Kinda Funny Gamescast: Video Game Podcast - Tim & Blessing's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Review & SPOILERCAST - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Episode Date: May 20, 2025

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What's up and welcome to the Kind of Funny Gamescast for Tuesday, May 20th, 20, 25. Of course, I'm your host, Tim Getty's. I'm joined today by Blessing Adioia Jr. Good day, Tim. Good day to you. It's a great day, actually. Yeah. It's a very rare time that me and you are in this very position where we are reviewing a,

all things considered new game. Yeah. But like not at embargo, but it is like our official reviews of the game. Like, while the game's still kind of. in the conversation. The discourse is still relevant. It's kind of a fun place to be. Obviously, you and I, very busy men for different reasons, gallivanting the globe.

You literally going all the way to Japan. I went to Vegas for WrestleMania. You know what I mean? Yeah. There was a lot going on. But no, because of all of that, we weren't able to be here and actually be on the review for Clear Expedition 33 with the rest of the crew. But it's also cool because there was a lot of voice.

It's not that common that the majority of kind of funny are all into a game enough to prioritize playing through it for a review conversation, let alone a spoiler conversation. I feel like usually when that's the case, we're talking about the game of the year. Usually. Yeah. Usually it's the game of the year. Yeah. And that I feel also is a, there's a couple factors that play there. Normally, I would say PlayStation games, there's a lot of PlayStation Studios games.

A lot of the gamers here tend to like those type of games. Big budget, prestige, narrative, action adventure. In addition to that, PlayStation are usually very good about getting us as many codes as we want. Whereas on the Nintendo side, we normally don't get that. We get one code per game, no matter how good it is, which I do think, I mean, definitely, hinders our ability to have multiple people having big conversations about the games. in the moment that they're coming out. And there's been exceptions to this,

but often we don't end up doing a full multi-person review of big Nintendo games, just because the conversation kind of like moves on a little bit, right? Then there's the Xbox side of it. Xbox are amazing about getting us codes. I just feel like we're still kind of in the point of the Xbox games being a little bit more tailored to interests.

Yeah, like not everybody here is going to play Doom. You know what I mean? Not everybody here is going to play a Hellblade or a... I mean, South of Midnight, think got it the good majority of us. Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. But it's like, you know, it's kind of here or there as far as what Xbox games are going to speak to all of us at the same time. Yeah. And so for a game like this to come out and to have all of us so interested, so many people like fighting to be on the review. Like there, there was so much interest that it was like,

oh man, we have more than enough people and conversations to have around this game. And the audience wants more and more conversations about this game, which I think is very special and cool. So I'm happy to be here with you and have this space to be able to talk about all this stuff today. And that's what we're going to be talking about everybody. Clear, Expedition 33. You'll be getting me and Bless's official reviews on the game, on the kind of funny scale, but also getting into our spoiler thoughts. We will make it very clear when we're getting into spoilers. We will keep it top level, review friendly and all that stuff in the beginning. And then we will let you know because this is the kind of funny games cast each and every weekday.

We get together to talk about video games, all the things we love about them, the things we don't like about them and everything in between. If you like that, you can get the kind of funny membership and get the show ad free. You also get a daily exclusive Greg way. Today, it's a big one. Greg is talking for 24 minutes about the best and worst feedback he's ever gotten from mentors. I'm sure that's going to be a very fun one to check out if you are a kind of funny member. Shout out to our Patreon producers, Carl Jacobs, Omega Buster, and Delaney Twining. They're going to be able to hang out just like you can during our kind of funny happy hour later today. I'll of our $25 level

Patreon members get to be a part of that. You can actually call in and talk to us. Or if you can't be live, you can just watch that later exclusively at that level on Patreon. A little housekeeping for you. You already got an episode of Games Daily with me and Greg.

Then after this, the stream is going to be Mike and Roger finishing death stranding. They're actually going to do it. They made it so close to the end during their marathon stream, but now they're actually taking it across the finish line. Today we're brought to you by subway surfers and factor, but we'll tell you all about that later.

Let's begin with the topic of the show. Tots, thoughts, dots, dots, dots, remember, get all of your super chats in. If you have your review of this game and want us to talk about it, please send that in. If you have questions, if you want to get our thoughts on anything specific about the game, please super chat them in and we'll get to all of those.

But I want to start with you, Bless. You've played Expedition 33. I have. You've beat Expedition 33. I have. When? Two days ago. Okay.

So it is fresh on the mind. And then again yesterday. And then again yesterday. And then again, yes, I had to reload my save experience the ending one more time. Of course. Of course. Bless. Yes.

On the kind of funny scale, what would you give Claire Obscure Expedition 33? This is tough because I go back and forth between a nine and a 9.5. I'm not at a 10. I'm, I think for now I'm going to settle in on a 9. A 9 out of 10 for this game. I love that facial expression you're giving me. I just want to cut you off real quick, plus, because I just want to say,

I'm somewhere between a nine and a nine point five. I can't give it a 10, but please continue. I mean, I think the, you know, when we talk about video games, we often,

and especially in a review sense, I think we often want to talk about the hole. We want to talk about like the whole within W, you know what I mean? I want to talk about the entire product and how it results at the end thing. Because at the end of the day, video games are,

the entire package, the gameplay, the story, the art, how it all molds together. However, for how I want to start off talking about Expedition 33, for my review, right, I want to talk about it in parts, because I do think that is where this game shines the most, where I look at the parts, I look at the combat and how well-fleshed out the term-based combat is, how each character has their own combat system and their own style of combat that are each very inspired, right? I think it's one thing to be toward the beginning of the game and have a new party member and go, oh, okay, they got a different thing going on, and then, like, you know, kind of like find that to be cool versus being in the, let's say, second half of the game

and looking at a character and being like, oh, this is inspired by Devil May Cry. Oh, this is inspired by this. Oh, like, you know, you want me to think about using this character in this specific ways, let alone looking at the Pictos and Lumina system, right, which is all the entire, almost the entirety of how you upgrade your character and add special abilities and all this stuff, right? how that stuff layers with status effects and applying burn

but your other character has this thing that if you attack them while they have burn they then get plus 2 AP which allows them to use their special moves quicker right like it all builds on top of each other in a very cool and fascinating way I made a tweet last night or a post on Blue Sky I should say last night

that there's some game or pretty much me playing any game is me playing it and being like man this is go hard in a roguelite mode and I that was inspired by me playing clear, obscure, Expedition 33, and being like, oh, dude, this combat system could be really fun, like if you rogulytized it, right? And, like, that's more so me being like,

I fucking love this combat system. I just want to get into the combat. I think that part of the game is excellent. When you talk about story and characters, my God. My God. My God. They do such a good job of pulling your interest from the get-go. That prologue segment, I played it alongside a friend,

right? And like, we were watching it and we were like, yo, this is fucking awesome. I love how from the get-go day, in the first couple hours of the game, you invoked certain feelings I had toward the end of Infinity War, right? Like, the fact that you can pull that out of me and then I think sustain a lot of wonder, a lot of interest in, all right, what is this world, what's going on? And then really deliver later on in the game as far as like really fleshing out this world in ways that you wouldn't expect. It reminds me of the words they said a lot during the Nintendo Store preview that we got to go to. They used the words surprise and delight.

This game surprised and delighted me at so many moments of the story's twists and turns, made me fall in love with the characters. I love the utter grim tone of it. I don't know if grim is right word, like dower tone of it, right? It's a sad fucking world. It's a sad fucking story. There is death and there is a lot of hopelessness. And I don't know.

I like when worlds kind of live in that stuff to make you really appreciate when you do have the warm moments or characters sharing stories with each other or characters having like sharing friendship sharing romance having these moments like that stuff is uplifted so much when you're surrounded by fucking death and destruction and i think this game does that so well but then the last part i want to touch on is the art and the presentation of it this game is so good to look at it does you know i'm a big fan of persona persona five one of the best looking games i ever played i'll say the same for metaphor refantasio as far as what those games bring in terms of art style and UI and all that stuff, you could tell that this game was inspired, not directly as far as

what it does art style wise, but I think inspired as far as how hard you should be able to go, or how hard you should go to really uplift that stuff. When you look at the combat UI and you see kind of like the ink animation coming off of certain parts of the UI and how in motion everything looks and how like the choreography, the moves look fucking sick, and then like the timing thing of the quick time events, how cool that looks. It all just comes together so well, let alone the environments, let alone how dreamy and weird, everything looks, but in a way that still comes together and really fits the mold of what they're doing with this world. I, this game for me was just so amazing to look

at from beginning to end. I didn't even talk about the soundtrack. Soundtrack's fucking awesome. Oh my God. Yeah. This game does so many good things. That said, I do have critiques here and there and like stuff that's not even just like super minor, like stuff that I think really could have been figured out things like I think orienting the player as far as where you need to go and I think that's both in when you're in the levels

and you go to a save point and come out of it and being like all right everything kind of looks the same so which way was I going there are quite a few times where I think the game would benefit from either a waypoint or a minimap or so like I don't know what the solution is but I think there's a solution that they could have happened

upon to orient the player in a right way and then also like there are parts toward the latter half of the game even the last third of the game where I'm looking at the overall map and I'm like, okay, where have I been? Like, where like, what's the right place to go? I think they had all the ingredients there, but, uh, I think small things as far as pointing the player in a direction or maybe like a menu that is like, all right, you've done this, this and this.

