Last Updated on Oct 31, 2025 @ 10:21:54 AM.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is almost over, with the third game making steady progress over at Square Enix. While director Naoki Hamaguchi is confident about how well they are into the game’s development, he shared his two cents behind his vote for this year’s best game. As an authority in the JRPG genre, Hamaguchi has nothing but praise for Sandfall Interactive’s debut title.
In an era where the gaming community has moved on from turn-based combat for intense battle royale games, Hamaguchi gave the team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 the credit they deserve. This ambitious tale singlehandedly revived the interest in the genre and gave Hamaguchi a reality check on how much his work inspired other game developers.
The Director Behind the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Games Casts Expedition 33 As His Winner
In a recent interview, Hamaguchi breaks down the reasons behind his pick for Expedition 33 as his Game of the Year.
“So for example, the setting, the world, the characters, and the storyline, those are all really well done as well, in addition to the gameplay”
The gameplay is one of the highlights of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and is somewhat familiar to classic turn-based JRPG titles. The integration of real-time parrying and dodging was a welcome improvement that made the experience much more interactive for the players.
“And I think it all comes together, and that’s why it’s such a well-regarded game, why the fans like it so much, why it sold as well as it had.”
The story, on the other hand, is a masterclass in creating a new world with real-life themes. It even became a conversation amongst the gaming community about which ending was canon, only for lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen to reveal that there is no canon ending.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Developers Paid a Visit to the Head Office of Final Fantasy
Sandfall Interactive did not shy away from the allegations of being fans of the Final Fantasy franchise. Even one of the main English voice actors, Ben Starr, revealed that their passion for the franchise paved the way for the Clair Obscur franchise to take flight. Hamaguchi was taken aback by how much these developers respect their work and realized they made a significant impact.
“And it was really inspiring… So you can see they’ve got a lot of respect as well. Not only have they made a really great game, but they showed that respect to the traditional turn-based style of JRPGs. Obviously, as Japanese games creators, we’re really delighted to see people taking that and doing something with that.”
On the topic of Game of the Year, director Guillaume Broche revealed it was something the team never aspired for. Nevertheless, there is a good chance the Final Fantasy 7 Remake director’s opinions will be taken into account as reasons why it should win later this year.
For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out the new announcement trailer for the Daughter of Voodoo, and how NetEase Games took notes from Disney+ for Marvel Rivals.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!
