Baldur’s Gate 3 performance director praises Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for being a “beautiful” RPG “that 100% knows what it is”

Since its debut, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been collecting nods from seasoned creators across the industry, and it just added another big name—Baldur’s Gate 3 performance director Greg Lidstone—to its growing list of admirers.

During a recent livestream on Larian Studios’ official Twitter account—right around 54:20 in the video below—the studio’s new animation director was quizzed over what recent releases had impressed him in terms of animation or motion capture. Almost instantly, he replied, “Expedition 33.”

Expanding on the pick, he explained: “I’d only just begun playing. My wife and daughter were away catching a Billie Eilish concert, so the house was mine. I borrowed a copy to test the opening hours, wound up devouring them, and found myself saying, ‘Wow, this is excellent.’ Now it sits on my backlog until I can carve out the time for a proper run.”

Even without finishing it, Lidstone felt confident heaping on accolades: “The game has absolute clarity of identity and commits without flinching. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

His reaction mirrors that of another veteran. Dragon Age alumnus David Gaider also dubbed it “beautiful,” adding, “It’s to Japanese RPGs what Baldur’s Gate 3 was to classic CRPGs.”

One ex-BioWare developer argues Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a clear sign players crave more than service-model titles—though they believe GTA 6’s fortunes will ultimately shape the market.

I’m Deputy News Editor at GamesRadar+, working closely with the rest of the squad to bring you the coolest gaming stories around. After spending countless evenings packing The University of Sheffield’s student paper with Pokémon and indie coverage—plus leaving with a Journalism Studies degree—I kicked off my career at GAMINGbible as a reporter for more than eighteen months. I then moved to TechRadar Gaming to hunt headlines and write about everything fascinating under the gaming sun. When I’m off-duty, you’ll catch me on my Switch or PS5 digging into narrative RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking retro Pokémon adventures, or chasing Victory Royales in Fortnite.