Clair Obscur vs. Zelda: Rethinking 2025’s Top Games

The gaming world recently witnessed a dramatic shift on Metacritic’s leaderboards: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33—an ambitious indie debut—lost its long-held top spot to Nintendo’s revamped edition of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Switch 2. On paper, the numbers are clear and unambiguous. In practice, however, the implications for both players and industry observers run much deeper.

Chart Churn: Legacy Franchise vs. New IP

For eight consecutive weeks, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 commanded critical acclaim, championed by its bold art direction, narrative ambition and fresh world-building. Released April 24, the game quickly earned a 93/100 aggregate from more than eighty major reviews on Metacritic, a remarkable feat for a first-time project from a modest French studio.

By contrast, Nintendo’s Switch 2 re-release of Tears of the Kingdom garnered a 95/100 critics’ score—but based on just nine outlet reviews, all largely reflecting the base game’s strengths and a modest graphical uplift. This disparity in review volume raises questions about the comparative weight of scores and the true nature of “new” entries on the platform.

Critics’ Scores Under Scrutiny

According to Metacritic data, Zelda’s 95/100 is derived mainly from legacy outlets eager to assess Switch 2’s technical showcase. In many instances, reviews blend praise for the original design with appreciation for higher frame rates and refined textures. While these enhancements matter to hardware enthusiasts, they fall short of delivering a fundamentally new gameplay experience.

Clair Obscur’s 93/100, by comparison, reflects a wider pool of critical voices evaluating state-of-the-art design choices, inventive combat mechanics and narrative risks. Industry analysts note that a high volume of reviews can lend greater stability to a title’s aggregate score, while a handful of early re-release write-ups may artificially inflate perceptions.

Reference: Metacritic (2025) “Top Games by Critic Score,” retrieved from metacritic.com.

Player Engagement and Community Passion

Beyond critic aggregates, player sentiment paints an even more nuanced picture. Clair Obscur boasts a user score of 9.7/10 from over 16,000 reviews—an extraordinary indicator of community enthusiasm. Tears of the Kingdom’s Switch 2 re-release, in contrast, shows a user average of 7.9/10 based on fewer than 200 responses to date.

These figures suggest that early adopters and Zelda loyalists have yet to match the fervor of Expedition 33’s fanbase. Discussions across social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit consistently highlight the indie title’s originality and emotional resonance, while commentary on the re-release frequently centers on technical benchmarks and nostalgic value.

Note: For a comprehensive understanding of user trends, further quantitative analysis is recommended, including longitudinal tracking of user scores and community engagement metrics.

Industry Implications of Remasters vs. Originals

Nintendo’s strategy of porting marquee titles to new hardware with incremental upgrades exemplifies a broader industry trend: leveraging established franchises to drive console adoption. From a business standpoint, this approach carries minimal risk and substantial upside, as legacy IPs already command vast audiences.

Meanwhile, independent developers continue to champion innovation by launching entirely new worlds and mechanics. Clair Obscur’s commercial performance—selling over three million units according to publisher reports—demonstrates that original IP can achieve blockbuster status, even without the marketing muscle of major conglomerates.

For the market at large, this juxtaposition underscores an enduring tension: sequels and remasters secure immediate returns, while fresh entries require heavier investment in awareness campaigns and community building. Yet the latter often yields stronger long-term loyalty and diversified audience growth.

What Gamers Should Consider

For players seeking novel experiences, the success of Clair Obscur highlights the importance of looking beyond headline scores. High user ratings suggest that genuine innovation resonates deeply with communities, fostering active discussions, fan art and speedrunning challenges.

Conversely, those who prioritize technical achievements and polished gameplay loops will find much to admire in the Switch 2 version of Tears of the Kingdom. Enhanced visuals, shorter load times and stability improvements can substantially elevate enjoyment—particularly for newcomers to the franchise.

In both cases, gamers can benefit from consulting multiple sources—critic aggregates, user reviews, in-depth video analyses and community forums—to develop a holistic perspective before committing time and money.

Balancing Polished Classics and New Adventures

Metacritic’s charts offer a useful snapshot of critical reception, but they can obscure the broader story of how different types of games connect with audiences. Zelda’s top ranking reinforces the enduring power of heritage IP, while Clair Obscur’s meteoric rise reaffirms the appetite for bold new ideas.

As the industry evolves, publishers and platform holders would do well to balance their portfolios between safe remasters and risk-taking originals. Likewise, gamers should cultivate curiosity: embracing revered franchises and championing the underdog projects that push boundaries.

In the end, the debate over “best game of 2025” may never be settled by aggregate scores alone. True appreciation lies in recognizing the distinct merits of each title—whether it emerges from a storied legacy or from the creative leap of a studio’s first major release.