Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

I feel wary about overhyping games because more often than not it ends up with disappointed people for one reason or another, but in this case I don't think how it could be. This game excels at everything. - Combat: This is the one barrier of entry. If you don't care for turn-based combat this probably won't change your mind, but it's still one of the best examples, while also rewarding quick reflexes. - Exploration: fantastic and rewarding without feeling overwhelming. - Freedom: while each character belongs to a "class" and has their own entirely different set of abilities there are a bunch of separate passive skills that you can apply to everyone and mix and match to your desire, offering a near infinite number of builds. Save for a small number of times (like at the very start when you only have one character) you're not forced to use a particular character and you can pick and match as you choose. - Visuals: beautiful and imaginative. No two areas look the same and they're all visually creative. You will be submerged in this fantastic world and believe it's a real place. - Audio: voice acting is top notch and the music is evocative and unforgettable. You won't stop listening to the OST even months later on a daily basis. - Story: gripping, emotional story that keeps you invested from the very beginning and takes twists and turns that will stay with you forever and will make you question everything you think you know about love, friendship, art, life and reality. - Characters: deep, complex, well developed and very likable characters are with you throughout the whole trip. No sidekick or side character is annoying and no villain is devoid of interest. - Replay value: the gameplay is fun enough that you might want to replay again because of it, but also the nature of the story makes you want to revisit the whole experience with a new perspective once you've become aware of the major reveals. That aside, there's a New Game + option and a few more difficulty options to add if you feel you've become a bit too powerful. On their own each of these components are great, but together they're a masterpiece. This game is one in a generation. It's unquestionably one of the best games of the year, but also, in my opinion of all time. There really is only one negative about this game and it's that the platforming puzzles are absolute BS. It's not something really worth getting worked up about because they're not necessary for progression and their only reward is purely cosmetic, but if you're a completionist you're gonna be upset at them. I started to play this game on GamePass right before my one-mont subscription ended and rather than renew it I bought the entire game at full price to keep playing it. It really is one of the best experiences you can have in gaming and I recommend it to everyone.

Kinda weird, VERY french, a bit depressing. But a GREAT game. Very stylish, looks and sounds amazing. Combat is very fun.

100% support this developer and GOG's approach to game preservation. I normally wait and buy on GOG before steam when games I want are available, in this case I double-dipped for the reasons stated. Superb game not to be missed (or be TRULY owned).

The way the story is told doesn't insult your intelligence like some stories in games. It's a genuine attempt at a world creation with a very emotional journey. Gameplay is fun but standard-fare jRPG stuff. If you like that, you'll enjoy it. I enjoyed it though I'm not a huge fan of jRPGs. If I had known this game would have come out on GOG, I wouldn't bother buying it on Steam. Still, if you like jRPG gameplay with a very deep and multi-layered engaging story, I'm sure you will like this one. It's a great game.

Absolutely marvelous game. The main storyline can be completed in around 30 hours, the next 30 hours for additional content, and the last 30 hours for you know who.