Before Release, Sandfall Believed Clair Obscur Would Score Just 80 on Metacritic

by Marcus Thompson January 2, 2026

written by Marcus Thompson January 2, 2026

Key Takeaways

Created with AI - we're still experimenting, so apologies if it misses the mark

Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, has received a Metacritic score of 92, exceeding the studios internal expectations of around 85.
The team worked hard to improve the games quality in the last few months, and hitting a score of 90 initially seemed challenging.
Objectively judging a games quality during development can be difficult due to constant comparison with earlier versions.
Expedition 33 won multiple awards at The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year, indicating its success beyond critical acclaim.

Sandfall’s Expedition 33 Surpasses Expectations with Metacritic Score of 92

Expedition 33, developed by Sandfall Interactive, achieved a Metacritic score of 92, surpassing the studio’s internal expectations. CEO Meurisse stated that the team had aimed for a score of approximately 85. “We really pushed hard those last few months to boost our quality,” Meurisse explained, “but hitting 90 seemed like a long shot.” Lead programmer Tom Guillermin noted the difficulty of objectively judging a game’s quality during development, due to constant comparison with earlier versions. Art director Nicholas Maxsonfrancombe revealed that the team had even placed bets on the final score, with most predictions hovering around 80. Meurisse added that he intentionally kept expectations low for Clair Obscur during production, preparing the team for potential setbacks. “I’d think up bad scenarios during production, but even then, our results exceeded our wildest hopes,” he said. The game’s success extended beyond critical acclaim; Expedition 33 won multiple awards at The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year.

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Specification
Official Name	The Initiative
Brief Summary	A rogue master spy named Bright works outside the lines, when a new agent named Charlie joins Bright’s team. He soon finds himself in situations where he isn’t sure whether his new boss is trying to kill him or simply is willing to do whatever is necessary to protect the free world.
Genre	Thriller
Production Companies	Universal Pictures, Roth-Kirschenbaum Films
Countries of Origin	US
Actors	Angelina Jolie
Director	Doug Liman
Authors	F. Scott Frazier
Producers	Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum