The final boss in Clair Obscur was easier than planned because players engaged heavily with side quests, leading to higher character levels and a less challenging fight. Developers underestimated how much players would explore and complete optional content, which affected the intended difficulty of the game’s climax.
Sandfall, the developer of the acclaimed game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, plans to focus on its own creative instincts rather than external fan pressure for its next project, emphasizing trust in their vision and experience to create something new and exciting.
A dedicated fan of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 defeated the tough Duollistes boss after an 8-hour battle with over 10,000 successful parries, avoiding dodges entirely, showcasing extreme perseverance and skill, and sparking admiration among the gaming community.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a French turn-based RPG made for under $10 million, became the defining game of 2025 by outperforming larger titles with its innovative combat, mature storytelling, and artistic direction, winning Game of the Year and inspiring a Hollywood adaptation.
Amazon has restocked the exclusive Steelbook Edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for PS5 and Xbox Series X, which includes a physical game, collectible art cards, and special packaging. The PS5 standard edition remains hard to find, with Amazon the only retailer currently accepting orders at a higher price, while the Xbox version is more readily available. The game has received critical acclaim and won awards, but controversy arose over the use of AI in its development, leading to disqualification from some awards.
The Indie Game Awards retracted the Game of the Year and Debut Game awards from Expedition 33 after discovering that its developer used generative AI during development, violating the awards' strict no-AI policy, and awarded the Game of the Year to Blue Prince instead.
Sandfall Interactive's CEO Guillaume Broche states that despite the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the studio has no plans to expand, preferring to focus on creating games rather than managing growth, emphasizing the importance of limitations and authenticity in game development.
Expedition 33, a game by Sandfall Interactive, was disqualified from the Indie Game Awards after it was revealed that the developers used generative AI in its creation, despite earlier claims that no AI was used. This led to the revocation of its awards for Best Debut and Game of the Year, highlighting ongoing controversies over AI's role in game development.
The critically acclaimed 2025 game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was disqualified from major awards, including Game of the Year, due to its use of generative AI assets, which violates the eligibility rules of the Indie Game Awards, leading to the retraction of its awards and the assignment of new winners.
PS5 owners voted for Ghost Of Yōtei as their Game of the Year for 2025, despite Clair Obscur winning multiple awards at The Game Awards and Golden Joysticks. Ghost Of Yōtei, Sony’s exclusive, was supported strongly by fans and outperformed Clair Obscur in community votes, sales, and awards in categories like graphics and audio. The results highlight the community’s preference for Ghost Of Yōtei over the critically acclaimed Clair Obscur.
French President Emmanuel Macron celebrated the French RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, highlighting its record-breaking success and cultural significance for France, amid mixed reactions and industry recognition.
The latest update for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces highly challenging boss battles in the Endless Tower, including a reimagined, more difficult version of Simon, leading to widespread player frustration and praise for its difficulty, alongside new content and expansions.
Public voting is now open for the Golden Joystick Awards 2025's Ultimate Game of the Year, with 12 nominees including Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, and others. While Clair Obscur is a strong favorite due to its critical acclaim, the winner will be decided by public support, making the outcome uncertain.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is launching an Amazon-exclusive Mirror Edition on November 27 for $60, which includes a physical game, steelbook case, collectible cards, and artwork. Other editions like the Lumiere and Collector's Editions are also available for preorder, with various exclusive content. The game remains popular on multiple platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive is about 85% of the original vision, with developers expressing pride in the game's success and emotional impact, though they wish they could do more with the character Esquie in future updates.