The action RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developed by the French company Sandfall Interactive, has been dominating the gaming scene in 2025. Since its release, the title has garnered critical and public acclaim, achieving one of the highest scores in Metacritic history: 9.8 on the PC version, with over 2,000 user reviews.
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Performance remains strong on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series, solidifying the game's strength across all platforms. The impressive reception has put the game in the lead for Game of the Year (GOTY) and overshadowing competing releases.
Historical note and immediate impact on platforms
The score achieved by Expedition 33 surpasses that of acclaimed classics such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (9.0), The Last of Us (9.2), Half-Life 2 (9.1), and even Baldur's Gate 3 (9.2), winner of the GOTY in 2023. The game's average score on Metacritic, based on thousands of reviews, shows a very rare level of acceptance among players.
On OpenCritic, another relevant aggregator, the average score of 92 after 122 reviews reinforces the French title's popularity. During the last weekend of April, the game registered a peak of 145,000 simultaneous players on Steam, according to SteamDB data. This performance surpassed that of other big-budget games, such as Assassin's Creed Shadows and Avowed, highlighting Expedition 33's impact on the public.
French studio surprises with debut game
Sandfall Interactive, founded just a few years ago, surprised the industry with an ambitious, well-executed, and technically refined debut project. The game's performance even garnered attention outside the industry. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, mentioned the studio in a recent speech, praising national production.
However, the title impresses not only with its high-quality graphics and refined combat mechanics. Its distinguishing feature lies in its bold aesthetic and the way it tells the story, immersing the player in a universe full of symbolism and impactful choices. The world-building and characters have also received consistent praise, creating a rich and memorable experience for fans of the genre.
A solid campaign and numbers that support their status as favorites
Since its release, the game has sold over 1 million copies. The combination of technical quality, strong sales performance, and critical acclaim provides a solid foundation for Expedition 33 to be considered a leading contender for Game of the Year.
The game's campaign for awards should include events such as The Game Awards, BAFTA Games Awards, DICE Awards, and Golden Joystick. None of the last five GOTY winners achieved such a high score among players. Baldur's Gate 3 and Astro Bot, winners in 2023 and 2024 respectively, registered an average of 9.2 on Metacritic, a value that today seems modest compared to Expedition 33's 9.8.
New releases planned for this year, such as Doom: The Dark Ages, Ghost of Yotei, and Death Stranding 2, could still change the course of the competition and challenge the leading role achieved by Expedition 33.
Another name that's in the running is the roguelike Blue Prince, the second highest-rated game of the year, but with an average user score of 8.2, well below Sandfall's performance.
Game of the Year seems to be just a matter of time, but the year isn't over yet
With the postponement of Grand Theft Auto VI, the main release of 2025, the field has been opened for Expedition 33 to shine even brighter. The absence of a heavyweight like GTA increases the chances for the French RPG. The campaign until the end of the year may still bring surprises, but the Sandfall Interactive game has already written its name in the recent history of the industry.
If it continues with this level of performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has the potential to win the title of best of the year and establish its name among the great action RPGs of the decade.
With their status as favorites solidified, all that remains is to maintain their performance
Although the season still holds surprises, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands out as the most consistent title so far and a benchmark for its competitors. International recognition, record-breaking scores, and engagement from the gaming community underpin its status as a favorite.
The challenge now is to maintain relevance in the face of new competitors and ensure that the initial impact is not lost before awards season. Until then, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains at the top, with the eyes of the gaming world focused on it.