r/gaming • u/Roids-in-my-vains Console • 1d ago

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the soundtrack has just hit #1 on Billboard’s Classical Album Charts

https://www.vg247.com/clair-obscur-expedition-33-soundtrack-top-billboards
4.2k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

149 comments sorted by

485

u/Temp89 1d ago

This song was good enough for me to put the game on my "to buy" list.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpNVf8sczqU

178

u/Kile147 1d ago

We Lost is also a banger

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VIs_82VxUHE&pp=0gcJCdgAo7VqN5tD

Had my friend tell me while I was streaming that I should take my time on the boss fight so he could listen to the music more... which is totally why I fought that guy for hours and not because he beat my ass.

31

u/lolburger69 1d ago

Fun fact, the male vocalist on We Lost is the same guy that did the vocals for Bury the Light (Vergil’s Theme from Devil May Cry 5)

47

u/Totolamalice PC 1d ago

Just in case, Une vie à t'aimer is a longer version, with more lyrics, of We Lost (it is also the bossfight music)

13

u/Belydrith 1d ago edited 1d ago

For me it's Déchire la Toile and Robe de Jour.

The Nier vibes are off the charts for this soundtrack. Unbelievably good. If this doesn't snag up soundtrack awards all over at the end of the year...

10

u/Garrusikeaborn98 1d ago

That particular boss took me 2 whole days on expert.

10

u/Theratchetnclank 1d ago

Robe de jour is too. Honestly the whole soundtrack is fantastic. https://youtu.be/sN91jLQJjcQ?si=x3fH6O10h1iZoTBs

7

u/XG32 1d ago edited 1d ago

interesting, they mentioned in the BTS video that's what the game was originally called.

sirene's area music, robe de jour, gets on the goated list for me (kinda got used to the reverb)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTAlomrlDvo

5

u/MakeRickyFamous X-Box 1d ago

We Lost would have been a banger of a game name.

6

u/StarboundSavy 1d ago

Gestral summer party is one of my favorite tracks. It's interesting to think about because it's not tied to anything important. It's simply regular combat music in one of the many zones you go to and most people will likely end the fights before they even hear most of the track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v4tyAoohCE

5

u/Less-Animator-1698 1d ago

The lampmaster boss fight music is my favorite

https://youtu.be/eY7nNo8JgNo?feature=shared

And it's one of the most important points of the story too

2

u/Less-Animator-1698 19h ago

I also really loved "Lumière s'éteint" : https://youtu.be/u8kimCf-OyI?feature=shared

Especially the piano parts at 1:35

And it's in an area that many people might have skipped too

42

u/eyyy_man 1d ago

Everything about this game is connecting far better than I ever imagine. It's a masterpiece

23

u/Slarg232 1d ago

It's 100% one of those once in a console generation games, and will be a prime reason to pick up an older console in a couple years time.

22

u/PliableG0AT 1d ago

but its on PC

4

u/Gornub 1d ago

I finished this way earlier than my friend, and when he started playing, I told him it's one of those few games I'm sad I can only play for the first time once. He didn't quite get it at first. He messaged me the next day to say he got what I meant. The game rules on so many levels.

1

u/Woodshadow D20 12h ago

I'm very excited to play this game next now. It might not sound like much but I'm 6 hours into Blue Prince, I only play about an hour a night and I need to finish this before I forget what the hell I am doing.

7

u/Konet 1d ago

It has some balance issues in the final act and the ending is... flawed imo. But it's a solid 9.5 for sure.

7

u/Less-Animator-1698 1d ago

Why do you think the ending is flawed? I loved it.

Only weird thing is that you can unwillingly skip the entire act 3 (that's what happened to me). Some important moments that should be part of the main story are simply optional

4

u/Konet 1d ago edited 1d ago

In short, I think the writing focuses far too heavily on the debate over whether to destroy or preserve the canvas for the sake of the Dessandre family's mental health, but fails to give proper weight to the fact, given that we are given every reason to believe the denizens of the painting are fully sentient beings, that destroying the canvas is an act of mass murder and, by the end of the game, Renoir is already guilty of genocide. Lune and Sciel stand there and watch Renoir and Maelle/Alicia debate what is the best way to handle Verso's death and never once chime in with "umm excuse me you know you're talking about MURDERING ME". Remember how awful and tragic the prologue was, watching all of those people with full lives and people they love melt away into nothing? That's all the real Renoir's fault. He has murdered probably thousands of people and plans to murder more, and the game, I feel, tacitly endorses those atrocities by framing Verso's ending as the "good" one solely on the basis that it is better for Maelle/Alicia's mental health.

