How about that Oblivion remaster, huh? What started as a rumor in 2023 escalated into many more when this year began, as more and more reports claimed that it would arrive in the week of April 21st. Many were skeptical and even more so about Bethesda shadow dropping it out of nowhere. But here we are, and not only is The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered garnering strong reviews, it’s seen strong player numbers. On Steam, the peak concurrent player count reached almost 191,000 – not bad for a highly anticipated title launching on a weekday that’s also playable on Game Pass. However, it’s also the top-selling title on the storefront, beating out viral hits like R.E.P.O. This isn’t unexpected by any metric, especially for an Elder Scrolls title. If anything, it’s surprising that Virtuos has delivered such an incredible package for just $49.99, never mind that you can play it on Game Pass for a fraction of that price. Just like that, no strings attached. However, it also caused some measure of perplexity, especially when it comes to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Sandfall Interactive’s debut role-playing game didn’t have the hype levels that mere rumors of Oblivion Remastered managed to generate, but it was still highly anticipated. In a month with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 debuting on PS5, the breakout puzzle hit Blue Prince, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, and Days Gone Remastered, that’s no small feat. The fact that it was also coming to Game Pass made headlines from the very first reveal at last year’s Xbox Games Showcase. Surely Microsoft wouldn’t do anything to sabotage its success? Like, say, dropping a remaster for one of the greatest games of all time just two days before its launch? Oh, wait. Granted, if you check the Steam Top Sellers chart, Clair Obscur is second only to Oblivion Remastered. Its player numbers also aren’t too shabby, peaking at nearly 52,000 concurrent Steam players. Critical reviews are also more numerous and glowing – it’s tied with Blue Prince as the highest-rated game of the year on Metacritic with a 92 Metascore. Would it have been higher if there wasn’t any competition? No one can really say for sure, but at least in terms of media exposure and hype, the Cyrodiil Return Tour is garnering more attention. Personally, it’s not the biggest tragedy. I’ve played a good chunk of Oblivion Remastered, and it’s absolutely worth diving into for the quality of life changes, overhauled visuals and smoother combat. I’m eager to see what’s around every corner, exploring various dungeons and sneaking about, planting arrows in any unaware fools. I can see the fun in all this, and even with a few nitpicks here and there, it undoubtedly deserves much of the praise it’s been getting. However, so does Clair Obscur. I poured about 40 hours into the game, clearing the story and ample side content. I fell for the characters – their trials and personal demons, whether it was Gustave constantly reiterating his desire to send Maelle, his foster sister, home or Maelle dealing with widespread slaughter for the first time and doing everything possible to keep it together. I found Lune’s scrutiny and overtly wired nature as endearing as Sciel’s amicable nature that masks several harrowing personal tragedies that have nothing to do with the Paintress. And if you saw any glimpses of Monoco, the Gestral capable of copying Nevron’s attacks by taking their legs (don’t ask how it works), believing him to be one of the best characters, you’re spot-on. I couldn’t get enough of the combat. I went from simple parrying and dodging, timing attacks, and targetting weak points to creating broken builds that deal tens of thousands – and eventually millions – of damage. On battling my first Chromatic Nevron, which is tougher than your average Nevron by, oh, tens of thousands of HP and much more damage, nothing seemed to work. Then I soloed it with Maelle, using a perk that granted a 100 percent critical hit chance when she was the only one in the party. That was within the first few hours of the game, and let me tell you – things only get crazier. Wandering battlefields adorned with giant swords, exploring landscapes with crumbling structures floating in mid-air like gravity was out to lunch, the entire stretch leading up to the Paintress. All of it is stunning, backed by a spell-binding soundtrack with so many incredible tunes. Even when I was in the late game with only one last battle to wrap up the story, I couldn’t help wandering the world and finding new places around every corner. I ventured to Sky Cemetery and met a Nevron who asked me to choose a weapon for us to fight with. After I won, he revealed his disdain for fighting and only wished for me to kill him. When I refused and returned later, he was dead, with two of the three weapons embedded in his body. I fought against a massive dancer, Sirene, who commanded a literal performance and dropped earth-shattering amounts of stuff on my party. A giant serpent-like Nevron, Serpenphare, is stationary in the sky, waiting to be challenged. I do so and face a test unlike any other. I ventured through the Painter’s Workshop, learning more about the beast that haunts a mysterious boy’s nightmares and sought to slay it. Of course, there were plenty of non-combat-focused discoveries as well, like what happened to all the other Expeditions. One group overcharged their Pictos for more power, leading to disaster. Another, on the verge of death, used their bodies to make a bridge, leading to a dangerous foe. Then there are the Gestral beaches with bizarre challenges, like playing beach volleyball against various opponents using…smaller Gestrals as projectiles to hit back. It’s not enough that Clair Obscur presents incredible and hilarious moments, or if it’s art direction and music are phenomenal, or its combat is a great mix of turn-based tactics and real-time reactions. It’s also the fact that this is a title made by a team of 30 developers (and five aren’t even in the same office). You could argue that it shows in many ways, like the lack of much more open areas or a much longer campaign. Because if there’s one thing that gamers are craving, it’s a story that’s padded to hell and back. In this age of triple-A titles wanting to fit as much as possible into a single package or pushing $70 or $80 just because they can (with some not skimping on the microtransactions), Clair Obscur is a breath of fresh air. From a gameplay and story perspective, there’s nothing quite like it, and that too for $49.99. It almost feels like a steal playing this on Game Pass, even if you could argue the same for many other titles. To conclude – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered? Excellent game and well worth playing, but you shouldn’t miss out on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Few games stay with me to this extent even after the credits roll, and even if it’s eventually outscored by the other heavy hitters this year, it’s a journey I’ll never forget. Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.