to enlarge + 3Even a key figure behind Baldur’s Gate 3 urged fans to support Clair Obscur, citing it as a much-needed push for narrative-driven RPGs.
What makes this entire situation even more impressive is that Clair Obscur wasn’t born from a billion-dollar franchise.
It came from a tight-knit team that clearly understood the power of restraint and creative focus. Rather than juggling everything, the game focuses on what counts most: its characters, world, and the emotional core behind it all.
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