Summary
FormerDragon Agenarrative lead David Gaider said that bothBaldur’s Gate 3andClair Obscur: Expedition 33are “love letters to their genre,” and reflected on how games need “time to cook” to deliver memorable experiences.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is one of the biggest surprises of 2025 so far, and Gaider believes there’s something in it—and inBaldur’s Gate 3—that the industry should take note of when developing games for large audiences.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33came out less than a month ago (April 24), taking the gaming community by storm by introducing a dark JRPG with a deep story and a polished hybrid combat system. The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with over a million copies sold in its first 12 days and an impressive Metacritic score of 9.7. On the other hand,Baldur’s Gate 3experienced a somewhat similar situation in 2024, selling over 15 million copies and mesmerizing RPG fans with its engaging gameplay and branching narrative. Now, a formerDragon Agewriter has reflected on these two successful titles.
Speaking toGamesRadar+, former Dragon Age narrative lead David Gaider said that while both games have a specific target audience,Baldur’s Gate 3andClair Obscur: Expedition 33 are so well-madethat they’ve reached a wider player base. Gaider credits the games’ success to the development time they were given, saying that this is “what’s possible when a game is given time to cook.”
Baldur’s Gate 3 and Clair Obscur Succeeded in Part Thanks to Development Time
Baldur’s Gate 3had a long early access period, during which Larian had the chance to address player feedback and ensure it was delivering a polished experience. Gaider believes this is crucial for a game’s success and points out how this can become an issue when dealing with publishers, who often impose deadlines that end up jeopardizing a game’s launch.
Nevertheless, Gaider also acknowledges that it’s the publisher’s job—and they’re constantly under financial pressure, especially considering howexpensive game development has becomeand how much is at stake. Still, Gaider believes a key reason whyExpedition 33andBG3were successful lies in the fact that these games were designed for one core audience instead of trying to appeal to everyone. “But it’s so strong that it ends up growing that audience,” Gaider states. WhileBG3continues to boast a large player base—especially after Patch 8 dropped—everyone’s now got their eyes onClair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is growing more popular by the day.