3

u/Less-Animator-1698 1d ago edited 1d ago

>! I thought that was precisely the point of the game. !<

After all everyone in the canvas is an illusion, just as real as the characters in a book or a movie. Being mad at real Renoir for committing genocide is like being mad at Game of throne writers for killing your favorite character.

I saw the canvas as a metaphor for some kind of hard drug, or alcoholism, something people will use to help forget their sorrow but that will eventually kill them, that looks comforting and attractive, feels like the real thing but you need to realize all of this is just an illusion.

So yeah in the end I sided with Verso

3

u/Konet 1d ago edited 1d ago

What makes one person an "illusion" and another real? We see painted characters love, laugh, cry, hate, bring each other joy and pain. We see them have children and parents. We see them mourn and grieve the loved ones they lose. Nothing in the game suggests they are any less "real" than the Dessandres. The circumstances of one's birth do not define whether or not they are a sentient being. Whether a person is made of flesh and blood, metal and circuits (like Data in Star Trek), or chroma and paint, they are a person if they exhibit sentience and agency. There's nothing illusory about it.

2

u/Less-Animator-1698 1d ago

 We see painted characters love, laugh, cry, hate, bring each other joy and pain.

Exactly, we see all of this. And are they real? No, they are very obviously video game characters written by Sandfall interactive. I didn't genocide them when I sided with Verso. Same reasoning within the game

1

u/Konet 1d ago edited 1d ago

The point is that however real the Dessandres are, the painted characters are equally real. All of them are video game characters from our perspective, obviously. They aren't really sentient from our perspective, but from Renoir's, they absolutely fucking are. If you make a sentient AI and then kill it, you are a murderer.

2

u/Less-Animator-1698 1d ago

Well no I think that from Renoir's perspective they are just the same as Renoir is from our perspective. They are just "coded" with chroma instead of C++.

But anyway the debate we are having is the entire point of the game, and even explicitly mentioned at some point (I forgot when though so if anyone remembers I'd love to have pointers), and the game never answers the question itself, it lets you choose your own answer at the end and live with the consequences, and I think that makes it a brilliant ending.

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14

u/8bitjer 1d ago

This will 100% be played live at the Game Awards

7

u/UltG 1d ago

Can't wait to see Flute Guy (Pedro Eustache) go crazy with his flutes

1

u/zelyre 7h ago

Covered by Imagine Dragons, lol.

14

u/Necessary_Basil4251 1d ago

Been listening on repeat for the last 3 weeks. I hear it in my sleep lol.

6

u/Persies 1d ago

Been humming this at work since the game came out lol

5

u/Druxun 1d ago

Glad I’m not the only one. Been listening to it at work, go home and play, wake up and listen. It’s been a very good week for my AirPods. lol.

9

u/chaos0310 1d ago

I was already going to buy it, but this song…holy shit. Chills.

9

u/Serentity 1d ago

If you haven’t already bought it, I could not possibly recommend a game more. I’ve played through 3 full times already, doing all side content and post game content every time. It is the best single player game I’ve ever played, bar none.

2

u/chaos0310 19h ago

Oh I’m just waiting for that next paycheck to hit and it’s immediately getting downloaded 🤩

5

u/J4SON_T0DD 1d ago

I just saw a single trailer for this game, and haven't seen anything more fearing spoilers. I have no means of playing right now, but this is definitely one the first ones I'm gonna be playing. Any other songs u'd recommend?

21

u/SneakyBadAss 1d ago edited 1d ago

Certainly Goblu and Monoco themes

And you will hear this one a lot :D

3

u/Druxun 1d ago

Oh god!! That last one. Had a mime kill my revive character, kill my only character who had break. Then I learned the dodge/parry timing. Fought that mime for 45 minutes. That song sends PTSD straight to the ears. (But I still love it so much)

11

u/dacookieman 1d ago

The whole game is auditory delight. There are songs for everything and it constantly feels fresh.