This is what you have left to do. I don't know, small things here and there could, uh, could have helped there. Um, but yeah, overall fucking love this game. Tim, what about you? Bless. I mean, me and you agree about a lot of things. Yeah. It's rare though that I'm like literally right.

Exactly where you are. Every single thing you just said, I am right there. I would give this game in 9.5 out of 10 because of the little things you're talking about, I think do add up to me as, oh, they hindered my experience. And it really could have enhanced it that bit more because everything else in this game has me absolutely transfixed. Jake Baldino and I were talking in Los Angeles last week. And he said something better than I ever could. I never would have been able to put this into words.

But the moment he said it to me, I was like, that's exactly how I feel about this game. it's so rare that a new world is introduced to us that immediately we're like, I want everything. I want comic books. I want the anime. I want the movie. I want the sequel.

I want the DLC. And that's what this is for me. This reminds me of being a little kid and wanting to know every single thing about every character in Final Fantasy 10. Reading the strategy guide just to get some backstory that I might have missed from the game or whatever. I cared so.

freaking much. Playing this game made me feel that way as a 35 year old man that has played so many video games since Final Fantasy 10 in 2001. And I don't know that there has been a game that's made me this all in on its world and characters

and just wanting to know more. And that was true from the jump of this game, like you're saying, that prologue immediately gets you hooked. But throughout the entire game, the twists and the turns and the way that it just keeps giving you more and more and more I was absolutely enthralled from moment one.

And that's just talking about the story and characters and worlds. You add on the gameplay here. And oh man, every single battle is fun. Every single random enemy feels like it matters, feels like you're getting better at the game. You feel like such a badass when you pull off a Perry. And that's just the gameplay, right? And you were saying this,

but the moment that a new character's added to your team, you are immediately like, okay, cool, but I got my squad. Yeah, I'm going to stick with my squad. And then something will happen to be like, all right, this enemy is doing this a lot. I wonder if this strategy will work. I'm going to pull them out the bench. Let's see what happens. And all of a sudden, you're like, wait a minute.

Oh, yeah. That's how that works. And then all of a sudden, your main team is a totally different looking squad, you know, then eventually you get the Charlie's Angels and you stick with the three. You stick with the three girls. Yeah. Yeah. But I love the flexibility there.

I love the costumes. I love the way that this game drives me to want to explore every nook and cranny to make sure that I'm getting every piece of outfit for each person. So I get to choose how my team looks. Like it's the little things that feel like they add up and matter. The amount of picdos and all that stuff that are just everywhere throughout the world. And you see all the different abilities. You're like how this is so overwhelming. Very overwhelming.

And it continues to be overwhelming. Yeah. Right. But as you continue to play things. through it, you start to understand it more and you start to see how the different strategies can place and how the passive abilities are adding up across your entire team. And then you're facing enemies that feel like they need that. And then you hit this point that you're just absolutely destroying people. And are you that damn good? Or are you just kind of doing what the

game wanted you to do? Either way, it feels right. And it feels backed by the story and backed by what's happening. I am so impressed with this. I do really think, though, that I see in the chat already and I know that people disagree about this, but I do think this game needed a mini-map. I do think that even on the world map, it needed a bit more than just a compass of northeast, west and south. So many amazing decisions in this game. And I understand that there are a lot of things guiding you. That doesn't stop the fact that I got lost a lot.

And that was the only times I wasn't having fun with this game. So it's like, but there was enough of that that I'm like, all right, it did get in my way. But like, man, this team, San Fall and Iraq. What the fuck magic did they just do? Where did you come from? You know what I mean? I think one of the things that as you were talking, right, lit up in me was as you were talking about how you want to be in this world, you want the comics, you want the

adaptations, like, you know, I'm sure if they made a, like, they sent us like little figurines of the characters, we probably fight over them as far as who at this office wants them at their desk, right? Like, I think part of that, too, is as you're playing this game, you're playing this game, you can tell from a team of like human beings that want to put themselves in the game. And like that's, I know I could probably say that for any video game, but there's something about this one where it's both, I think the fact that I'm sure you, Tim, as you're playing this game, you're probably identifying so many different inspirations.

It's like, oh, okay, there's some Final Fancy 7 remake here. Oh, there's some Final Fancy 10 here. Oh, for me, it was like I saw so much near, right? Like, yeah. There's so many different thing, different JRPGs that, different JRP's that, they're pulling from let alone like i mentioned devil may cry or like i'm sure a billion other different inspiration so i think it's that you can tell that it's from uh people who are fans of video games but then the french culture of it all i think really gives this such a unique edge as far as

oh you guys really put yourselves in this video game like you guys really wanted to tell a story that only this studio located in france could tell absolutely and i i do i was saying this uh in my early hours playing on the different pieces of content i was on but i was just like i didn't know the French had it that way. Like, I didn't, I didn't know that the style was there. These characters, their outfits, the way they talk, the way they interact with each other, just the world itself. Like, there's something on my, oh, man, I have never in my life really been interested

in visiting France, period. And now I'm like, you know what? Dude, I have the exact same thing. As soon as credits hit, I was like, you know, I kind of want to go to Paris. This game oozes culture. Like, there's, there's like a voice to it. And you mentioned all the inspirations, like, there, there's. They're so clear whether it's in gameplay, story, characters, or just like visuals, right?

Like obviously the persona kind of battle system, the UI at the very least. But I look at so much of this, the way the weapons are the magic comes out and like just looks. It looks like Final Fantasy 15. Like that's cool as Final Fantasy 15 looked. Yeah. But in my opinion, it plays the way that I wish that one did. Like there's something about this that I'm just like, I'm so into how the cost. that works between each of the characters and the way that the attacks look and the camera moves when you're you do the dodges, you do the parry. And then when you go into for the big team attack, like it feels like you're doing something sick. And yes, a lot of this is QTEs. But why are we praising it so much? Because it's them done perfectly. Yes. Right. Like it's not about the randomization of it. It really is like I guess I don't know what it is about these QTEs that does work so well for me. Because I think I mentioned to you before that weirdly enough, you know, I

I love action games. I like turn-based games, but weirdly enough, when I'm playing a Mario RPG, and I have to do the time button-press with the turn-based stuff, it breaks my brain a little bit, and I don't know why.

But here, like, my brain adjusted to it so well, partway through the game. At first I was still struggling a little bit. But, like, once I got used to it, there's something about it that just feels right. And maybe it is just the coolness factor of seeing the animation

and then the sound design being like the, kaka, and then, like, being able to hit it on time and seeing the perfect, seeing the critical, hit seeing the yellow text, they nailed that. Like, they nailed how to make a player feel good in doing that. Yeah, man.

They really do. And, you know, we didn't even talk about performances. Yeah. Oh, my God. Like, this is the type of game that here we are in May, right? And we said this earlier, but this is a first game from San Fall Interactive, right? And we heard about this less than a year ago at, for the very first time, at

Xbox's showcase in the summer. And we all looked at it. We're like, okay, this is cool as hell, but like, this is so There's no way they pulled this off. Well, here we are. They pulled it off. And I think the conversation is, what categories of the Game Awards are they not going to be nominated for?

Because real talk, I feel like going down the line, you can fit this into so many different places. And my question is, who gets nominated for best performance? Because there's too many great options, right? You think about the soundtrack of this. Yeah, damn, this is going up there. And guess what, bless, this will be nominated for Game of the Year, if not winning Game of the Year.

