The Japan Game Awards have origins as far back as 1997. It represents the Japanese gaming industry at-large, but it will sometimes highlight the achievements of developers worldwide. As such, the nominees for its main awards are limited to the homefront overall, but global teams do garner praise – Viewfinder, for instance, won the Game Designer Prize just last year.
All of this is to say, it’s not inconceivable that a Western dev will get a great nod from the Japan Game Awards. Nevertheless, it comes as some surprise that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 nabbed one of the coolest trophies of all: the Breakthrough Award.
Breakthroughs Galore
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a lock for a Game of the Year nomination at December’s TGAs, and our site’s hardly alone in consistently singing its praises since its April launch. We’ll probably have a sequel, or DLC, or a sequel and DLC, or – you know – there’s more from this universe, one way or another.
Of course, so much of the discourse that has swarmed Clair Obscur since its initial batch of intensely positive impressions has been about its turn-based approach to combat. Fans the world over have gone on at some length about what it heralds for the RPG genre in the years to come. “Look,” many have shouted from rooftop after rooftop, “turn-based combat isn’t going anywhere.” Indeed, much of this shouting has been directed at Square Enix in the wake of that developer’s nonstop bid to treat its recent AAA Final Fantasy entries with an action-centric bend.
But let’s all stop arguing, please, and admire how cool it is that the Japan Game Awards have showered their own effusive praise upon Sandfall Interactive’s JRPG-esque GOTY contender. Clair Obscur has won the prestigious Breakthrough Award! “Expedition 33 is inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with and love,” Sandfall responded in glee.
“Being recognized in Japan is both important and very personal to us. We could not be more grateful.” -Sandfall
As for the Grand Award – Game of the Year, in other words – the excellent Metaphor: ReFantazio snagged that one:
Other big winners include Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, Elden Ring Nightreign, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and a couple of underrated gems – Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven and The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Released
April 24, 2025
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Sandfall Interactive
Publisher(s)
Kepler Interactive
AloJapan.com