Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Becomes Highest-Rated Game of 2025

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a new turn-based RPG, has earned the top spot on gaming review sites as the best-rated game of 2025 so far. Released on April 24, the game has quickly become a must-play title this year.

Developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, this RPG combines turn-based combat with fantasy elements and storytelling that has impressed both critics and players alike. The game currently holds the number one position on both OpenCritic and Metacritic, the two major game review aggregator websites.

On Metacritic's "Best Games This Year" list, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shares a score of 92 with indie hit Blue Prince. However, Clair Obscur's score comes from 58 critic reviews compared to Blue Prince's 49, giving it a slight edge in the rankings.

According to OpenCritic, the game stands alone at the top with a score of 91/100, ahead of competitors Split Fiction and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which both scored 90/100.

The game's reception among players has been equally impressive. On the Steam platform, it has received an overwhelming 94% positive reviews from over 7,500 users. The game launched with 36,000 concurrent players on Steam, a number that has been steadily growing since release day.

Critics have specifically praised the game's art direction, narrative depth, and innovative gameplay. Many reviewers appreciate how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes inspiration from Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) but adds its own unique twists to create something fresh and engaging.

VG247 awarded the game a perfect 10/10 score, with their reviewer saying the game made them "fall in love with RPGs again." The reviewer compared their experience to the nostalgic feeling of playing Final Fantasy 8 for the first time, noting they didn't want the game to end when approaching the final boss.

Game Informer gave the game a 9/10, highlighting how it embraces a familiar but currently rare genre – big budget, artistically expressive, turn-based RPGs – without falling into common traps. Their review mentions that the adventure isn't unnecessarily long and doesn't force players to spend too much time fighting. They praised the unique world, art, and narrative that somehow still evokes nostalgia.

Eurogamer, which gave the game an 8/10, called it "an ambitious yet impressive debut" that examines themes of grief and the power of art. They noted that while developers focused on certain areas more than others, "where it succeeds it really excels."

As per GAMINGbible's 8/10 review, the game offers "a truly impactful world, with a powerful and emotional story," enhanced by "stellar acting." The reviewer mentioned being moved to tears at times while laughing at others. They praised the battle system as "refreshing, tactical, and delightful" in a genre where combat can often feel stagnant.

GamesRadar+ awarded a 90/100 score, describing the game as "an outstanding visionary debut" with "one of the most exciting and rewarding action and turn-based hybrid battle systems ever devised." They compared its dynamic feel to Persona games while noting that its challenging battles reminded them of Sekiro.

IGN's 9/10 review stated that the game "paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story."

Perhaps the most enthusiastic praise came from RPG Fan, which gave an almost perfect 99/100 score, calling it "the single most impressive debut RPG I've ever played" and adding that "if this were a Final Fantasy title, it would easily rank among my all-time favorites."

The game's voice acting has received universal praise, with critics noting the excellent performances throughout. The game is also reportedly quite lengthy, offering players good value for money.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is now available on multiple platforms, including Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. For subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, the game is available to play at no additional cost as a day one release.

As we move into May 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has positioned itself as the front-runner for Game of the Year awards, an impressive achievement for Sandfall Interactive's debut title in this genre.