And that means we're hearing the soundtrack performed by the orchestra at the Game of War. God, the clip scoop. Oh my gosh. I've been listening to it nonstop. And like it's, I mean, that's, for me, that is the mark of a great soundtrack, especially a great GRPG soundtrack is how much, like, how quickly do I go over to Spotify or to see YouTube and look up certain songs from it. And yeah, there are two songs from the, I think, Flying Waters level that I have on repeat

all the time right now that are in my Spotify playlist. But it's that. Plus, like, you know, I think another mark of a good, of a good soundtrack is when I'm in the moment, right? when you have that swell of emotion happening and the music is hitting just right. And there's so many moments in the last hours of the game

where there's like a French choir just going off. And I'm just listening to it as like the action is building or like these moments are building in the game. And I'm just in it. And I'm like, I don't think I've heard anything like this in video games before. Yeah.

Again, it goes back to there's a unique style here. And like, you know, we've talked on a lot of different shows about like the making of this and the more information that kind of comes out in the last month for this game. but like the composer was found on SoundCloud. Crazy.

Right? Like the writer was found on Reddit. Like this is just such a special moment. And I'm just so happy that a video game can come out now when I feel like we needed it most. You know what I mean? A new IP that we can all just rally behind in like one of the highest, if not the highest rated metacritic game of all time. At least it was for a moment. I don't know if it still is right now.

But like a couple weeks ago, yeah, it was. Like, dang, man, that's wild. And I look at that and going. into this review, I've been thinking a lot about what am I going to give it on our scale. Yeah. And it was hard for me because I hear all this like, you know, better critic number one and all that stuff. I'm like, really?

Is it really? Like, how are you really putting this up there? That seems a little hyperbolic. And then I keep thinking about like, but do I disagree? You know what I mean? Like there's something there where it's like real talk. My criticisms come down to the some just annoyances quality of life stuff that I think they can easily patch and fix.

Yeah. I think there's just a couple options. they can give that would just enhance this experience. And just to explain a little further, my problems with the navigation and all this is I wanted to explore everything. So I feel like they're trying to find every nook and cranny in like hill and mountaintop and rock to climb

and all that stuff to find all of the hidden stuff, which there's a lot all over the world. I think that is what gets you lost. The game does a good job of guiding you exactly where you need to go, like with the lampposts and all that stuff. But the moment you're trying to go off the path, I think it gets a little too easy to get turned around. Yeah.

Because while each area is incredibly beautiful, each area kind of looks very similar. Exactly. And that's my one, that's my big thing, right? Where I think as far as like, could it use a minimap? Could it not? Right? Like I understand either or. I think even if you don't have a mini map, I still think navigation is just an issue from, yeah, like the levels look cool as fuck.

But when you're in a level, like the flying waters, like over to this area over here all the way to the right looks. like this area all the way to the left. And yeah, like, when I go down the optional path to get something, I'll come back and I'm like, oh, fuck, all right, which way am I going? Because this looks like, there's so many times where I was just running in circles, especially specifically in the flying waters, I think actually, where I'm just like going and going. I'm like where and then I realized the right path is like, oh, I had to do the grappling hook thing that's way over here. All right, cool. Now I'm on the right thing, right? But it's, I think it's tough. I think the arts, it's the, you know, gift in the curse of the art style where the art style is throwing so much at

you as far as the environments and how broken everything is and how abstract everything is that's fucking cool to look at but yeah sometimes it makes it tough as far as all right i i i pass the building that's sideways over here and like the weird looking trees over here uh but they have that over there too like i think that would be the that would be the thing to figure out i'm sure they'll if they make a sequel which i don't know if they'll make a sequel but oh we're getting a sequel but you think so oh 100% i hope so yes uh real quick golgoth in the chat says this is why there's no mini map. You want to visit everything because this world's insane. So providing a map or a mini map would go against the idea of searching for new stuff to discover on the world map. In my opinion,

and we're all entitled to our own opinion on this stuff, I don't think I have so much glowing things to say about the world. I don't think that any of the areas are that interesting. They're very clearly like video game designed paths, right? You're just going in paths. This game is as linear as Falun Fantasy 10 or Final Fantasy 13. I love those games for that reason. But like, let's not over-exaggerate like how well-designed the world is. is like this is not an Eldon Ring type thing. Yeah. In my opinion, thank God.

But I don't think a mini map gets in the way of that. I think in fact, it enhances going through a bunch of very pretty hallways. And honestly, like, even if it's not a mini map, a, just a map for when you're in the levels. Like, if I press the touch pad or whatever, just bring up a, like, just, let me just know like where I'm going or whatever. Yeah. And that's like not even my main critique.

I know that was the first thing I brought up, right? But like, I think for me, it also goes back to things like Pictos and Luminas. and I love those systems, except for, like you mentioned earlier, how overwhelming they can be, especially when I go into, I always get the mixed up. I think it's the luminos where you can...

I get messed up too, man. Yeah. The ones that you can equip after you do a certain number of battles and then you go in and you have like 50 points or whatever that you allocate, there's so much that you can equip

and so much to manage. And at times, my brain would love it because I love getting into the nitty-gritty. I love being in menus and being like, okay, well, if I have this character that can start off with rush, but then also apply powerless, but then also if they do their base attack, they can do burn. And like, I love going through all of that, but at the same time when I'm managing a number of different characters and I am acquiring Pictos at like such a quick rate because there's so many of them, it starts to build up in a way

where it becomes unwieldy. It's specifically in the menus. In the menus, yeah. So like that's another one. And like, I think it is the compounding of a lot of small things that I think bring me back from the 10 out of 10. Plus, like, it wasn't like a, the number, giving a game a number, obviously is arbitrary, but also tough in ways for me where a lot of the time when I'm giving a game of 10, I have to ask myself, is this the greatest video game I've ever played? Because if they, if I'm leaning on a yes, then I'm like, okay, this is a 10 out of 10. If I'm not leaning towards a yes, then I'm like, all right, 9.5, 9, 9,000. And that's kind of where I met with clear obscure, where they're the small.

things. But then also, this game blew my mind in so many ways. I'm not, for me, I'm not like this is the greatest thing I've ever played, but it's in the conversation for maybe top 40 things I've ever played, right, which is for me very high. Yeah, I'm with you. I feel like, just based on this conversation, I might be even a little higher than you are on it, where I do think that this is, you know, reviewing a game and the conversation of best and favorite and all this, there is some mix there, right? And I think that there are different things. Because while I would give this game in 9.5, mainly because I do have some concrete problems that I have with the game

that I really think could be and should be addressed that are there and that got in the way my incredibly positive experience. On the other hand, I'm going to remember this game forever, and I feel like I can recommend this game to the majority of people I know that like video games, and they're going to have a great time with it. Like this game has all of the stuff.

I mean, my best friend, Curran, I've known him most of my life at this point, and played games with him. And he is like my gaming guy when it comes to just like my, my kind of coming of age into taking video games more seriously than just,

you know, me and Kevin play when we were little kids like on the Nintendo. It's like, oh, we're like thinking and caring about video games

in a very different way. And a lot of that was bonding over Final Fantasy 7 and 10. And I often will give him codes for games. And they're usually Spider-Man 2 or God of War, things that are these known quantities. This is the,

first time I've ever given him a code and been like, I'm giving you this, download it, play it, I promise you're going to love it, don't look into it at all. It is now one of his top three favorite games of all time. That's fucking awesome. And he just kept texting me, like updates as he's playing. And that's another special thing about this game. That's just a story about my one friend.

The amount of people I know that have been texting me about this game as they got through Act 1, got through Act 2, like, et cetera, et cetera. This shit's special, man. Like this shit, and I'm not alone. I know a lot of people here. like we're having these check-ins with people in our lives because we're all experiencing something incredibly special. This story is awesome. I was surprised when I went to Yusuf's house to hang out and or his apartment to hang out, right?

And like, one of the first things he asked me was, he was like, are you playing a clear obscure? And he was like, dude, I'm halfway through it. It's fucking sick. And I was like, oh, like, I don't think about this being the type of game that you play, which it might be. But I like, the fact that he loved Palm, Nancy 10. He's a man of taste and culture. That's a really good point. So yeah, this is actually tailored for him.

But the fact that you said, like, randomly brought it up, I was like, oh, shit, all right, this is, like, hidden for people. Like, this is making the rounds. And I do think, like, the more I think about this game and the more I see people talk about it, and the more I just talk about it myself, right? Like, I think this is going to be one of the ones that has, like, a breakout. I'm sure it already has had breakout success, right? But, like, I think continues to have that.

