Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is easily the biggest story in the gaming world in 2025. Released during the same week that Oblivion: Remastered shadow-dropped out of nowhere, Clair Obscur proceeded to dominate in sales and reviews, reviving a style of RPG that hadn’t been seen in a very long time.
Its unique mix of mature storytelling, adult characters, and adult themes throughout, with amazing set pieces, character writing, and the overall world itself, simultaneously felt nostalgic and also thrust the genre into a whole new direction. Sandfall managed to do this with a team smaller than any AAA studio with nowhere close to the same budget.
6 Turn-Based RPGs Reviewed Higher Than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur is my pick for the best game of 2025? But, how does it fare in the best of all time debate?
It had some veterans of the industry at the controls, but also a ton of new faces to the gaming industry, and they came together to make history. So, in 2026, could we see the same thing happen again? It’s a long shot for sure, but in terms of little-known companies with big ideas, there are plenty of games that might make a similar impact. Here are a few of them that might be the next breakout hit of 2026.
8 New Arc Line
A CRPG Revolution
New Arc Line is a game I’ve had my eye on for a while. It comes from Dreamate, a company with no games to its name. It has a lot of the feeling that Clair Obscur had, except instead of the JRPG being taken for a ride, this would be a reimagining of the CRPG genre. It’s got such a unique setting, with a sort of steampunk vibe that also has elements of sci-fi.
The game seeks to give the player full control over any situation, with tons of ways to solve conflicts, character build options, and a unique cast of characters that just doesn’t feel like any other game. It’s also beautiful to look at and explore, with some explosive-looking combat effects, and there seems to be some form of magic thrown in as well.
The CRPG is in full revival mode since Baldur’s Gate 3, and New Arc Line is a game that has all the right pieces in place. Although it’s from a company with no games made, Clair Obscur showed us that we shouldn’t judge before we play.
7 The Blood Of Dawnwalker
So Much Blood, So Little Time
The Blood of Dawnwalker is a game with a mountain of expectations. Much like Clair Obscur, it had an absolutely amazing debut trailer, and then you hear the names behind it being fresh from CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3, and all of a sudden, you can’t escape the hype.
It’s one of those games, like Clair Obscur, that feels like it could be too good to be true. An open world vampire game with Witcher 3-style gameplay and combat? All based around an intense story where you can use vampiric powers? It sounds absolutely fantastic. Forget that Rebel Wolves has no previous games; this one looks to have the goods.
The combat looks quick and weighty, the vampire powers look fantastic, and the roof hopping from house to house and potential stealth mechanics look mouthwatering. We may have to wait a bit for this, but it could set the world on fire if it is released in 2026.
6 Mudang: Two Hearts
A Chaotic World
Mudang: Two Hearts is a game from an unknown company in EVR Studio, but boy, does it have a ton of potential. I can’t even fully comprehend what it is from the trailer, but it’s got amazing-looking movement and gunplay, multiple characters to play as, and an otherworldly mix of tones.
The concept is you play as a soldier who encounters a pop star, and from there, all hell breaks loose. The gameplay looks like The Last of Us meets Splinter Cell. It’s a wild-looking game, with athletic zombies, crazy shootouts, stealth, and a healthy dose of sci-fi intrigue on top of it all.
The gameplay looks terrific, and we have had a serious lack of third-person shooters in the past 10 years, so maybe Mudang: Two Hearts can single-handedly revive that genre just like Clair Obscur did with the JRPG.
5 Game Of Thrones: War For Westeros
The Return of the King
Game of Thrones was once the biggest piece of pop culture media in the world. It was the center of the TV zeitgeist for a decade, and then Season 8 came, and it was gone, just like that. We could’ve had games based on the property for years, but instead, the name “Game of Thrones” took on a type of stigma, too. This is the chance to get it back.
It’s coming from PlaySide Studios, a company with only a few low-budget titles under its belt. All of a sudden, they’ve gotten a property name for the ages. PlaySide Studios has some experience with RTS-style games, but this can be so much more. This can be an immersive story experience, with in-depth RTS gameplay and incredibly unique and varied houses to fight with. There is so much to consider here, from how the White Walkers will fight to how absurdly overpowered the dragons will be.
The concept, though, gets the dreams going. Lannisters vs Starks, White Walkers vs the Dornish, Dany and her Dragons vs. everyone. The potential is game of the year worthy here. We could see the return of the RTS with Game of Thrones: War for Westeros. It has all the visual flair it needs, and if the gameplay can match all of the above potential, we may be looking at a new king.
