Despite its nuances, Adrian Chmielarz considers Expedition 33 his definitive game of the year and is eager to “pick the brain” of the project’s game director to learn their development secrets.
In a recent industry discussion, veteran developer Adrian Chmielarz—known for his work on iconic titles like Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and Gears of War, and currently leading The Astronauts (Witchfire)—shared his enthusiastic impressions of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Chmielarz didn’t hold back, naming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as his personal frontrunner for the best game of the year.
There are certain design elements that I completely understand, and others that leave me genuinely intrigued.
According to him, the team at Sandfall achieved impressive efficiency by opting out of complex 3D enemy navigation. The game world features relatively static environments; while Chmielarz noted that early stages felt somewhat “old-school” or “under-designed,” they eventually expand into massive, awe-inspiring spectacles.
However, it was the project’s exceptionally high production values that impressed him most.
The cutscenes are world-class, delivering a level of AAA quality that even top-tier studios often struggle to match. They haven’t been working on this for ages, yet the polish is incredible. I’d love to share a bottle of wine with Creative Director Guillaume Broche just to learn how they pulled it off.
Source: iXBT.games