Dragon Age's former writer reflects on Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscurs success

Previous Dragon age Narrative lead David Gaider said both Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is “love letter to their genre”, and is reflected on how games need “time to cook” to deliver memorable experiences. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the biggest surprises in 2025 so far, and Gaider believes there is something in it – and in Baldur's Gate 3– That the industry should note when developing games for large target groups.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Came out less than a month ago (April 24) and took the game community by storm by introducing a dark JRPG with a deep story and a polished hybrid struggle system. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with over a million copies sold during the first 12 days and an impressive metacritical score of 9.7. On the other hand, Baldur's Gate 3 Experienced a somewhat similar situation in 2024, sold over 15 million copies and fascinating RPG fans with their engaging game and branching story. Now one earlier Dragon age Writers have reflected on these two successful titles.

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In defense of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's platform

Clair Obscur's platform can frustrate some, but there is intention behind it, and the game knows exactly what players will do for the right reward.

When he spoke to GameRadar+, the former Dragon Age story said David Gaider that while both games have a specific target group, Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are so well made that they have reached a wider player base. Gaider credits the game's success to the development time they received and says that this is “what is possible when a game is given time to cook.”

Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur succeeded in part thanks to development time

Baldur's Gate 3 Had a long early access period, during which Larian had the chance to deal with the player's feedback and make sure it delivered a polished experience. Gaider believes that this is crucial to the game's success and points out how this can be a question when handling publishers, who often impose deadlines that end up jeopardizing the game's launch.

Nevertheless, Gaider also admits that it is the publisher's job – and they are constantly under financial pressure, especially considering how expensive game development has become and how much is at stake. Still, Gaider believes an important reason why Expedition 33 and BG3 Were successful lies in the fact that these games were designed for a core audience instead of trying to appeal to everyone. “But it's so strong that it stops growing that audience,” says Gaider. While BG3 continues to brag with a large player base – especially after patch 8 dropped – all now have eyes on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Which becomes more popular with the day.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Published

April 24 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // blood and gore, strong language, suggestive themes, violence

Developer

Sandfall interactive

Publisher

Kepler interactive

Engine

Unreal Engine 5