Shroud Changes After Playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the 2025 Game Awards with a record-breaking nine wins, cementing itself as one of the year’s biggest success stories.
Before the awards wrapped up, streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek publicly backed extraction shooter Arc Raiders and urged viewers not to let Clair Obscur take the top prize, despite admitting he hadn’t played it himself.
Those comments sparked backlash across the community, with many pointing out that shroud was dismissing the game without firsthand experience.
Shroud Finally Plays Clair Obscur
Fellow streamer Asmongold was quick to respond, calling him out and encouraging him to give it a fair shot. Asmongold argued that the game’s combat-focused design and free-aim shooting would be right up shroud’s alley.
Shroud later said that if Clair Obscur did end up winning Game of the Year, he would play it. He followed through on that promise during a December 21 stream, spending roughly seven hours with the game and sharing his early impressions live with viewers.
By the end of the stream, shroud openly admitted that Asmongold may have been right. He said the game exceeded his expectations and suggested it was only going to improve as it went on.
According to shroud, the experience was genuinely fun, with no major complaints after his first long session.
Gameplay Wins Him Over
Shroud made it clear that gameplay matters more to him than story, and Clair Obscur delivered where it counted. While he described the menus as a bit convoluted, he didn’t see that as a dealbreaker.
Instead, he praised the core mechanics, especially the parry system, which he said played a huge role in keeping him engaged.
Despite not being a big JRPG fan, shroud said the combat felt satisfying and rewarding. He added that without the parry system, he likely wouldn’t have enjoyed the game nearly as much.
The story, while not his main focus, was starting to pick up, and he expressed some curiosity about where it might go.
