Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 set a historical record on Metacritic and became the most highly rated game according to players
Despite the release of the high-profile Oblivion Remastered, it was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 unexpectedly became a real spring sensation: the game by French developer Sandfall Interactive not only sold over a million copies in three days, but also received the highest user ratings in the history of Metacritic, surpassing even the legendary blockbusters of the industry.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is confidently conquering the tops of the game charts. On Metacritic, the game received a phenomenal 9.8 points according to user reviews on PC (more than 1.9 thousand reviews), and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X - 9.7 points each. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, by the way, became the highest rated original game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became the highest rated original game in the history of the PlayStation Store.
For comparison, such titans as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Baldur's Gate 3, or The Last of Us have user ratings of 9.0-9.5.
Critics are also enthusiastic: the average score from professional reviewers is 92 out of 100, making Expedition 33 the most highly rated game of 2025 (so far). Players and journalists note the unique approach to turn-based battles, the depth of the plot, and charismatic characters, and the participation of stars like Charlie Cox in the project has only increased interest in the game.
Another achievement is the high online presence on Steam: over the weekend, more than 145 thousand players were simultaneously playing the game, which allowed Clair Obscur to reach the top of the list: Expedition 33 to become one of the top 10 most popular games of the year on the platform, overtaking such major releases as Sid Meier's Civilization VII, Assassin's Creed Shadows and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for PC.
Rating of the game on PC. Illustration: Metacritic
The success of the game did not go unnoticed even outside the gaming industry: French President Emmanuel Macron personally congratulated Sandfall Interactive on the achievement, and Expedition 33 is already considered one of the main contenders for the Game of the Year title.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proved that even a small team can create a real phenomenon that will exceed the expectations of millions of players. You can find out in detail why the game is so good in our article at this link.
Source: Metacritic
