Naoki Hamaguchi Names Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 His Game of the Year 2025
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 1 minute ago
- 3 min read
Naoki Hamaguchi has named Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as his personal Game of the Year for 2025. He said the game’s appeal goes far beyond its combat system, offering a strong balance of story, characters, world-building, and gameplay mechanics.
“What makes that game so good is the fact it gets all of the elements in it right, and it balances them all at such a high level of quality.”
In interviews with VGC and GamesRadar+, Hamaguchi discussed the gameplay and design, noting similarities between Clair Obscur and mechanics he explored in Lightning Returns. He observed that many modern JRPGs, including Clair Obscur, mix turn-based systems with action elements like dodging, parrying, and precise timing.
“It’s followed the JRPG tradition, it’s a turn-based, but it adds in all these kinds of more action-style mechanics, like you’ve got the pinpoint timing guard, you’ve got the parry mechanic, etc. It does seem to use a similar kind of system to what we did.”
Hamaguchi emphasized that while these mechanics are impressive, they are not the sole reason for the game’s success. Fans and critics should look at the game as a complete product.
“I think the reason why it’s such a good game is because all of that is so well balanced, and every single aspect is so well done. As a game creator, as someone who looks at how people appreciate games, I don’t want people to get too focused on, ‘oh, it’s a JRPG, it uses those mechanics, that’s why it’s popular.’ I think it’s not a case of if you make a JRPG-style game, you put those mechanics in, anything is going to sell. That’s not the case.”
He also praised the narrative and world design, noting how Clair Obscur weaves cultural depth into its story and presentation. Hamaguchi highlighted that the game is “steeped in French history and culture,” giving it a distinct identity that helps it stand out within the genre.
“So for example, the setting, the world, the characters, and the storyline, those are all really well done as well, in addition to the gameplay. And I think it all comes together, and that’s why it’s such a well-regarded game, why the fans like it so much, why it sold as well as it had.”
Hamaguchi also praised the Clair Obscur team for their clear respect toward classic JRPGs. He mentioned that some of the developers even visited the Square Enix head office, which left a strong impression on him.
“It was really inspiring... So you can see they’ve got a lot of respect as well. Not only have they made a really great game, but they showed that respect to the traditional turn-based style of JRPGs. Obviously, as Japanese games creators, we’re really delighted to see people taking that and doing something with that.”
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About FINAL FANTASY VII
First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2022. The game is universally regarded as a hallmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero, Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 15.3 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has even expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.
Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII remake project created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct, and standalone games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is now available on the PC and the PS5® and PS4® consoles, will be available on Jan. 22, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and Nintendo Switch™ 2 platforms. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the second game in the trilogy, has been praised by both players and critics across the globe, earning more than 125 perfect scores from media and 40 Game of the Year awards, and is available now for PC and the PS5® console.
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