I think this is one of those games that strikes me as, oh, you've done everything you needed to to like hit that level of special for people and like not just for a specific audience I'm talking about for a wide audience of people like I think there's a lot of people that are going to play clear obscure who probably don't play JRP's or probably don't vibe with term based stuff as much that are going to I they're going to vibe with it because it just it does so much right I mean and not just so much so much so much right it does so much so much the same but more importantly so much different this is through and through a traditional JRP

but it has a hyper realistic style and it doesn't let that get in the way of the enemies you fight being these gigantic insane monsters this feels like playing a vintage pixel based

Final Fantasy where you're this little guy going up against this giant monster but it doesn't feel weird even though visually it should but it's like they build the world so well that it just kind of feels like we don't see things like this that often right like it's just like i i think totally there are examples of it but sure and like i think also tonally

to the same point you're making it is a turn-based game that has quick time events where we're fighting big monsters and going through a fantasy world in tonally it keeps this shit so serious like this game is so like real when it comes to the subject matter and like how it tackles topics of grief and like even certain cinematic choices that don't even feel video game inspired. This feels inspired by some, I'm sure, like critically acclaimed French movie from 1940. Like the ways in which they use framing and like the aspect ratio like changes or it goes into grayscale or like the presentation is so interesting and cool. And it feels like they understand the art of what they're doing here.

the fact that like, oh, just because we're making something that inherently, I think, lends itself toward being a bit more like lighthearted and goofy or whatever, which it has those moments still. From Sopster says it's also really funny. It's also really funny and really goofy. It's really funny and really goofy in that classic way that we love, but it doesn't get in the way up. It doesn't feel weird. It bounces it so well. Exactly. Exactly. I feel like the humor isn't something that we need to kind of like write off and be like, well, you know, it's funny because this, it's like, oh, no, no, this makes sense, right? God, I want to talk so much more about this.

This has been our spoiler-free review of Expedition 33. Once we get back from a word from our sponsors, we're going full spoilers, baby, starting with the end. Here's an ad. This episode is sponsored by Subway Servers. The goaded endless runner that carried me through middle school, high school, college, and now adulthood is celebrating their 13th birthday, which also marks their 200th World Tour update.

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That's code kind of funny 50 off at factor meals.com slash kind of funny 50 off for 50% off plus free shipping. Factormeals.com slash kind of funny 50 off. and we're back we're in spoiler mode everybody bless and i are about to spoil the living hell out of expedition 33 I have to start at the end this is a game

where we're not given many choices bless no this is a final fantasy RPG in all the classic sense of you're along for a story here you're not really changing things until the very end you have to make a choice Are you choosing Verso? Are you choosing Mayo?

This is one of the most controversial video game choices since Live is Strange One. I don't know if you ever play Life Strange One or have heard the discourse about the ending choice. But like that's one of those ones where everybody has a very strong opinion about what the right choice is. And this was one of those scenarios where and this is rare for me. Maybe this is a first for me where I made my choice because I knew where my allegiance lied. I chose Miao because I think partly because I spent most of the game with Miel is like my main party member right

like I leaned all the way into her combat system loved playing as her and then also like Verso I got the fuck out of here halfway through the game it was a boss fight where like Verso was in my team and then like that boss fight made me realize that Verso just wasn't doing what I needed him to do me and you had the exact same experience Yeah that's so fucking funny I was like Verso you're out Minoko

Get in here, Monaco get in here Lunae and so like I that's what I did so I was leaning towards mail because of that but then also I think story wise the game the way the game orients you leading into the third

act and like going through learning what the nature of the painting is and like what Renoir's motivations are and what the painters is and all that stuff right like I think the game teaches you that the male and the team of expeditioners are the

one's like fighting for life and doing all this stuff right and so like i think as i made the mail choice i was still in that mind frame but then seeing the cutscene after and then like well seeing the cutscene after i think made me feel this feeling of like i don't feel good this didn't make me feel good which is beautiful because games aren't like games don't have to make you feel good it's the stories aren't like meant to automatically make you feel good right so like i think there was something about that that made me go did i make the wrong choice here is this really about blooding

like is this about the process of grief and I guess like facing reality to some extent and so I went back yesterday and I replayed the ending

and then I watched Verso's thing and Verso's ending also very sad but felt more right and so I think my I think I lean more towards Verso's ending

being I guess my canon ending even though originally I chose Mayo what about you? I also chose for very similar reasons. I feel like she was one of my go-toes throughout the game. She wasn't from the jump, though. I got her out pretty early. And eventually she made her way back in. And I feel like some of that was story-based. Like I think that there are, this is an ensemble cast. And obviously you would imagine that Gustav is the kind of lead. But then you learn pretty quickly, no, he's not, right? And him getting replaced by Verso, I obviously love Ben Starr's performance as Verso. I do think Versa was one of my least favorite characters in the game, though. And that's probably just because I was attached to Gustav.

They did their job, right? And over time, definitely as the story elements kind of added up, he started winning me over. But at that point, I feel like I was sympathetic and vibing with myel and her story and the grief she was dealing with. Because I was kind of feeling it too. You know, she just lost Gustav. So did I. You know? And also just her being on the menu.

screen and the music that's playing being like hers, I, I kind of see her as if there had to be a main character, it's her. So by the time we got to the end, even though getting to that choice felt a little like, oh, whoa, we have to do this? Like, well, you guys are against each other on this. I was like, I got to go with my girl here. And then you see that cutscene and oh, I felt like shit. Yeah. But I loved it though. Yeah. Because I feel like it was very earned. It was. set up and earned and I believe it and I understand the the desire to be like if I was in this position I would move on I don't know that the majority of people no we wouldn't you know absolutely not know that there's something beautiful about that also that everyone's in their own positions and like

if you were given the opportunity to not have everything you love taken from you dude like I mean you look at that's why I think that was the tough thing for me was looking at male's point of view and being like, do you want to stay in this world with these people that you built relationships with? And this is as far as, I guess, Mayol has her, does she at that point have her memories from living outside the painting? I'm not, at that point, yeah. So like at that point, I guess she has kind of both things, but like she kind of grew up in the painting as well at the same time. And knowing what her life is outside of the painting that is filled with grief, that is filled with pain, that like she can't even speak the way that she wants to. I think I just identified with the idea.

of like, no, I get it. Yeah, and it's so dark. But again, earned, and I don't think like just like dark for dark sake or anything. I'm like, oh, this is the end and I buy it and I'm here for it. Then of course, immediately boot it right back up. I got to go Verso. And because I want to see what the other ending was, but also because while I wasn't fully viving with Verso and he was winning me over throughout the game,

it wasn't until choosing my L and the dialogue that Verso has with my L, then I'm like, Verso's the right choice. You know? And like that's before I even saw his ending. Just the way he responds to it with the whole like, I don't want this life. Like, oh man,

we're getting some real good stuff here. And then seeing Verso's ending, it's like incredibly tragic and dark as well, but also incredibly earned. I don't know that I've ever seen a game specifically present two endings that I am equally happy with that are so. different, but that both were built up to, I think, perfectly.

I think both of these could be the canon ending. And I also kind of like they're not needing to be a canon ending. And we'll see what they do with the sequels and stuff. But where they ended up in this, I just think was so beyond my expectations. And the fact that we even had a choice and the fact that there are two outcomes and there's enough to talk about and enough to debate what is right and what is wrong and what would you do and and all of that. Like it's in a world where we are 10 years removed and still talking about Joel's

choice at the end of the last of us. Yeah. And the ethics of it and what's right, what's wrong, what we would do. I think this game kind of presents all of that stuff in, in such a beautiful way with so much artistry that it really does put a nice bow on the game of making the entire story feel like one of those beautiful epic poems that

you would read in high school that you're like, damn how they have bars like yeah you know what I mean where it's like you're reading through and you're like I don't really fully understand what's going on but by the end it's like oh they were getting here and they pulled it off yeah I'm like dude whoever whoever put together the bones of this story all were going through something like whoever like wrote some of this dialogue

it's like what were you feeling because I feel it now and I think one of the things I want to commend this game on you know you mentioned that by the end of it may all feels like the main character I'm somebody who I never watched through Game of Thrones, but I know the broad strokes as far as like big story moments that kill the main character and now like people are like

whoa, that's crazy that they did that and then you go on and the story continues and you find new characters, right? I think this game does that I mean literally and also just in terms of structurally how act one the main character is Gustav, act two, the main character is Verso and then act three

the main character is Mayo. In fact I think the acts are named after them, yeah. And I was impressed by how seamlessly that worked for me. Of course, act one to act two, they kind of, they literally like have to cut you off from Gustav, right? Which we'll talk about it a second, but I want to ask the question of like, were you surprised that they'd never brought back Gustav? Because you look at the skill tree and I was like, oh, he'll be back. Yeah. And then he never came back. And I was like, I haven't, like, that is such a surprise. How the fuck did we just get a main character in an RPG die and it hit us this way?

