I didn’t intend for my RSS-only posts to be video game reviews but that’s what you’re getting again today! I had big plans for my holiday break but I spent it gaming.
If you subscribed for web dev stuff don’t worry these off-topic posts are rare :)
Warning: there will be spoilers.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a breath of fresh air.
I hope it spurs more variety in video game story telling. The world-building and lore was fascinating, even if the plot got overly complicated towards the end.
Expedition 33 is not perfect. Early exploration was slow and unrewarding. Stray off the main path and everything is overpowered. Return again mid-game and nope; still too hard. Only late into Act 3 can most optional areas be tackled. When you are powerful enough it’s some of the best content in the game. I wish the game had more “hidden” bosses with unique mechanics.
The turn-based combat was so much fun to learn. The skills and upgrades allowed for a variety of options. Naturally, I refused to budge from the same lineup the entire game. By endgame I had an unstoppable combo with Lune. I never played Verso unless forced to. I don’t like forced party swaps, but that’s par for the course in RPGs.
Platforming controls were outright terrible. Thankfully, they’re rarely required. Most of the game is on rails with invisible walls so you can’t fall off. I can only think of a few tricky platforming jumps, all optional areas. Why put that into the game at all when it’s so janky? That said, I did enjoy the Gestral Beach mini-game that makes fun of this fact.
I never bothered with a NG+ play-through of any game but I can see myself starting Expedition 33 again. (Although I probably won’t, too busy.)
This game has resparked my interest in game development. I really want to publish small web-based game ideas this year.
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