Despite the limited presence of first-party blockbusters so far, 2025 has already produced several hits. Smaller titles likeSplit FictionandBlue Princehave joined larger games likeKingdom Come: Deliverance 2andMonster Hunter Wildsin the running for various people’s Game of the Year, and they aren’t even the likeliest overall winners anymore. French developer Sandfall Interactive blindsided many with its April release ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33, and with 3 million sales in 33 days, it’s clearly had an impact.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is a serious GOTY contender, and that’s not just based on ambient chatter. However, it’s not uncontested.
Record-breaking accolades and excellent performance for an indie game lineClair Obscur’s short history, as evidenced by a 9.7 user score on Metacritic and the site’s highest 2025 critic score of 93 beforeTears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 port rose three points higher. That 9.7 was also based on over 17,200 reviews, grantingClair Obscurone of the highest user review scoreson the website. Other sources reflected this praise, making it easy to callClair Obscur: Expedition 33Game of the Year 2025 already, but a recent release has proven that the narrative isn’t set in stone yet.
Death Stranding 2 Just Stole One Of Clair Obscur’s Achievements
Clair Obscur Finally Has Real Competition For 2025’s Most Popular Game
Kojima Productions’Death Stranding 2: On The Beachlaunched at the end of June 2025, and both critics and fans alike have been enamored with it. Its critical score on Metacritic averaged out at a 90, three points lower thanExpedition 33’s, butDS2’s true victory lies in an unexpected place.Death Stranding 2has a 4.93 ratingon the PlayStation Store, derived from 97% of user ratings giving the sequel five out of five stars, immediately becoming the highest-rated title ever hosted on the platform. And sure enough, the gameDS2replaced with the former high score of a 4.91 rating is none other thanClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Obviously, there is a wide range of circumstances dividing these games and justifying their respective scores, with the most notable possibly being thatDeath Stranding 2is a sequel to a highly polarizing game, and most people buying it will know that and appreciate its improvements overDeath Stranding 1deeply.Death Stranding 2is also a PlayStation 5 exclusive, being published and funded by Sony while benefiting from a significant marketing budget and frequent trailers, whileClair Obscurwas a multiplatform title with less, but still significant, marketing from Xbox. Still,DS2surpassingClair Obscuron even a line console has wider-reaching implications than rankings or sales.
Game of the Year Deliberations Around Clair Obscur And Death Stranding 2 Are Getting Complicated
Death Stranding 2proves thatClair Obscur: Expedition 33is not the slam-dunk Game of the Year winner that many people thought it would be. Its chances of performing well in 2025’s end-of-year award show season are still high, and being a passion-driven game made by a smaller team would follow the trend of prior Game AwardsGOTY winnersBaldur’s Gate 3andAstro Bot. However,Death Stranding 2has suddenly joined it as a fellow award contender, and it likely won’t be the last game to do so.
Clair Obscur Has More GOTY 2025 Contenders To Deal With
Acclaimed titles likeMonster Hunter Wilds,Split Fiction,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, andBlue Princealready dot 2025, and even if they haven’t sparked the same fervor asClair ObscurandDeath Stranding 2, they’re still contenders.Donkey Kong Bananza,The Outer Wilds 2, andGhost of Yoteiare all upcoming major GOTY contenders, and indies likeHollow Knight: SilksongandHades 2’s full launch could rival them if they make their 2025 windows.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33isn’t a guaranteed award-winner anymore, but that’s far from a problem for fans in this industry.