Yeah. Like I feel like, oh, Ben there done that. No, man. Like this was wild. And, you. You know, we do technically get him back in the very end of, if you choose my L story, kind of. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. No, I thought we were getting in him back. I also didn't expect him to die, period.

But I did not expect him to die the way he did as early as he did. Yeah. It was like such a, the fact that this game can have so many discussion points where you're like, how far are you? Okay, cool. Talk to me. We'll talk to you later. And it's like you don't want to spoil the things, but like it has such great once you know the whole thing.

It's like the act one, act two, act three. Like there were. it's so well designed to have these gigantic moments that have so much to break down and talk about. And like, feel your freaking feelings about, man. Like some real stuff happens here where you're like, I care so much about this squad. So to go from, yeah, they do that transition from Gustav to Verso, which is a little sudden, but then also like, it's like, okay, well, that's what this world is. Like, it is death.

It is destruction, right? And then the transition from Verso to Mayel felt so seamless. Because as soon as Mayel's act starts, I had no question of, oh yeah, this is my main character. And I don't know when that happened.

I don't know when I made the turn to, because Verso was, I was like, okay, this game's about Verso. Yeah, for sure. And then very naturally, I was like,

oh yeah, this game is, the male is the main character here. Yeah. Dude, there's so much great stuff and, you know, main character doesn't need to be good.

And also doesn't necessarily mean that they're bad with the choices they make and things that they do. I'm so impressed with how the game structured where I feel like the majority of people playing, once they're in act two, towards the end, you're like, oh, hey, cool, it's at the end of the game.

Yeah, dude, I literally texted people. I was like, I texted one of my friends. I was like, okay, cool. Hey, I just beat this game. So I'm down to go to the gym now or whatever. And I come back and I was like, oh, this is still going. But we got a lot more. And, you know, I think that, uh, I've already seen people disagree with me on this

because I've seen a lot of people talk about how this felt like to bring up Last of us again, Last of Us, too, kind of the Santa Monica section where it's like, oh yeah, there's more, but like, and story-wise, it makes sense, but like, it does kind of just feel like there's just more just to have more. And I really disagree. I disagree wholeheartedly.

Like, I'm going to bring up the Tomorrow War, a movie that I fucking loved, and something that I loved so much about, light spoilers for the Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime, I was so shocked that it felt like a trilogy of action movies in one movie, where it's like, we kind of get to a point pretty early on where it's like, oh, that would have been the end of a film one in a

trilogy. And then you get to the second part. You're like, oh, well, they just beat the big bad. What are they going to do next? And then you just get an entirely different take on it. And I was like, whoa, this is cool. But this is the example of that done so much better with the cast of characters that I've spent dozens of hours with and I care so much. And the moment that we get into the real world in the beginning of Act three after we face off against the painter's and the painter's heals you bless oh my god yeah she heals you yeah okay incredible incredible stuff well insane it's funny because i was i was so concerned at that segment because i my um i was down to my last last stand and my characters had so low health and they also had burn and so when i saw those one more

one more section left of that fight i was like oh no i'm gonna i literally was like oh i'm gonna die and then she healed me and i was like goaded this game is fucking goaded it is man it just it makes you really like question things and fear for what's going on. It's so good. But then you get to it and they start answering questions that you weren't asking. And they're also answering questions that you were while also introducing concepts that I, again, I'm going back to like criticisms I've seen. I've seen people be like, oh, we didn't get enough about the writers and we didn't get enough

about it. I love that. I love that we got just enough for me to be like, holy crap, I didn't know that I could be even more compelled by the story and world of this, but the idea of a war between writers and painters because they're able to make worlds that actually exist, what are we talking about? That is the dopest thing I have ever heard. And I feel like they did just enough to have us think about this world that doesn't currently exist yet. That's what a sequel's for. What's the sequel going to do? Is it going to be in the real world dealing with that? Is it going to be going

into a different painting. By the way, the painting that we're in being Verso's fucking painting and being his little homies that he made up are like all the people, what are we doing, man? This is perfect. It's so cool. It's so cool. Yeah, getting that, that I guess, yeah, I would call it a twist, right? Of like, yeah, being outside the painting. I guess for sure it's a twist because you finish the expedition and it's like, all right, cool, game beat and then fucking everybody gets taken away. Fucking cool. But yeah, getting then outside the painting and then sort of the backstory. At first, I was like, what's like, what is? Like, what is? going on here.

But then I think one, it adds, it adds a lot as far as questions we had about the world, right? And like how, what are, what is this? But then also, I think then starts to paint, I mean, pun intended. It starts to paint the themes as far as the grief they're going through and putting your grief in your art or putting your grief into something. And like how much of that can you do until you take it too far, right?

Like it's starting to make me think about the game in a lot, in a deeper way. And then the fact that it is Verso and. Alicia's parents that are like then having this thing of do we get rid of this thing that that is that was created by this person that we're grieving and like kind of like having this is last remnants of him in finding some solace in it but then I don't know there's it goes deep in a way that I fucking loved and had my brain just turning and I love when games do that. Yeah absolutely man and I love even just like how expanded everything feels like the twist in terms

of Renoir where and also the performance. Circus, absolutely crushing it. But nailed it. Every appearance the character has in the game is like such a pivotal moment. Like I feel like that is like the, all right, locking. I want to hear every word being said,

we're building here. And I think they did such a good job of keeping the air of mystery throughout the game while also like giving us stuff. It wasn't just like big mystery box bullshit. Like it all actually does add up to oh cool. There was a design around all this stuff. It's not all just pretty

floating goop. You know? It all has a reason and a design language to it all. And I'm not even just talking about visually. I'm talking about like in terms of why this world is the way that it is. Yeah, why everything is kind of abstract and weird and like why you can kind of see the Eiffel Tower. But it's like a weird version of the Eiffel Tower. It's because this kid was painting this shit, right? It was his interpretation of it.

It's so cool. And I was so fascinated by the sister character in the real world. Clea? Yeah. Or is that the mom? I always got them. Oh, Aline. Aline's the painter's

Clay is the sister Okay I get the mixed up I the very very minor Back and forth we get With that character I think is so cool Because it's again just like It allows you to expand

Your thoughts on what's happening Out there so much Where it's not this like Clear good bad What happened with the fire Why was it caused? How was it cost? I think that was my one thing I was like oh why I kind of wanted more

on that I understand why they didn't because that's not what the story. The story isn't about, like, what caused the fire, right? The story is about the result. But I, like, I was confused for a second as I was like, did I miss it? Because this, you cut to that and it is, I think, Verso, right, standing in the fire and turning

and then, like, us learning what the fuck happened. But yeah, I think I would have, I would have wanted, like, a little bit of context around that. See, I feel like, I feel like, the context is there. Like, I feel like they're, to me, they did a great job of, like, putting all the pieces there that you can, like, put the string and be like,

okay cool this is what happened. But I feel like all we need to know is that there is a war either brewing or active between riders and painters. And yeah, that's what happened. Like the riders started the fire. You know what I mean? But why was Alicia dealing with them? How was she dealing with them?

Like, why was she the cause of this? Like that to me is so freaking fascinating. And her being in the state that she's in now, like we're not going to know unless maybe we I don't know. I mean, I don't think so. For me, this is the end of this story. I think if we see sequels or if we see spin-offs or whatever, I imagine it's going to be maybe an entirely different painting

or maybe it's a writer story. Maybe we get the story of like one of those written notes or poems or whatever it is, right? And like it is an entirely different thing. But I don't think we're seeing, I don't think we're seeing more from the Desondra family and nor do I want to see more. Like for me, I'm so satisfied with where we've left this off. Again, this goes back to my overall thoughts on this of like wanting just more of this. like I feel like I'd be satisfied in any way.

I feel like there's so much more they could do with that family and that part of the world. But also if they just did something different within the broader world or in a different painting or in a writer's story. There's just so many like there's options that they can make this all work. I think my big thing is

this story that they told here feels so full circle, especially with the choices that you're given of this being a story about I guess like grief would probably be the biggest theme here, right? Like, I feel like we got it. I feel like the, from, you know, introducing Gustav, Mayel, getting to Versa's part of the story, getting to what actually happened,

and then having that final, those final confrontations between the expedition and Renoir and then Verso and Mayel, it feels so perfect. Like, I, like, I don't know how you add anything to that story without opening up a can of worms again and having to like maybe find what the next major theme is or the major thing being told here is like I think this is a you clip this off and find an entirely different thing yeah I mean fuck man it's it is great though that I just want more yeah because it's just I want to keep playing like there's there's so much fun post game content to just go back and do like in the combat is just so satisfying and uh revisiting the world there's like just a lot of cool shit to find different like strategies to

to play off. And it's just so fun seeing the numbers go up and they go up real big in this game. Oh, I've seen. Yeah, I've heard about like broken builds and shit. And I'm like, I wish I got, I never got to that point. I, I kind of wish I did. But also I'm, I don't know how we're talking about like the future or whatever. But I'm, I'm so fascinated by this studio and what their plans are from the perspective of they put in a lot of work into this game. They established a combat system. they established a system where any new character has their own systems that feel fresh

that I feel like you can keep doing that and like I wonder for them as far as the way they think about their games right I wonder if they're in a place where all right we did all this work on Claire Obscure we're gonna we're gonna continue like using the bones of this in our sequels whether it is even a new game right it's still gonna work off of this turn basis because I would not blame I think that would be

probably smart in a lot of in a lot of senses because they got something here. But yeah, and I could, like, I would love to see their interpretations of like five new characters in this same combat system just to see what that looks like because I think that could work really well.

Yeah, and I think it'll be fire. Like I think that each character will have like a bunch of abilities that we're like, wow, these works so well with the other characters. Like, very cool stuff. We have a whole bunch of super chats that I do want to get to. J.B. says Renoir was right.

I mean, I think so, yeah. Yeah, that's the thing is I think that the game doesn't Doesn't question what's right and wrong, but it's more just about like... Your interpretation. How people deal with things, you know? So it's like it is, yeah, I feel like from different perspectives, there are people that are right and wrong in this,

but everyone has their own needs and their own desires and where that all kind of matches out. I think it's very interesting. Renoir wasn't wrong. You know what I mean? That's more of my feeling is, like, Like, I totally understand where Renoir is coming from. Shea Slay says, are y'all reviewing Rune Factory?

No. I don't think there's any interest here from anybody. CJ Splitson says, the moral of the story is go touch grass. I mean, I feel like it's a, I don't know that that's my takeaway, but. Yeah, I'd be curious to hear more of, of, yeah, what you mean, as far as like that being the moral. Yeah, but I mean, it's a good moral overall. Because I guess they were, I mean, that's a good moral for life. Yeah.

But I guess I could see it from the perspective of A lot of this is caused by people getting lost in the paintings But like again, that's grief They can go touch grass, right? But that's not going to bring their son back Getting lost in paintings is not necessarily a bad thing You know, we played Mario 64 How many times do you think about Mario 64?

A lot. A lot. Especially once we got into Act 3, I was like, yeah. I was like, when are we going to jump into an actual painting? Bob on Battlefield, let's go. Yeah, God. Cedier splits on size is this the best feeling Perry and gaming. I'm going to put it, if I'm ranking the parries, I'm going to put it in number two.

Behind Sekiro, Shadow's Die Twice. I still think the Sekiro Perry is unrivaled as far as how good it feels. But I think this is a number two. Number two, that's very high. Very high. I didn't expect that. Yeah. I feel like I'm not qualified to really get my thoughts on it,

but I will say that it feels damn good. It feels so good. And I can pull it off. Especially when you pull off multiple at the same, or multiple in one and go. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Dean 8149 says so excited to get to this once I finish just one more blueprints run.

We're just talking about that. Great time for games, man. I do love that the conversation right now is two like budget priced games from unknown devs that just put out absolute bangers. Dude, I'm telling you, the independent space is going to be so vital for putting out unique. And I mean, this has been true for a very long time. But I also think like going forward as we're talking about shareholders. how money is drying up a bit, right? And like how AAA is often having to resort to like maybe canceling the games that might be a bit more unique or interesting or whatever, right?

I think it's going to be a lot up to devs like Sandfall or devs like the ones who made blueprints and Larian for Baldersgate 3, the Hades, right? Like I think it's going to be up to those folks to really put out the bangers in the future. Louis says, did they create their own Final Fantasy universe as now they can go into any painting or world? it can be a whole new story without playing the previous games. Yeah, I mean, I do think that that's, uh, it's interesting. I mean, I feel like there is so much potential. And look, the talents here, they've proven it. Like, they can pull this off.

Like, everything about this game is impressive at the very least. Like the fact that it's a $50 title that was on game pass, that it runs this well. I played a majority on Steam deck just because I was traveling a whole bunch. And yeah, it wasn't the prettiest version of it, but it worked. It worked. Damn well. Um, so, uh, yeah. I think that there's a lot going on here.

And I think to this, they definitely could. And I think that they could almost pull a better version of the Assassin's Creed thing of, yeah, these are all games that take place in different timelines or whatever. But there's this animus. There is this like real world story that is building. Oh, that would go so hard. And if they have the talent and if they just stick to it and like grow correctly and don't just annualize this or turn it into like a disaster,

I think that, yeah, there could be a lot of different painting or writing or I've seen people in the chat talk about music. Like, what if there are other art disciplines as well? Yeah. Like, very cool ideas that those be the games. But then there is this like story building and the real world. That can be pretty damn cool. The only thing with that is I, if we're talking about a sequel to this coming out every five or six years, I don't know if I can handle that. but I do wonder what their timeline

looks like as far as putting out another one of these or if they want to put out I hope they want to put out another one of these right like if they could if they could hit every three years then yeah like I think a real world in the background story building over time could be the fucking sickest thing ever and the thing is I think that they could

like I feel like from what we've heard this was like a five year development cycle obviously they're going to have a lot more support now than they did before and I do think that if anything this it proves doesn't need to reinvent the wheel in a bazillion different ways.

Just do something very well. We got three Final Fantasy 13 games. You know? We always talk about Final Fantasy like 7, 8, 9, like how'd they come out and 10 even? How'd they come out so close together? And that was crazy. We're talking about some of the best games ever.

Final Fantasy 13 trilogy, I get not so much. Like, I understand that the level of quality is not what we want from this. But my point is, I do think that with the right direction and the right producers involved in terms of funding and keeping everything on track, there's potential for them to really do something special in the space

that we haven't seen since the glory days of RPGs back in the day. Yeah, God, I hope so. Yeah. It's such a balance because, yeah, I think to your point, you said, like, don't want to see it annualized. And I think there is that, like, I think you could either put these games out too quickly or too slowly. Like, there is, like, I think a sweet spot.

As far as, like, what you want to do narratively and building, if you want to build the universe, like I think that's going to be tough to do while also maintaining, I think, the freshness of it and having people go, oh, wow, this is like, I think the advantage that this game has is that this is kind of unlike

anything I've seen before in a lot of ways, not in every way, but like in a lot of ways, as far as what they're doing art direction and like totally, I'm like, oh man, this feels very fresh as a video game. If they give us something very similar, three years from now, I think most of us will still be like,

oh, this is fucking good. right but is it going to lose that that spice. It is going to lose that original hit. And that always happens right? I feel like majority of people lose the shininess for sequels because it's not the first time right? Yeah.

And yeah, God, this first time hit hard. The first time you said it earlier, but like starting with an Infinity War level of investment and feeling you can't do that again. Like it's just that is special. Jake Son said, says, did anyone get any save file issues? I had a day off and played about five hours and it was auto

saving. I left and came back and I only have a new game. Damn, that sucks. No, I didn't. Yeah, it's been fine for me. So sorry. Mental Gear Gaming says the... Why do the blueprints do me like this? I'm so sorry, Kevin. I hate it. The QDEs are perfect. They have precise purpose

rather than just to keep you engaged during a cutscene. They feel more strategic than tacked on. Yeah. You know, I mean, this game really is about... It's as much rapper the rapper as it is Final Fantasy. I did that. You know what I mean? It's just like, yeah.

It's like you just kind of memorize like the different patterns and stuff and then you just perform them. And I feel like once you start to understand my eye cool, you're Gustav and then it's A, A or X, X, whatever. But then you do another one. It's like X, X, X, and you have to do it so fast. Yeah. And the first time you do it, you're like, fuck, this is overwhelming.

