I purchased Hedon: Bloodrite off the back of watching Civvie11’s video about it. Even with those expectations, it absolutely blew me away. Firstly, this is a solo-developed game that contains what were originally two games, with the second being one of, if not THE finest retro shooter I’ve ever played.

Every single weapon in this game feels wonderful to use, they all have excellent sound and animations that have a strong sense of weight and power. Each weapon also has an alternate fire mode that either changes its properties, such as a grenades exploding instantly, or being able to bounce. Sometimes, there is a whole new attack with alt fire, like your shotgun doubling as a flamethrower. There are also powerups that you collect in an inventory and can be used at will. It’s true that fumbling through the inventory in the middle of combat is rather clunky, but these bonuses are very helpful and fun to use.

The game features titanic maps that on some occasions are interconnected in what amount to open-world segments. Often, there is more than one way to enter or exit an area, and being clever will often reward you with a secret or a chance to ambush enemies. The only complaint that I have in this department is that the first game’s maps are not quite as complex as the second’s, and there is an occasional lurch in pacing. The second game gripped me firmly from beginning to end, though. Even with this being a GZDoom game, there are levels in that portion that I wouldn’t have thought possible on the engine.

The enemies are all fun to fight and different combinations of them coupled with varying terrain and new weapons keeps firefights feeling fresh and exciting all the way through. There is a small lack of enemy variety that you will start really noticing through the middle of the first game, but I feel this gets balanced out in the later levels and the second game, when the tougher foes are introduced. Late-game pits you against hordes of enemies that wouldn’t be out of place in Serious Sam, which provide hefty and thrilling challenges that feel great to overcome.

The game’s presentation is top notch. The environments capture a sense of place quite well, and have interesting nooks and crannies worth exploring. All of the original art and sprites are well-done, and there really are a few jaw-dropping scenes. This goes doubly so with the soundtrack, both the original tracks and the licensed cut music from Deus Ex and Unreal. All of these are used tastefully to add a thumping backbeat to shootouts or atmospheric ambiance to the locations you visit.

I don’t want to get too into the plot and lore of the game, but it is well-presented and engrossing. It isn’t Shakespeare, but it’s very charming and does a good job fleshing out the world and making you care about the conflict you’re taking part in.

Overall, an excellent hidden gem, and I eagerly look forward to the sequel hinted at in the future. Outstanding work Zan!

This game has a ton of positive reviews and deserves every single one. For coming out of nowhere, this game has really sucked up all my free time as of late. I have been gushing about this game to my friends, so I might as well do the same to the Steam community.

The combat system in Clair Obscur is the single most engaging that I have ever seen in an RPG. It's a perfect balance of the strategy of a turn-based battle system with the satisfaction of reactive commands. It feels good to not only learn which attacks are best against each enemy, but also to learn the parry timings for all of their attacks. I like how even fodder enemies become fun to fight, and fights aren't usually over in one move, so you actually have to engage with the mechanics of each fight to come out on top. I also appreciate this game's difficulty. It feels challenging, and will kill you a fair number of times, but the RPG mechanics really prevent you from getting stuck too often. You can limp through a tough fight off the back of your healing and damage output if it's really giving you trouble.

The art direction and music in this game are absolutely incredible. The environments are all richly detailed, and they're much more creative than the standard spread of video game level layouts. There are some side areas that are just one camera shot of a jaw-dropping bit of scenery that are a real treat between regular levels. The soundtrack is over 8 hours long, with every main area in the game having its own unique battle theme. That is insane for a JRPG, and I have never played another game that has done this. I've been listening to the soundtrack on Spotify even when I'm at work not playing this game.

The story and characters are also very well-written. I won't discuss this in too much detail to avoid spoilers, but each character gets their time to shine in the plot, as well as having a Persona-style social link available from around the campfire (although it does take time to unlock this feature). I haven't finished the game yet, so I don't know how the story ends, but I'm fully invested in what's happening, which is a rarity.

There are some minor technical problems with this game. I have experienced some pretty rough pop-in when loading levels, and I have heard other people have framerate issues, but I have not experienced this myself. To my knowledge, there are not any giant, game-ruining bugs or anything, and this is a very small stain on this otherwise mega-impressive game.

Overall, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a wonderful time, and I am so happy that it has been met with the critical and financial success it deserves.

EDIT: I have now finished the story, and the ending was just as compelling as the rest of the game. Fantastic work all the way around!