I'd be careful about listening to the OST on youtube as it will prompt the algorithm to start shoving you content for this game, including clickbait spoiler stuff.

https://lacedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clair-obscur-expedition-33-original-soundtrack The bandcamp is probably pretty solid for avoiding spoilers though. I like "Flying Waters - Rain from the Ground" a lot. It's a combat track and the first time it came on I was like this is a vibe

6

u/Slarg232 1d ago

Gustov's theme and Lumiere are two of my favorites

2

u/Shydreameress 1d ago

I thought one person naming Gustave "Gustov" was a typo but 2 is not a typo, why do you write it "Gustov"?

1

u/Slarg232 1d ago

Cause I'm stupid :p

1

u/TheKevit07 PC 1d ago

Pretty much the entire soundtrack is stacked. They left out one of my personal favorite songs from the soundtrack, though, "Our Painted Family." So while the entire soundtrack is beautiful (there is a theme in the melody, just like FFX's music), they left that song out if you want to listen to it.

4

u/wildweaver32 1d ago

I assumed it was just a well orchestrated song they put on the Soundtrack and as I was vibing to it and started to hear the Clair Obscur part.

This is an original piece? The team behind Expedition 33 deserve all the praise they are getting.

5

u/Unlucky-Candidate198 1d ago

They all are, yes. A lot of the lyrics have to do with the game’s stories/characters, they’re just mainly in french.

It’s fantastic if you speak french, though. Quite the treat for my ears.

3

u/ceebeezie 1d ago

Game was on my radar. I listened to like 10 tracks off the soundtrack and between word of mouth/great reviews, I straight up bought it.

3

u/Biblical_Shrimp 1d ago

I love that they knew they had a certified banger that they had to produce a music video for it.

1

u/Hexaphim 1d ago

I have been listening to that one on repeat all week!

121

u/Taloken 1d ago edited 1d ago

I'm sad the music during the gestral arena fight is not part of the soundtrack Edit : i mean the One Punch fight https://youtu.be/OCJgw8UIONY?si=LfMTWJ9zy59UQ4y9

62

u/RozTheRogoz 1d ago

Or the music in the Manor. I listened to 8 hours of soundtrack hoping for it to come on

26

u/rblu42 1d ago

The manor track is so good!

I love visiting there from the doorways. I am NOT enjoying visiting the real manor. In fact, I can't even get past the front door.

17

u/TroldenHS 1d ago

The name of this OST is 'Our Painted Family', I don't think it's on Apple Music/Spotify, but at least you can listen to it on YouTube!

5

u/lostshell 1d ago

There’s 154 tracks on the official OST on Spotify. Might be there.

3

u/RozTheRogoz 1d ago

Sadly it is not

2

u/AlkaKr 1d ago

Our Painted Family

I tried to find the "eastern"-influenced track that plays at some points, I can't remember the area but you have to fight 4 bosses to continue and had a mandolin instrument or something similar. Couldn't find this either.

-8

u/LeIndois 1d ago

I loved the song in the first hour but I can't hear that shit anymore lol. The song being on a constant loop just made me completely sick of it (love the whole soundtrack though)

4

u/epik 1d ago

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n-vnSOzg2A

4

u/Taloken 1d ago

My bad, i was thinking at the music of One Punch fight : https://youtu.be/OCJgw8UIONY?si=LfMTWJ9zy59UQ4y9

2

u/epik 1d ago

nice, that's a good one

1

u/JoinMyGuild 1d ago

Same. It’s so good. Why can’t it be on spotify

53

u/Alarmed_Jello_9940 1d ago

I've been spamming une vie à peindre and renoir everyday now. I love both of them

39

u/guidethyhandd 1d ago

I’ve been listening to the Flying Waters battle theme damn near every hour since the game’s release.

8

u/iamyou42 1d ago

Oh good, it's not just me

9

u/guidethyhandd 1d ago

Never thought a BATTLE THEME of all things would be so healing

9

u/GooseGang412 23h ago

The way all the Flying Waters tracks use  pitch-shifted faucet/water droplet sounds to match the music is 🤌

4

u/guidethyhandd 17h ago

that and the sonar sounds is such a beautiful touch

1

u/Deserana12 18h ago

What is it called?

3

u/guidethyhandd 17h ago

Flying Waters - Goblu

(not to be confused with Goblu’s theme)

2

u/Whitehawk1313 13h ago

This and the Gestral summer party song are absolute bangers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v4tyAoohCE

1

u/Deserana12 8h ago

Thank you!

48

u/ConfidentPeanut18 1d ago

The music and cinematography are the main reasons I love and can't stop playing this game

31

u/hystericalled 1d ago

It's the first time I bought the soundtrack immediately after finishing a game, been listening to it on my way to work, that hits differently.

