Welcome back to Fantasy Friday! We’ve got a light week in terms of updates, but oh are they important ones. Learn how Clair Obscur’s out-of-nowhere ascension from zero to hero is impacting the Fantasy standings, and get a quick update on a few other titles.
Clair Obscur Is the Latest Surprise 2025 Banger
I had high hopes for Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. From the moment it was announced at the June 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, I found myself dreaming big at the prospect of a Japanese-inspired RPG created by French developers.
On the surface, it seemed too good to be true. The visuals were gorgeous, the turn-based combat paid loving homage to greats like Persona and Lost Odyssey, and that music. The game ticked all the boxes, yet the sheer ambition on display, juxtaposed with a modest $50 price tag, had me cautious. Still, I awaited the game’s release with hopes that somehow, just maybe, Sandfall would crack the code to the JRPG safe.
My expectations were high, but apparently they weren’t high enough. Clair Obscur: Expectation 33 launched this week to universal acclaim, garnering a 92 Metacritic score that places it side by side with Blue Prince (92) and Split Fiction (91) as early 2025 GOTY frontrunners. In a year where smaller indies and AA games seem to be dominating the conversation, Clair Obscur is further proof that the AAA gaming machine may be barreling down the road to obsolescence. (Check out an op-ed from me next week about this very subject.)
As for Fantasy, this release puts Team Gary firmly within striking distance of Team Amanda for first place. (It helps that Gary benched Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves during our April 11 Fantasy update. That game released to a 79 Metascore, which would have impeded his progress.) Just when it seemed Team Amanda had put this competition away, here comes a contender to fight for the crown.
Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Ends on a Mixed Note
The other big update for this week pertains to developer-publisher Dontnod’s Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, a two-part coming-of-age story centered around four young women. Tape 1 of Lost Records, titled “Bloom,” details how the four became fast childhood friends, while Tape 2, “Rage,” explores the aftermath of a mysterious event that forever fractured that friendship.
It’s an intriguing setup—one I’ve been exploring myself as part of a review I’m writing for the site. Yet after a promising Tape 1, which settled at a 75 on Metacritic, Tape 2 of Lost Records is seeing far more mixed results. The conclusion of this tale released to a 67 Metacritic score, with critics torn on the final product now that both halves of the game are out.
Team Allison owns Lost Records in Fantasy. To score the game, we’re averaging the Metacritic scores for both Tapes—meaning the overall game now sits at a 71. While not the worst possible outcome, Team Allison has a steep hill to climb if she is to make inroads in the standings. Thankfully, there are a lot of games still to release, and we’ve got two waiver wires incoming. Still very much anyone’s competition!
Fantasy Gaming Standings (as of Late April 2025)
Our Fantasy Standings remain the same as in early April. However, the race has narrowed significantly at the top of the leaderboard.
See how it all shakes below:
Just a 0.4 point gap between first and second! This competition sure is heating up.
Thanks for reading! If you have reactions or feedback, let us know in the comments.
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts. Just beat: Nine Sols, UFO 50. Working on: Metaphor: ReFantazio. Can't wait for: Hollow Knight: Silksong. Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
