Summary
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is making waves as one of the highest-reviewed games of this year so far. Developer Sandfall Interactive’s impressive debut has captured players and critics with its unique setting and premise, and gameplay that combines tactical turn-based combat with real-time mechanics.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has found itself in the spotlight for how it balanced these elements to provide a highly engaging title in the RPG genre.
Earlier in April,South of Midnight, Compulsion Games' latest title, launched, and similarly drew attention and praise for itsstop-motion art styleand affecting tale based on Southern Americana folklore.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33andSouth of Midnightare compelling games for many reasons, but there’s one particular aspect that they also focus on to a degree that most others usually don’t. Both of their soundscapes are more closely designed to integrate with plot events and underscore the emotional states of mind of the characters, and the way each incorporates music is notable for how effective it is within their respective experiences.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and South of Midnight Represent Two of the Best Uses of Music in Games
South of Midnight’s Southern Folk Twang Matches its Moods
South of Midnight’s scoreincludes a range of mournful tunes accompanying protagonist Hazel Flood as she finds herself drawn into a magical realism adventure deeply rooted in Southern Gothic fairy tales. Navigating through the game’s flooded, foggy bogs and other, more fantastical areas, the score emphasizes and accentuates the striking atmosphere. Oftentimes the tracks contain hints within the lyrics to guide players through regions and to the next mythological figure.
Many of these are true blues bangers, mirroring Hazel’s situation and that of the figures she seeks. But there are also upbeat toe-tappers with blazing guitar or banjo solos that celebrate life’s wonder and joy as a counterpoint to the tragedies and misfortunes presented in the story. The true highlight, though, is thesongs that go along withSouth of Midnight’s boss fights. The lead-up to these encounters features tracks regaling each creature’s respective history and heartbreaking situation. They all tell a tale unto itself, adding great diagetic context and a heightened sense of catharsis when Hazel is able to subsequently mend the wounded’s spiritual scars and help them move on.
Clair Obcur: Expedition 33’s Score Elevates its Emotional Highs and Lows
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33whisks players to a steampunk-fantasy-flavored setting with a distinctly Belle Époque era flair. LikeSouth of Midnight, its framework is a somber one. 100 years ago, an entity known asThe Paintressbegan a countdown marking the age of people who would subsequently be “erased” from the world. As the title implies, that number has now reached 33, and anyone of that age will be gone by the end of the year.
It’s a strange and surreal setup, and many ofClair Obscur’s charactersstill don’t have a clear picture of what’s happening, and why. Nevertheless, they continue to press on with gathering as much information as possible with the goal of stopping The Paintress. The game’s music channels its real-life historical era, making use of baroque classical compositions with sweeping orchestral strings and ethereal choirs to embody the otherworldliness of its shattered landscape and the party’s reactions to the horrors they witness and reckon with throughout.
But likeSouth of Midnight, there are hopeful and playful spots along withClair Obscur’s darker and more foreboding aural themes. It’s also not strictly limited to classical stylings, with some funkier, jazzier songs as well as more modern-sounding dance beats, particularly in the battle music that reflects the types of enemies fans find themselves fighting.Clair Obscur’s music swells or recedes accordingly, with the ambient soundscape attuning to the associated areas and each character’s current situation and mental state at any given moment.
Both titles pour a lot of attention into theirstellar sound designsto create ones that are intimately linked to gameplay and story in such a way that isn’t often seen in gaming, and makes their other aspects even more impactful.South of MidnightandClair Obscur: Expedition 33provide excellent cases for them to be in the running for best soundtrack of 2025 at the very least, and their use of music is something that other titles should take note of.
