Assassin's Creed Syndicate and Journey composer Austin Wintory joins the chorus of games industry icons heaping praise on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and its devs.
No matter how you feel about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, its underdog story has been one of the best things about the games industry this year. The passion project from a new studio formed of former Ubisoft developers becoming the most-nominated game in The Game Awards history is downright inspiring. And even as someone who is still rooting for Donkey Kong Bananza to take home the big one, the other undeniable thing about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is that its music absolutely slaps.
I went in expecting a very sombre soundtrack in Sandfall Interactive's RPG, with most of the music sounding like the main theme, Alicia, only to have my ass blown off by one of the most incredible and varied soundtracks of the year (shoutout to Monoco's theme). So it's no surprise the music caught the attention of one of the best composers in the industry.
"What an absolute joy and privilege to spend time" with Sandfall Interactive Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 composer Lorien Testard "this week," says Wintory. Wintory is best known for composing music for the likes of Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Hades 2, and Journey, (the latter of which was the only game ever nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media).
The renowned composer shares images of him hanging out with Clair Obscur's own composer, Testard, as well as other devs including creative director Guillaume Broche.
What an absolute joy and privilege to spend time with @SandfallGames and @lorien_testard this week. Rarely, if ever, has a team inspired me as they have. They make us all better. pic.twitter.com/nbkBmBPy84December 11, 2025
Wintory has massive praise for the team: "Rarely, if ever, has a team inspired me as they have. They make us all better."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is nominated for Best Score and Music at The Game Awards today, alongside 11 other nominations, including for the big Game of the Year award. We'll just have to wait and see how it fares in a few hours.
