Summary
One of the most popular tracks in all ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33, “Rain from the Ground,” almost did not make it into the game. HadClair Obscurgame director Guillaume Broche not discovered it, this popular piece might never have reached the ears of fans.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33is a game with many strengths, but one of its greatest aspects is its stellar music. The RPG is full of gripping and emotional tracks, but “Rain from the Ground” – the boss theme for Goblu at the end of theFlying Waters zone players reach early inClair Obscur– is one of the most popular.
However, this pulse-pounding song almost never made it intoClair Obscurin the first place. During a recent interview with video game and movie trailer composer Alex Moukala, game director and Sandfall CEO Guillaume Broche and composerLorien Testard spoke about designing the music ofClair Obscur. Testard evidently had a collection of around 300 songs in his drafts that he sent to Broche – and “Rain from the Ground” was “at the bottom, bottom, bottom” of that list. Guillaume pulled the song up and asked to include it in the game, but according to Testard, “If it was me, the song would not be in the game.”
‘This One Was At the Bottom’ – Clair Obscur Composer on ‘Rain from the Ground’
The popular song has often been cited as the track that gets fansinvested in the music ofClair Obscur, but Testard still seemed shocked that it made it in, as it was “really just a draft.” He had made “Rain from the Ground” as a quick experiment by combining a heavy bassline with a synthesized melody, but then left it in his drafts for nearly two years. Had Guillaume not discovered the piece, it almost certainly would have remained there.
The rest ofMoukala’s 40-minuteClair Obscurinterviewdelves into some of the other musical highlights of the game, though viewers should be aware of spoilers before watching the full thing. Testard already had a unique story of how he came to compose forClair Obscur, as he was discovered on an indie game music forum after posting his work on SoundCloud. This detail only serves to heighten his incredible journey – and begs the question of what other fantastic songs remained unused in his drafts.
If it was me, the song [“Rain from the Ground”] would not be in the game.
Though there are many Game of the Year contenders for 2025,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has a strong chance of obtaining the accolade later this year. That said, players shouldn’t be surprised ifTestard’s dynamic soundtrack winsClair Obscurthe Best Score and Music award as well.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
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Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone of that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.We are Expedition 33.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever. Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
