Recent reviews by TheMrRooster

After sinking 13 hours into Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, I’ve decided this game just isn’t for me. I was hoping for a JRPG with that Legend of Dragoon magic—those quick-time event (QTE) mechanics for counters and attacks were so satisfying back then. But Expedition 33 falls short in ways that hit hard: the soundtrack, the story, and the gameplay just don’t come together for me.
The soundtrack has its moments, but it often feels more distracting than immersive. There’s this one vocal track that loops endlessly during a brutal mob fight, and after wiping what felt like 100 times, that same melody went from atmospheric to maddening. It’s like the game was rubbing salt in the wound while I struggled. A good soundtrack should lift you up, not make you want to rip your headphones off.
The story is where things really go off the rails. It dives into this bizarre, almost self-consciously “weird” territory, but it feels like it’s trying too hard to be unique without earning it. The game throws events and dialogue at you like you’re supposed to know what’s happening, but I was just left puzzled and annoyed, with no clue what was going on half the time. It’s like the story assumes you’ve read some secret lore manual I never got. Character deaths could’ve raised the stakes—I’m all for that when it’s done right—but instead, a main character gets killed off unceremoniously and replaced with a generic “new hero” in seconds. It’s not emotional or impactful; it’s just “surprise, they’re gone!” and then you’re handed a new McGuffin character. The shock value feels cheap, and the lack of clarity makes it impossible to care.
The gameplay is the final nail in the coffin, and part of this is personal. I have 20% of normal hearing (medically documented), which makes audio cues tough to follow. This game leans heavily on sound-based prompts for dodging and parrying, and even on easy mode, I couldn’t keep up. I was hoping for a Legend of Dragoon-style system where QTEs are clear, optional, and rewarding—counters in that game were intuitive, and you could still progress without mastering them. In Expedition 33, dodging and parrying feel mandatory, even on the easiest setting. The game doesn’t clearly signal what it wants visually, so I was often left guessing, which was frustrating. With my hearing limitations, it felt like I was fighting the mechanics as much as the enemies. I wanted to love this JRPG for its striking art style and turn-based roots, but the gameplay just didn’t click.
Ultimately, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a gorgeous aesthetic and some bold ideas, but it falls flat in execution. The repetitive soundtrack, a story that’s confusing and shock-driven without grounding, and combat that demands precision I couldn’t deliver—especially with my hearing challenges—made it a slog. If you love punishing JRPGs and don’t mind a narrative that feels like it’s hiding the plot from you, you might find something here. For me, it’s a hard pass.

Top tier crafting. Ive thought I hit the ceiling a couple times only to be surprised by an entire new tier.
Black Mesa science turns into SCP. Really good stuff.
A++.

It's good. But it's resoundingly mid in it's current state. I really hope they finish this game. It feels like it needed another year in the oven at time of playing it. Maybe that's just my expectations being too high, but I feel like it is just short of valheim levels of polish.

It's early access. It has some kick ass bones. There are bugs. And it's not finished. But I think by 12-18 months from now this game will look a lot more like a finished game.

It's early access. It has some kick ass bones. There are bugs. And it's not finished. But I think by 12-18 months from now this game will look a lot more like a finished game.

Gotcha game to extreme. The AI is an interesting twist, but it is mentally handicapped.

I wish I could put into words how thankful I am for this game. It was so good I honestly shed a tear of joy. This is a must for any Trek fan. Bless the entire dev team. You far exceeded my greatest expectations. A++

Didn't feel like any improvement over the first title to me. I had issues with stability, which seems to be fairly common for others with similar builds to me (less than 4 year old mid/top HW). Really disliked how much of my screen is a space marine with no way to adjust it. Im sure this works for many, but it aint for me.

The game is good, but just know that the dev has done and said some things around the PSN account linking and nProtect that I do not like.

This is game is about what I would expect is heroin inserted directly into my eyeball.
It exceeds my expectations of an early access indie game.