A game with as much hype as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is bound to attract haters. Unlike most games, however, the beloved French RPG has birthed a social media phenomenon where ardent detractors decry the game only to later go online and admit they were vehemently wrong.
On the r/expedition33 subreddit, this genre of post is practically a daily occurrence. “Add me to the pile of converted haters,” one post from Dec. 19 reads. “I get it now,” another poster, who says they were hating on the game during its TGA sweep, wrote last week. It’s become such a common occurrence that this genre of post has practically become a meme within the community. “People giving Expedition 33 a chance despite their negative first impressions and ending up falling in love with it never gets old,” reads one highly-voted thread. In it, the most popular comment says that people being skeptical about Expedition 33 only to end up loving it “reads like copypasta at this point.”
The visible changes of heart are hardly limited to just Reddit, though. On Twitch, top streamer Shroud went viral after calling The Game Award nominations “rigged” and urging his fans not “let that Expedition game win game of the year.” A month later, like clockwork, Shroud actually played the game. For hours, his chat was full of disses against the heartfelt fantasy game. Fans truly thought they knew how the FPS expert would feel about Expedition 33 after playing it. The verdict, though? He had a great time. “I got no complaints,” Shroud said, adding, “not one.”
With Clair Obscur earning a record-breaking number of The Game Award accolades, landing high (or on top) of many GOTY lists, and receiving endless praise throughout 2025, it’s easy to understand why anyone might raise their eyebrows. Expedition 33 does not, at first glance, look like an impressive game. The turn-based gameplay, in particular, is a typical reason why people discounted Clair Obscur off the bat, as some gamers don’t find the idea of slow-paced gameplay all that engaging. Of course, anyone who has actually explored Lumiere knows that the parrying mechanics require faster reflexes than some Souls games do — but that’s not something that’s immediately obvious when you just watch Expedition 33 gameplay.
Why does this change of heart phenomenon keep happening, though? Part of it has to do with how decisively Clair Obscur has won end-of-year awards. Anyone dubious about Sandfall Interactive’s creation is now going against widespread consensus, and anti-sentiments are difficult to defend when you haven’t even played the game. The game’s constant presence during Geoff Keighley’s yearly show, where the beret-wearing developers delivered memorable speeches, appears to have convinced a lot of people to finally give Expedition 33 a try. It also likely helps that the decorated game is available on Game Pass, which would allow a contingent of haters to download the game without any extra investment.
I don’t want to suggest that anyone who dislikes Expedition 33 has zero basis for feeling that way. There are definitely haters who have actually played Clair Obscur and still don’t see what the fuss is all about. I’ve seen people get frustrated over the parrying mechanics, which makes combat in an already difficult game even more demanding. I’d also argue that Clair Obscur takes a handful of hours to really get going, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for not sticking through something on the vague promise that it might get better. Personally, I’ve passed over games for completely inconsequential things, like finding the art direction to be an eyesore. Plus, a good (albeit respectful) hater helps sharpen your opinions and keeps things lively.
It’s also undeniable that, quality aside, much of the love behind the game is tied to the narrative of its creation — a classic underdog story. Fans want to get behind a game made by a small group of artists who, despite never making a game before, defied all the odds. When big budget games sometimes feel like they’re in shambles, it’s nice to get something that feels like it was made for and by actual humans. Too many games disrespect your time, intelligence, and money. Here is a top-notch experience that will only take you around 30 or so hours, and it’s $49.99, compared to other major games that cost $69.99 or $79.99. The developers even put out some free DLC just to thank the fans.
Even so, watching the perpetual cycle of Clair Obscur haters turning into repentant fans is the feel-good gift that keeps on giving. It’s not just that this particular turn of events allows fans to feel like they’ve won a cosmic argument. Let’s face it: Going online and admitting you were wrong is brave.