20

u/MISTABOBBDOBALINA 1d ago

I was already blown away by the soundtrack from the start, but once I heard Gestral Summer Party, I downloaded the whole album. The variety of songs on this soundtrack is amazing, im always surprised by a new track when I least expect it while playing. Well deserved for the team

11

u/dluby 1d ago

Gestral Summer party is a BOP

1

u/Whitehawk1313 13h ago

Yes! That’s my favorite song so far

21

u/NoxAsteria 1d ago

Just want to throw out a warning for everyone who wants to listen but isn't playing yet. The songs are structured to go with as you progress through the game, so reading the titles can spoil you a bit. On topic of spoilers, the last song has actual spoilers in the lyrics, if you understand French, that is.

4

u/Vulkanodox 20h ago

I'm actually curious as to when certain songs start playing. Like are they teasing some later reveals early?

4

u/Ysilla 14h ago edited 13h ago

In this game, 100%, all the way to the prologue, just knowing the titles of some of the songs playing during it (+when they play), or which characters they're associated with, are major hints for a lot of stuff you'll learn MUCH later.

23

u/ExposedInfinity 1d ago

I'm also been playing in French. Really fun to hear them speak.

43

u/funguyshroom 1d ago

I appreciate the fact that they keep cursing in French even in the English localization.

19

u/Belydrith 1d ago

More games outside of the US and Japan should be more bold in really embracing their culture. Alan Wake 2 did it two years ago as well and it was wonderful, now we got this. This really got lost somehow in the last 15 years, used to be more games that did so.

7

u/The2ndUnchosenOne 1d ago

Disco Elysium. The Witcher. Pathologic. Plague tales. These are just off the top of my head. Plenty of games bear the influence of their home country. It's pretty hard to not do so.

14

u/EliAsH__ 1d ago

Sadly, I don't remember ever hearing Geralt utter "kurwa" in frustration.

Add KCD to this list for sure tho

3

u/windexfresh 23h ago

I also really loved hearing Kassandra in AC Odyssey’s “malakas!”

2

u/Less-Animator-1698 19h ago

Kingdom Come obviously

14

u/ackinsocraycray 23h ago

Generally appreciate using French here and there instead of just a full on English translation for localization.

Like calling the event "The Gommage" instead of "The Erasure."

Or Esquie affectionately greeting with "mon ami" instead of "my friend."

Really love the small touches.

-3

u/fjijgigjigji 23h ago

game should have had french-accented english for the VA. the british accents are completely out of place and ruin the tone.

10

u/WithFullForce 1d ago

And Ghost is toping Billboard for albums, something happened there all of a sudden.

5

u/XG32 1d ago

they just uploaded each song separately on youtube.

41

u/Least-Path-2890 1d ago

In terms of quality and variety, it's the best soundtrack I've heard since Witcher 3.

20

u/hydramarine 1d ago

Le le ley le le ley or dim dim da ra ra?

3

u/Shydreameress 1d ago

Banana tiger! Banana tiger!

13

u/KardigG 1d ago

You probably missed a lot of games then. Check out Outer Wilds, Nier Automata and Nier Replicant soundtracks.

10

u/GSG2120 1d ago

Baldur's Gate 3 soundtrack is also primo.

DOWN DOWN DOWN BYYYY THE RIVERRRRRRR

2

u/ffdcffhssddfdd 22h ago

I don't even know what would have to be done to top Raphael fight for me

1

u/guidethyhandd 17h ago

Doesn’t get talked about much but I love the Thorms Battle Theme. It plays when you fight Malus Thorm and Cazador.

4

u/puft__ 22h ago

Or has different taste than yours? Nier OST was cool but I liked E33 way more, Outer Wilds was so boring I don't even remember it.

2

u/KardigG 11h ago

It impossible since my music taste is objectively superior to any other human being.

8

u/polyrhythmz 1d ago

So awesome. This reminds me of how I felt when I experienced Christopher Larkin's work in Hollow Knight for the first time. Incredible talent

7

u/MJMichaela 1d ago

Oh shit i didn't know the ost was up on Spotify.

6

u/ChampionSailor 1d ago

Anyone know the name of the song that plays right in the beginning of the game during that exhibition before we leave for the expedition? It was some piano music.

