I understand whyGrand Theft Auto 6is at the top of everyone’s list for 2025’s GOTY winner. Not only is it the sequel to one of Rockstar’s most beloved games ever made, but it’s also been a long time in the making, with anticipation for it at an all-time high. Frankly, the fact thatGTA 6is coming out at all baffles me, especially considering just how long it’s been sinceGTA 5, or evenRed Dead Redemption 2, was released. So, the hype for it makes perfect sense to me, and even I have high hopes for it.
However, while I’m sure if it does release in 2025,GTA 6will snag GOTY at every awards ceremony, it isn’t my pick. Instead, one of2025’s most-anticipated RPGsis at the top of my list thanks to some detailed gameplay trailers and breakdowns, alongside what it promises fans of the genre. Because,as much asGTA 6marks the return of a legacy franchise, this RPG is something completely new, something I’ve never quite seen before, and that has me excited beyond belief.
I’m Beyond Excited For Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
It’s Easily Going To Be One Of 2025’s Best Games
When I first heard aboutClair Obscur: Expedition 33, I was extremely excited. Before the game’s star-studded cast was announced, and long before the game’sin-depth Developer Direct breakdownshowcased its very best features, I was hooked. The premise - which revolves around a group of people venturing out to stop the Paintress who writes a number each year that dictates what age will die next - was immediately compelling. It is the kind of high-concept idea that you wish you’d come up with, one so creatively novel and full of abundant potential that I’m amazed it hasn’t been done before.
However,what really sold me, the one feature that has me coming back to watch its trailers, to be filled with that beautiful sensation of hype and eager anticipation we all crave, is the soundtrack. JRPGs, even the worst ones, have some of the best soundtracks in all media. One of my all-time favorite soundtracks is that of themuch-malignedFinal Fantasy 15, with tracks like Apocalypse Aquarius living rent-free in my head. Sandfall Interactive, the developers behindClair Obscur: Expedition 33, clearly understand this, as they have crafted a truly remarkable soundtrack unlike any other.
GTA 6 Has Some Major Competition In 2025, And It’s Not What You Think
While Grand Theft Auto 6 is almost guaranteed to be the best-selling game of 2025, it has major competition from a highly-anticipated open-world game.
Admittedly,my excitement forClair Obscur: Expedition 33lies largely in being able to have this beautiful, swelling, operatic soundtrack contextualized through gameplay. Its powerful emotional melodies are already enough to get me to cry, so I shudder to think at how distraught I’ll be actually experiencingExpedition 33’snarrative. Of course, there is so much more toClair Obscur: Expedition 33that has been revealed since that initial trailer, and a singular song - titled Une vie à peindre for those interested - hit YouTube that has me beyond excited.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is My Perfect Kind Of JRPG
A Cinematic Narrative-Focused Adventure
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is my perfect type of JRPG for one particular reason. While a lot of Western-made JRPGs typically skew toward the nostalgic side, replicating the SNES classics through gorgeous pixel art and chiptune soundtracks,Expedition 33offers a cinematic experience more akin to modern titles such as my all-time favorite series,Xenoblade Chronicles. With anunbelievably star-studded castand impressive cinematography - not to mention the aforementioned incredible soundtrack -Expedition 33looks set to tell its sweeping narrative through gorgeous cutscenes.
As much as I adore titles likeSea of StarsandChained Echoes, as they are truly exceptional,it’s amazing to seeClair Obscur: Expedition 33attempt something more ambitious. There are few other titles that have within this genre, and even those, including the likes of thesomewhat impressiveEdge of Eternity, fall short due to budgetary limitations. However, it doesn’t seem likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33has such issues, especially when it is getting spotlighted in Xbox’s prestigious Developer Direct.
The unique turn-based combat also has me excited, especially as, while thePersonaseries has been pushing the format forward, no other title has made it look quite as flashy asClair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is also reassuring to hear that Sandfall Interactive has fine-tuned the real-time elements of its combat to ensure that even those with terrible reaction times such as myself can still enjoy it. I haven’t even mentioned the game’s phenomenally designed characters, nor the stellar writing displayed in the various trailers. However, were I to ramble on too much, we may be here all day.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Might Beat GTA 6
It Feels More Unique
For those less interested in the JRPG genre, or perhaps even those who adore it, stating thatClair Obscur: Expedition 33might beatGTA 6as, at the very least, my own personal GOTY, will likely sound outlandish. Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and one shouldn’t be disparaged simply for not swooning over the biggest AAA game of the year. However, there’s a good reason why I valueExpedition 33so highly over what should be themost-anticipated game of 2025. I think first and foremost,GTA 6simply doesn’t feel real at this point.
As someone who adores JRPGs and sees a ridiculous amount of potential and creativity inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, I can’t help but feel like it’ll quickly climb to the top of my GOTY list for its heart and passion alone.
Rockstar has been extraordinarily tight-lipped when it comes to information aboutGTA 6, and has only released one trailer since the game’s official announcement.It’s hard to get excited about a game that barely exists outside a vibes-based teaser, even with the legacy its predecessors have left giving it all the goodwill in the world. Additionally,Grand Theft Auto, as beloved as the series is, has never interested me all that much, especially thanks to its plethora of copycats diluting the open-world urban third-person shooter.
Rockstar’s design philosophies also have begun to feel outdated and restrictive, likely due to the fact that innovations in game design happen long into its games' extensive development cycles, meaning it’s frequently behind.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, on the other hand, very much feels real, with its myriad of trailers and confirmed release date making it a tangible product. I can allow myself to get excited about it in a way that I simply can’t withGTA 6. It feels like a game made with so much passion and reverence for its inspirations, which I’m concernedGTA 6will lack.
GTA 6 Will Be “First Game Where Online Is Sold Separately At Launch,” Claims Leaker
A new leak claims that the next installment of GTA Online will break the precedent established by other Rockstar games when GTA 6 launches this year.
I often worry that thegargantuan success ofGTA Onlinewill take precedence during the development ofGTA 6, forcing Rockstar to prioritize the game’s multiplayer mode over its single-player story, something that I am personally more inclined to enjoy. Regardless,Grand Theft Auto 6will almost certainly be an incredible game, but as someone who adores JRPGs and sees a ridiculous amount of potential and creativity inClair Obscur: Expedition 33, I can’t help but feel like it’ll quickly climb to the top of my GOTY list for its heart and passion alone.
