Side by side
Baldur's Gate 3 vs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Baldur's Gate 3
107 positive (73%) · 25 mixed (17%) · 14 negative (10%)
Trust + time weighted: +62%
AI summary — not a quote
Baldur's Gate 3 is widely celebrated as a landmark title that revitalized the cRPG genre, praised for its immense scale, deep player agency, and high production value. While it is frequently cited as a benchmark for modern gaming quality, some players find the D&D-based combat restrictive compared to the developer's previous work, and others note technical performance issues that arise in the game's final acts.
Pros
- Exceptional depth of choice and customization that significantly impacts the game world
- High production value and narrative depth, particularly in the environmental storytelling of Act 2
- Strong value proposition with hundreds of hours of content and no live-service elements
- Steam Deck compatibility and the ability to bypass the external launcher via Steam properties
Cons
- Technical issues in later chapters, including long load times and texture rendering bugs
- D&D 5e combat constraints can feel restrictive to fans of the Divinity: Original Sin series
- The tone can feel overly dark or pessimistic, with significant interpersonal conflict between party members
Top excerpts
I was super excited when this version was announced, since I'm a huge DnD fan (and also 500 hour Baldur's Gate 3 player).
Ah yes, it must have lacked all those live service elements that Baldur's Gate 3 had.
We knew this when it was announced that they weren't going to release more content for BG3.
I came straight from Baldur’s Gate 3 where one bad pick would change the course of the whole game.
All things considered, I think I’m finally comfortable enough to put Baldur’s Gate 3 on my wishlist.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
74 positive (67%) · 27 mixed (24%) · 10 negative (9%)
Trust + time weighted: +57%
AI summary — not a quote
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a highly acclaimed single-player RPG that has gained significant recognition as a "Game of the Year" winner and contender. Developed by former Ubisoft employees, it is frequently cited as a "masterpiece" for its narrative, music, and art direction. Users particularly appreciate its consumer-friendly approach, featuring a $50 price point with no microtransactions or live-service elements. While the game received some criticism for a minor controversy involving AI-generated placeholder textures and occasional performance issues, the reception remains overwhelmingly positive.
Pros
- Winner of multiple Game of the Year awards and record-breaking nominations
- No microtransactions, live-service elements, or corporate 'bullshit'
- Exceptional music, character development, and story
- High-quality art and script despite a relatively modest budget
Cons
- Performance issues reported, including frame rate drops to 30 FPS during combat
- Controversy regarding the accidental inclusion of AI-generated placeholder textures at launch
- Level design is described by some as basic
Top excerpts
Parent context: It's not BG3 but it surely was good! Reply: It's not BG3 but it surely was good!
It's amazing. The first 30 minutes with the Gommage sold me on the next 40+ hours.
That was my major issue with an otherwise stellar game. "Enough side content" here means 2-3 side quests once you reach the last act of the main story. That's all it takes to get a power spike that utterly trivializes the last boss to the point that you will end the fight before they even get to act.
I dunno, I had performance issues in Expedition 33 as well but I don’t see any reviews that say the same. Even now my frames sometimes drops to 30 in fights.
I mean it's pretty believeable - the mocap was done with iPhones, the level design is very basic and the rest, like art, music and script - took extremely talented people which doesn't always translate to extra expensive.