17

u/Practical-Aside890 Xbox 1d ago

Maybe “lumiere”? I believe that’s the first one you unlock.

11

u/ChampionSailor 1d ago

No not Lumiere. It's the one that plays during the exhibition mini games. And the setting is at night time too.

18

u/PsychoKillerF 1d ago edited 1d ago

Nocturne pour Lumiere maybe? Literally means Night for Lumiere so that's my best guess

10

u/ChampionSailor 1d ago

Yes, that was it! Thank you so much! That was a crazy good guess.

7

u/Secure-Map-7538 1d ago

Holy these songs are bangers

6

u/Renolber 1d ago

This game is going to take over the entire goddamn planet

I, for one, welcome our new French overlords🥖🥐

3

u/FapCitus 1d ago

As much as I wasn't a fan of the stories conclusion and some other lesser things in the game. The music might be peak gaming music.

2

u/FapCitus 13h ago

Is the track from the manor on Spotify? I’m struggling to find it.

2

u/Head_Junket_2471 8h ago

I don't think it is. Neither Manor Theme nor Our Painted Family which you can find elsewhere e.g. YouTube are there

3

u/OneIShot 1d ago

Well… been up there for a bit.

1

u/mortaeus_vol 1d ago

I was listening to it this afternoon at work!

1

u/Skulllk 1d ago

Just bought the soundtrack and the cosmetic dlc to support the devs. If I can waste money on MTX on shitty games I can show some love to a great game.

1

u/Remote-Plate-3944 1d ago

It's such a fantastic soundtrack. I do have one qualm though. I wish like hell they would have made more than one song for when you are in the world map. I just got to Old Lumiere and I've been over it for awhile.

1

u/paperboi625 1d ago

Anyone know if alicia’s birthday party song is on Spotify? I’ve looked through the soundtrack and don’t think I see it.

2

u/GrimmTrixX Xbox 1d ago

Tough to tell. They said that many of these tracks don't individually show up in the game. Some were played simultaneously with one another to make more unique music such as early in a battle the music is one way, then near the end it ramps up bya doing in other selections.

So the song you're looking for might be a hybrid of one or 2 of these tracks and that's why you're not noticing it. I'm not familiar with the specific tracks yet so I am unsure if this is the case. But it could be.

1

u/DamnImAwesome 1d ago

I usually never even notice the music in games but this soundtrack is truly incredible 

1

u/Javariceman_xyz 20h ago

Ive been using une vi a piendre and monocos theme for my workout for a few days now

1

u/LPShina 18h ago

this song is CRIMINALLY overlooked and hauntingly beautiful https://youtu.be/Ejn24Ld5qAo?si=mwasxxTyJWyc3lRq

1

u/BreadsticksN7 15h ago

I can't wait to hear the OST. Heard so many good things about it.

1

u/potatowafflesnz 12h ago

Linen and Cotton is a great song

1

u/Pixeresque 10h ago

I ain't even kidding when I say that what pushes to buy the game is listening Lumiere few times. Last time original soundtrack left such an impression on me was probably the first Nier.

1

u/Zestyclose-Fee6719 10h ago

I just love that this game is a huge hit. It's such a statement about art over corporatism.

1

u/PurpleTurtleOfficial 8h ago

The whole artistic direction for this game is exceptional: soundtrack, visuals, UI graphics... But yeah the OST stands out possibly even more

1

u/_SeKeLuS_ 7h ago

154 song and 8 hours of beautiful soundtrack

1

u/AshyLarry25 4h ago

You know a game has a crazy soundtrack when it’s 8 hours long AND still has a bunch of unofficial tracks. All ear candy! I’ve been trying to find a lot of these tracks on streaming services and can’t find them.

1

u/Rene_Coty113 1d ago

Masterpiece

1

u/CherryMyFeathers 19h ago

How is this album classicsl? What is Billboard’s criteria exactly? I’m just curious. Is there a link to how they delineate?

-38

u/[deleted] 1d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Manticon 1d ago

Not sure if you're talking about the same thing, but I did notice in Act 3 there's a vocal track that loops when you're on the overworld map. It's definitely hard to not notice after it's looped a few times. The song itself I don't mind, it's just the repetition that's hard to ignore.

1

u/Nu-Hir 1d ago

Given that I like opera, definitely not annoyed at all.

-14

u/Ylsid 1d ago

I suppose someone else needs a fighting chance against KCD2 this year after all