Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the game du jour, (that's French for badass), dominating Metacritic and being hailed by critics and players alike as a strong contender for Game of the Year. It's destroying the Square Enix narrative that gamers don't want realistic graphics combined with turn-based gameplay.
I'm also obsessed with the game right now. Aside from the incredible story and combat, it has one of the most memorable soundtracks I've experienced since the Baldur's Gate 3 OST.
Whether the game is making you sob to a pivotal story moment or bop while parrying a Mime, the soundtrack makes you feel every moment intensely, and I've found myself listening to it away from the game itself.
While trying to find specific tracks for some of the boss fights online, I came across the composer, Lorien Testard, on Soundcloud. Turns out, that’s where he started sharing his tracks before the developers at Sandfall Interactive discovered him and invited him to join their project.
From Soundcloud to composing 8 hours of music for a potential Game of the Year
Considering the campaign is relatively short, and can be completed in around 30 hours, there is a whopping 8 hours worth of music and you can listen to it continuously or purchase all 154 tracks on Steam. All of the main characters have their own theme, each area has its own atmospheric track, each boss fight it's own unique soundscape.
The official Expedition 33 website is where I found the composer's 'origin story' and how the game director reached out to Lorien Testard after finding his music posted from Soundcloud to an obscure gaming forum.
The full piece details how his love for the Mario and Zelda franchises inspired his passion for video game music and led him to compose his first songs.
"For a long time, I composed video game music in my free time, writing a new track each week in different styles to refine my skills. At the time, I was a guitar teacher, but once a week, I would compose and upload my work to SoundCloud. After a year, I had about fifty tracks online.
One day, I shared one of my compositions on an indie video game forum. That’s when Guillaume Broche, Game Director at Sandfall Interactive, discovered my work. He reached out and asked if I would compose the soundtrack for his game.
That moment marked the beginning of a beautiful collaboration—one that changed my life."
"My dream has always been to craft a universe as immersive as that. When this project came along, it felt like a dream come true."
There's a 10-minute behind-the-scenes glimpse at the creative process between Lorien Testard and his collaborators, such as singer-songwriter Alice Duport-Percier, available to watch on Youtube which I've linked above.
The soundtrack has been built from the ground up with the game and very much weaves into its every story beat, and many others are appreciating the work.
Guys can we talk about just how good Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's soundtrack is? I genuinely think this is hands down one of the best soundtrack ever made for a game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kQO9YXff75April 27, 2025
For real pic.twitter.com/11HAiaIhojApril 26, 2025
The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans and critics praising the soundtrack’s depth and emotional resonance. In light of this reception, Sandfall Interactive has announced a physical vinyl edition of the OST is in the works.
Sandfall Interactive has responded to the positive reception of the soundtrack with an announcement that a physical vinyl edition is in the works.
Meanwhile, I can't wait to hear the Game of the Year Awards orchestra play 'Alicia' which I think is the most recognisable of all the songs on the OST as it plays as you navigate the Continent.
And let’s be honest, if Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn’t nominated for Game of the Year, we’ll all be showing up with pitchforks.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also available on Xbox Game Pass.
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