But then the hundred time you do it, you're like, ba-ba, motherfucker. You're hitting it every single time. Yeah, I think for me out, like the only times where those would really catch. me off guard would be the ones where it's like immediately like that ca-ca like those ones would fuck me up but then after I got used to those ones the QTEs became kind of natural in my brain to where they kind of were routine

but I don't think it was bad routine I think it was a good routine because honestly the paris and the dodges is where I want my brain to be locked in like I don't need the QTEs to be fucking tough on top of the parries. It's like the parries are enough yeah that's very very true uh... Mello says what's your fave boss boys

mine has to be the duelist that song the duelist was for me the moment that the game kind of picked up in terms of the music matching the epicness. And obviously that matters a lot to me. But before that, we get the one that kills Gustav. I forget what his name is. The keymaster.

Oh, man. Keyhead. That was a while ago from now. Whatever it was. And that was cool. But duelist was definitely the one where I was like, oh, shit, we're cooking here. I forget when you fight the duelist. Lampmaster, not key master. There we go.

Duelist is like maybe two, three hours after Gustav dies. Okay. When you fall, pretty damn far down. Oh, yeah, I remember the dualist. I don't fall with the dualist. That was the one that kicked up for me. I'm like, oh, shit. Like, I'm hell engaged.

This feels hype as hell. But I think that my favorite boss overall was the, was the painter's. at the end, like, or ended up back too. Oh, yeah. Um, but like that stuff, that, that had the, the vibes that I love so much about the end of Final Fantasy 7 or the end of Final Fantasy 10. I'm like, yo, we're all here.

We got the squad. It's an all out of salt on this like insurmountable obstacle. Well, the Pinterest had the, had the, um, phase where like, everything goes giant and then like, like, you're on top of SkiA. And then she's like throwing the fucking projectiles. And it's like, you have a zoomed out view. That shit was insane. Love that stuff.

Yeah, that one was great. I think my favorite might have been the face one, like the visages. The mask one, yeah. Because I did not do the thing of going and like, I think if you go the different routes, you can take out like some of the masks to then make that boss easier.

I didn't do that. And so that shit was, that shit was hard. But that was where I started to lock in on combat and really like. You had to. I think that that, I mean, from everyone I've talked to, that seems to be the skill check moment of the game.

I'm like, cool. you understand pairing that's cute you need to understand abilities motherfucker you need to understand the different systems here or else this guy's just gonna keep healing this guy's just he's gonna get the better of you over time what was your favorite pictos to have a real conversation here yeah i'm having the problem that this has now been a couple weeks since i've touched the game um but i was a big fan of any of the ones that gets you the AP early in the uh so you're just like ready to go and like just jump in there and like starting to use the abilities because I feel like otherwise there there is that kind of like one or two turn kind of like not waste

but just like okay cool let's just get through this to like get the AP so I really liked like being able to jump in there especially once I have my Charlie's Angels out there yeah yeah it's funny because now I'm thinking now I'm realizing what I came to mind I don't think it is the pick dose there comes an ability I don't know it's the weapon it's like the big weapon you get with mail that every attack you do with against an enemy that has a shield gets you that shield. That one, not a PICDOS,

but like that ability goes fucking hard. What a guy says roulette, baby. I never used to. Oh, you're crazy. Well,

that is the thing too is like once you start realizing that critical hits matter so much more than like attack damage or like so many of your other stat points. Yeah.

Once I started just like putting a lot of my stat points into the critical hit stuff, then I was like using a lot of the PICDOS and Lumios that are just like enhancing my critical chance anyways. Because then you're just ripping through the, enemies. I love hearing about people's strategies because like so much of my strategy revolved around Byrne, which ended up not being as great in the second half because like I realized I was using,

Miel had a weapon that I believe automatically inflicted burn. And so I started to make my whole strategy around that. And I would start off each fight, attack everybody with Mail, burn everybody, use CL. She has like a move that applies foretel to anybody with burn. I was like, oh, we're cooking. We're cooking. And then I had to switch my weapon with Mail because, I just wasn't keeping up with like the level of it and oh man that shit I had to adjust dude and we're talking spoilers here yeah um I see you know micro you know I love that we get this cast of characters and we don't get the full on final fantasy seven and remake style like a rebirth specifically style of like and now we're going to do Barrett story oh yeah it's not so much that

But the support system of being back at camp and being able to talk to each of the people and getting those special moments right in the journal, all that stuff hits so hard for me. Every single time. I was like, I need more of this. And as you start getting the different relationships between the characters, I was so in and hearing, learning about CL's backstory and her relationship with Verso and her relationship with who she lost. Right. Like, oh, it hits so hard. And I'm like, damn, this is why this game is great. Like there's a million things we can say, but like this supporting cast we love and believe in and care about.

Like one of the most heartbreaking moments of this game. Like one of the most emotionally resonant things of this game for me is when you choose Verso's ending. And Lune just looks at you and just slowly sits down. And it's just like, fuck. Yeah. God, that hits. Yeah. That's good stuff.

Yeah, dude. it's a good game it's a good game good game everyone erpg says child verso created most of the world the gesturals grandes and eschia aline made lumiere and all the humans to escape her grief

adding sadness to the world and why only they gommage interesting okay I didn't put that put that together I did you want to talk about like heart wrenching moments for me it was the ending where Verso approaches like I guess his childhood soul that's like painting and is like talk to him

Oh my God, that shit hurt. Yeah. That shit hurt. God, and even throughout the game, finding all of the, like, the remnants or whatever? Yeah, just like the disappearing, like, paint people that all have, like, bits of a story. It's so tragic. Yeah. And then all of the dead expeditioners everywhere.

Like, God, the beginning of this game, obviously the first gommage we see. So good. So good. I learned that gommage means erasure. Yes, in French. Which is cool. Yeah. But I, that's a.

was like hidden so hard and then the moment you go out on your expedition which is pretty much immediately after the initial scene you are greeted with one of the most violent insane openings ever like the team just getting destroyed

like I was like oh we're fucked like there's how we're gonna survive this Renwar is sick as hell dude yeah like every you mentioned earlier every scene with Renroar goes fucking hard and I love that character I think even more, it's not just the performance, even though I do like the performance a lot, but it's just like,

they gave him the sickest combat animations. Oh, yeah. Like, just him doing this. Oh, come on. Just the, like, just the swipe of the arms. So sick. Taking people out. Dude, that was so good,

but I loved getting into Act 3 and then having the, we gotta get the team together. I'm such a sucker for that shit. But when the team is a bunch of the dead expeditioners and we're all assembling this army, dude, holy crap.

I was surprised by how quick that segment went by, though. I thought totally that it was going to be another. All right. Now, as a player, go here, here and here and collect all of the chroma or whatever. I'm kind of fine. It's a motherfucking montage. Yeah, I'm kind of fine that it was a montage. But I wonder if that was like a thing where they were like,

okay, we're going to have the player do this. And in development, they're like, fuck that. We ain't got the time for this shit. There's another thing, though, that I want to talk about, which is the subtlety of some of the character development and how much stuff that you can miss that's optional in this. Like I feel like some of the most resonant, good storytelling is the side conversation.

So like if you're playing this game, go to the camp, talk to everybody. You're gonna get so much for me. But even in the beginning, like, when you first start up this game, take your time in the prolog area. There's like so much cool world building stuff because they kind of throw you in to the deep end.

If you don't know the premise of this game, it can be kind of confusing. Yeah. But if you do, it's really fascinating. and I actually went back after beating it just because I was like I felt like I sped through the prologue the first time and just walking around and getting to learn like where Lumiere is at with the context of the whole story they go on

is so fascinating and I'm blanking on her character's name is it Sophia Gustav's? Oh, the one of the six. Sophie? Sophia, it's one of the two. I think probably Sophie. Like Sophie with an axe and egg you on the E? Yeah.

like the story between the two of them might have been explicitly said at some point in a required way but the more you kind of talk to all the characters around in the prolog and to her and the game starting with you and my L like going to see her and all that stuff you start to realize there's this like deep conversation about having children and what that means in a world where if you were to have a child now when we're at expedition 30 you were dooming that child most likely to die by the age of 14, 13. 9, whatever it is, right?

And like, these are the type of things that are like, oh, that's fucking good stuff. And the reason that Sophie and Sophia and Gustav broke up is because they couldn't decide about the ethics of having a child. That's some good fucking stuff, man. That's a really good shit. Right? I also did the thing where I rushed through the prologue.

