Side by side
Dark Souls vs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Dark Souls
55 positive (76%) · 12 mixed (17%) · 5 negative (7%)
Trust + time weighted: +70%
AI summary — not a quote
Dark Souls is a genre-defining action RPG celebrated for its intricate, interconnected world design and a "tough but fair" difficulty that emphasizes player responsibility. While it is widely considered a masterpiece for its atmosphere and rewarding exploration, modern players frequently critique its punishing "runbacks" to bosses, cryptic storytelling, and a perceived decline in level quality during the final acts.
Pros
- Masterful interconnected level design that makes exploration feel rewarding.
- Deliberate, tactical combat that rewards patience and learning enemy patterns.
- Thick, immersive atmosphere and deep environmental lore.
- Strong sense of personal achievement and self-efficacy upon overcoming hurdles.
Cons
- Frustrating and long "runbacks" from checkpoints to boss encounters.
- Significant performance issues on legacy hardware, specifically poor framerates on PS3.
- Late-game areas like the Tomb of the Giants are often described as a tedious slog.
- Extremely vague mechanics and narrative that can leave players feeling lost without a guide.
Top excerpts
I love their games but the stories I barely understand them especially Dark Souls, I have no idea what's going on with the world
Anor Londo from Dark Souls
Cool journey, the bosses are way easier than elden ring, but the levels are more unforgiving here.
DS1 had the level design and freshness
Great game, I loved it.
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.