4 Neo Berlin 2087
A Darker Future
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Developer |
Elysium Game Studio |
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Release Date |
TBD |
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Platforms |
PS5, PC, Xbox |
Neo Berlin 2087 hits a very special spot for me. A spot that used to be reserved for the Deus Ex franchise. Seeing as that franchise is effectively dead for the time being, it’s absent from the zeitgeist, and it appears Neo Berlin 2087 is ready to take over that place. It doesn’t hurt that the voice actor of the iconic Adam Jensen, Elias Toufexis, is the voice of the main character, too.
We don’t have a lot to go on beyond a few trailers, but the game is jaw-droppingly gorgeous, with a dark cyberpunk aesthetic, sharp-looking shooting, and stealth mechanics that are strongly reminiscent of the gameplay elements of Deus Ex. I’ll be honest, this one has as much chance to be the next Mind’s Eye as it does the next sleeper breakout hit like Clair Obscur, but you never know.
There really aren’t many immersive sim-type games out here these days, and Neo Berlin 2087 has a chance to take a stranglehold on a genre that has been absent for far too long. Fingers crossed for this one, cybernetic or otherwise.
3 Phantom Blade Zero
The Action Game Returns
Phantom Blade Zero has us hoping for something truly special. When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s trailer came out, I thought it was one of those games that seemed like a dream come true. In that way, Phantom Blade Zero has that same vibe. It has one of the most striking debut trailers ever that had people thinking it could be Bloodborne 2 or Sekiro 2 at first, but then it took on a totally different vibe, and people forgot all about FromSoftware for a second.
Phantom Blade Zero Gets New Gameplay To Celebrate Year Of The Snake
The latest gameplay trailer for Phantom Blade Zero clocks in at six minutes and features some insane combat.
What’s in store here seems to be an incredibly fast-paced Soulslike/action hybrid with astounding weapon impact, enemy-specific counterattack animations, and, of course, over-the-top, crazy boss battles. There is just something that feels different about this one, though. The gameplay shown is so damn fluid, and the animations are incredible, as the main character looks like the most athletic protagonist we’ve ever seen in a game of this nature.
It could certainly just be another Soulslike, but the look of this game just screams something different. This is not just another game; this game clearly wants to make a statement. This wants to be the coolest Soulslike ever made. I think it’s got a shot to redo the genre in a truly unique way.
2 SacriFire
Pixelated Greatness
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Developer |
Pixelated Milk |
|---|---|
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Release Date |
Q1 2026 |
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Platforms |
Everything |
Clair Obscur has revived the type of JRPG that Final Fantasy used to deliver year after year. But Square Enix had another game in its lexicon with beautiful, pixelated art and 3D backgrounds with a hugely innovative combat system called Xenogears. That game is one of my favorites of all time, and SacriFire looks like a resurrection of that style of JRPG. It’s got amazingly drawn art, an incredible-looking combat system reminiscent of Clair Obscur, and a visual style that just immediately demands your eyes.
The combat looks to be a mix of real-time and turn-based, with some dodge mechanics and counters as well, so anyone looking for more Clair Obscur-style combat might find something to chew on here. Pixelated Milk has a couple of titles in its history, and while they all have gorgeous visual styles, SacriFire is another thing entirely.
This one feels bigger, and nobody is talking about it. It’s due out in the first quarter of 2026, and I’m thinking this might have a similar impact to Clair Obscur. The JRPG community is now hungry for turn-based games again with mature themes. It looks like we are getting just that with SacriFire.
1 Lost Hellden
Another Strange and Beautiful World
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Release Date |
Artisan Studios |
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Release Date |
TBD 2026 |
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Platforms |
Everything |
Lost Hellden has so much in common with Clair Obscur, and it’s wild. We’ve got an old-school style JRPG with gorgeous visuals, a mesmerizing-looking world, an interactive combat system, and a unique pull to the story. The idea is that everyone is born bound to one of the seven deadly sins, and if you manage to resist, you’re given a life in paradise. If you give in, it’s a fate that is your worst nightmare.
It’s not quite the same type of intrigue that the Paintress and the Gommage held, but it certainly is a unique idea and one you don’t see in any game generally. The brief gameplay we’ve seen looks simply incredible, with massive locations to explore that look like watercolors come to life, and combat that looks flashy and strategic, mixing real-time and turn-based elements.
I’ve had my eye on this one for a while, and the Clair Obscur comparisons keep piling up. We have the Reddit posts from the developers looking to interact with fans, some industry veterans on the team at Artisan Studios, and a true love of the JRPG genre. The pieces are all there, and we will hopefully get to see if they all come together like they should in 2026.
Live-Action Film Adaptation of the Upcoming Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Video Game is Currently in Development
The upcoming role-playing-game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” reportedly has a live-action companion film in the works. Cast and Crew now being hired.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