I try to talk to people, but I was like, okay, there's a lot. lot of people to talk to you and so I just ended up going through it but now honestly this game does a thing that I love where now I'm kind of like yo I should replay the whole thing you talk about like the conversations you have with the people that are fading or whatever and it's like oh now that I have the context I want to go back and see all those conversations yeah yeah me too and it's a thing where I'm so happy that this game's available in as many places as it is I played on steam which let me to play on Steam Deck and then on my high

powered PC on my TV as well and I loved both ways. Obviously loved on the TV a lot better just in terms of performance because this game is stunning and it pained me to like drop the settings but I do wish I played it on PlayStation because I would have been incentivized to want to platinum

it and want to go back and do everything and it's the dumb goopie gamer goblin and I have is not allowing me to be like well I can still do that on Steam for the reason I'm like nah but now here's where I'm at nowpless Yeah. Why am I thinking this way?

I'm like, well, eventually this game is going to be announced for Switch 2. And I don't know why that excites me. I mean,

you could also just replay it on PlayStation I know, I know, but I'm thinking if I'm replaying this, I do feel like that'll be a travel thing. That'll be like, I'm chilling in bed or whatever.

But, um, yeah, I don't know. I just want all the success for this game and I hope it all checks out. C.J. Splitson says mature adult stories, a miscarriage story.

Yeah, that's handled well. Like, I feel like the stuff, they don't shy away from like real shit in this. Yeah, yeah, and that's what I wanted to mention this earlier, like, toward the middle part of the show, because we're talking about how this game totally, like, you know, goes into very serious places, right, and like how that compares to other things. Like, I don't want to take it away

that other GRP's oftentimes can be an R-serious. And like, again, I think this game takes so much from NIR that also, I think, has really good serious shit going on. But I think it's the, I don't know, I think stylistically what it does, like, combined with, yeah, kind of the, you know, the subject matter combined with the realistic presentation of its characters. Like, I don't know. It makes for a mix that makes me feel like I am watching like a French indie film. Dude, yeah. Yeah.

It's so good. It's so good. It's the combination of the good and the bad. Yeah. Sometimes you're feeling we. Sometimes you're feeling woo. Oh, that's good. I like that.

There we go. I like that. It would be a great place to end, but I'm not going to because we had a couple more super chats here. Limstar says, safe to say Jennifer English's work is one of the greatest of all time. It's that good. Who is she? Male.

Incredible stuff, right? Like, really incredible stuff. We've been saying this, but shout out to Ben Star. Shout out to Ben Star. My God. Him singing in the credits. Oh, my, oh my God. Come on, man.

He's so good. He's so good. Andy Circus Crushed. Charlie Cox, surprisingly good. And I say that just because we hear, okay, it's an actor, their first video game, what's that going to look like? Impeccable. Absolutely impeccable.

There's some line delivery from Mayo in the last fight versus Verso. that like I had to do that fight a few times because when I did Verso's ending my Verso was not level up for me because I stopped using him and so I lost like three times and I was like all right I'm going to go into the menus redo my picdos and all that stuff but like there are certain scenes where she's pleading

to Verso of like stop like all this stuff and just the inflection like the delivery is so fucking good it's so fucking good man this is the type of game that is going to get a full orchestra concert at some point yeah I'm there day one bless I hope you're all alongside side. I want to be there.

Mr. Hawk says before the patch, I hit 21 million damage on a single hit. Hell yeah. Send me the build. And then the final one for today comes from Golden Spider, saying, how likely do you think Expedition 33 will win game of the year this year?

To me, it's a no-brainer. Only thing I can possibly see challenging it is Death Stranding 2. I, before jumping in, before you jumping because you have hands-on experience with Death Stranding 2. I think that it is incredibly likely that Expedition 33 wins game of the year this year. From who?

From the, from many of the big outlets. So game awards, IGN, game spots. I could see that happening. I also think it is a fairly easy lock for kind of funny. Just numbers based. Shear numbers based, right?

Because I feel like the majority of us are going to have it very high on the list. it might not be everyone's number one. Sure. But I think it being everyone's number two makes it the number one. Just because of how the numbers add up, right? But Blue Prince is getting robbed. See, I would be with you,

except I think it's a very stacked year. So we're talking about Ghost of Yote. I think that's going to have a big impact, right? I think everybody's going to play Ghost of Yote. What's the other one else? I mean, Dest Raining 2. Yeah. Mario Kart World.

Metroid Prime 4. Oh, yeah. No, there's a lot of great. games. Again, I don't think it'll be top five for sure. For kind of funny, yes. But in terms of like overall, even with the games you named, I do think that this one, I

think that this is going to be at the very least in the conversation. Oh, yeah. Oh yeah, this could win game of the year. I think it's in the conversation at every single outlet. Yeah. I think at the very least people are talking about it or people, there will be a person at least from every single outlet that's like,

I don't know, it's clear obscure expedition. I think I think it'll win some. I think this year, is going to shape up to be very competitive just because like, yeah, switch launch and it's like how many game, how many banger games come with that, let alone. Yeah, like when you're talking about the nerds, I mean, blueprints, of course,

is like a personal one and that's going to be a smaller percentage. But yeah, I think people are going to get split between all these games. I think some are going to rise. I think that that is an important point to break down, just talking about kind of funny. Yeah. I do think that Expedition 33 is that type of special

that despite all the games that you named, I think that some of us are going to love some of them. But I feel like so many of us love this that even if it was the number two to all of the, if Ghost is your, or Death Stranding is your number one, and Ghost is Greg's number one. And Donkey Kong's my number one or whatever it is, I still think Expedition is going to be most people's top three, you know?

I'm fascinated. I'm fascinated. I think that like, Greg's the only one, I think, that like. that hasn't played it. That has played it that is like not

going to have it in their top five. I mean, but I think that could be enough. You know what I mean? I think if Greg doesn't have it is top five and everybody has

goes to Yote in their top five reminds me and Mike. Mike is the other one. But we're this close to get Mike. Yeah, Mike will come around. I think Mike's going to play it.

That's the thing. Mike just needs to play this and he'll get, he'll, this motherfuckerer's out here playing Final Fantasy 13. Like, he'll love this.

What he gets to it. And suit in chat says KVoltz are weird since not everyone plays all the games. And to that I'll say nobody at every outlet plays all the games. Like that's how it works at the wide majority because there's just way too many video games. Uh, but it's fine. This is what kind of funniest game of the year is. Yeah. It's all like to a certain extent, right, it is about the bubble. It is about the community, right? It is about literally it's called kind of funny's game of the year. Um, so it really is going to come

down to how many of us are interested and fascinated and then blown away by a thing. And I think You're right. Clear obscure is a top contender for that. But you play Death Stranding. I think Death Stranding too is going to be a top contender for that. I think for sure. I mean, it's a tough thing where I look at you and I'm like, I don't know if it's going to be on your top five.

Yeah, I mean, Death Stranding 2, I am so blown away by everything I'm seeing. I'm going to start this game up and give it a real shot. I doubt heavily. I'm going to stick with it. But I am definitely playing this game. But that's one that like,

based on seemingly I assume Roger and Mike are enjoying Destraining for the fact that they're being. it today. Like, I think it'll be on the people who fuck with death draining, I think it'll be on all of their top threes. And I think that'll be like a good handful of us. Yeah. But maybe not all of us. Maybe.

Probably not all of us, honestly. Probably not. God. Games. Video games, everyone. Let us know. Can I shout out the one super chat because they gave a lot of money? Jordan White says, completely unrelated, but I want to hear Blessing's opinion on another generational rap battle that's going on right now. As a New York

Kendrick slash TDE fan, I'm in heaven. just like last year, but Joey is up right now. Here's what I'll say. Joey Badass's latest disc track, pretty fucking sick. It's actually really great. People are underestimating Ray Vaughn. He's a West Coast rapper. He was part of TDE or still part of TD.

I'm not sure, but he put out some discracks lately. Oh, he's cooking. He's cooking. Right now I'm on the West Coast. I love Joey Badass. But right now I'm on the side of the West Coast. You got daylight. You got Rayvon.

You got a crew there that's cooking. That's all I'll say on it. They're cooking right now. I'm going to put you on all this. Please do. Please do. I'm very, very out of the loop on all of it. Let us know in the comments below what you thought of Expedition 33 and who you chose at the end.

How you feel about that. I really want to know. After this, we're about to do a stream. It is going to be Mike and Roger playing through Death Stranding One, finishing it up. So they're getting ready to go to the beach on the beach. Until next time, I love you all. Goodbye.