After pushing for Arc Raiders to win GOTY over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, former FPS pro Shroud admits the J'RPG is actually pretty good after finally playing it

1. Games
2. RPGs
3. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

After pushing for Arc Raiders to win GOTY over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, former FPS pro Shroud admits the J'RPG is actually pretty good after finally playing it News By Anthony McGlynn published 23 December 2025

"It’s going to only get better," too

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Michael 'Shroud' Grzesiek, former FPS pro player and noted Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hater, is finally coming around on the JRPG-inspired game. After putting some hours into the fantasy adventure, he's conceding that, yes, it's actually worthy of all the plaudits it's received.

The revelation came during a livestream where he dug into Sandfall Entertainment's multi-award-winning release. "Dare I say, Asmongold was right," Grzesiek states. "He said, if I play this game after it wins Game of the Year, I'm gonna enjoy it."

He's referencing The Game Awards, where Clair Obscur took home the biggest prize of the night, the coveted Game of the Year, after winning eight other categories in an incredible and record-breaking streak. Having been a vocal critic of the game, Grzesiek was roundly challenged to check out Expedition 33 should it do what we all expected. It did, he has, and here we are.

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• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Game of the Year, so Arc Raiders advocate and ex-FPS pro Shroud will finally play it
• Former FPS pro Shroud says Arc Raiders should win GOTY over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, even if he thinks "multiplayer gamers are the minority"
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Verso actor Ben Starr says the RPG had an "unapologetic vision," and there's a reason it's been an unexpected hit: "There's nothing cynical about it"

Shroud admits Asmongold was right about Expedition 33 “Something I thought I would never say out loud..dare I say, Asmongold was right..he said..when I play this game I’ll enjoy it..is it too soon to say that..game can’t get worse, can only get better”pic.twitter.com/dCV5aUMSt9December 22, 2025

"Is it too soon to say that?" he asks, bargaining with his own taste. "I mean, the game can't get worse, it's going to only get better." He'd been a cheerleader for Arc Raiders to take all the glory, another worthy candidate. Cognitive dissonance can be hard to navigate, but I think it's perfectly OK to concede this and enjoy the game, pal.

No doubt he's one of many at the moment who're diving into Clair Obscur. Though the RPG was massively successful beforehand, taking so many statues at the Game Awards no doubt encouraged a flurry of players to see what all the fuss is about. Welcome to the party, I say to Grzesiek and anyone else, and if you enjoy this, might I suggest some Dragon Quest, Tales of, or Phantasy Star?

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says the secret of the J'RPG's success is to "not care too much about the players" – "if you care about your game, it means you care about the players ultimately."

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES PC Gaming PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox Anthony McGlynnSocial Links NavigationContributing Writer

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and games journalist, now based in Glasgow. He previously served as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and News Editor at The Digital Fix, on top of providing work for Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many more. Besides Studio Ghibli, horror movies, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and pro-wrestling. He interviewed Animal once, not that he won’t stop going on about it or anything.

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Logout Read more Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Game of the Year, so Arc Raiders advocate and ex-FPS pro Shroud will finally play it    Former FPS pro Shroud says Arc Raiders should win GOTY over Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, even if he thinks "multiplayer gamers are the minority"    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Verso actor Ben Starr says the RPG had an "unapologetic vision," and there's a reason it's been an unexpected hit: "There's nothing cynical about it"    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's record-high nominations at The Game Awards proves what I've been saying for the past 8 months    "Another rigged year:" Former FPS pro Shroud responds to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting a Game Awards GOTY nomination over Arc Raiders, says "the world is just not ready for AI in video games"    Despite the JRPG love letter dominating award shows, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative lead insists the game really was "not supposed to be big"    Latest in RPGs We're getting Divinity over more Baldur's Gate 3 because Larian devs weren't enjoying "doing the D&D thing"    Fallout 4 writer says interweaving quests makes the RPG "the most replayable of all the Fallout games"    Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2 has already plummeted 75% just in time for the holidays    Divinity: Original Sin 2 star is excited about that "delicious" Divinity trailer, though Larian hasn't invited her back "yet"    Divinity boss doesn't believe "you should play" the older games before the new one "unless you want the lore"    No, Cyberpunk 2077's elevators aren't just loading screens in disguise, says lead: "The engine is a miracle."    Latest in News The first Avengers: Doomsday trailer is now officially online, as the Russo Brothers explain why they brought Cap back    Despite wanting Arc Raiders to win GOTY, Shroud admits Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is good after finally playing it    EA shareholders approve $55 billion buyout that'll reportedly leave the EA Sports FC publisher in $20 billion debt    Stranger Things season 5 runtimes confirmed, and the final episode is 3 minutes longer than previously announced    Industry leaders pay tribute to Battlefield lead Vince Zampella, "a titan and legend of this industry"    Arc Raiders left with a grand question after sacrificing their characters for light Expedition loot: "Was it worth it?"    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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