{"id":1900504,"date":"2026-04-24T13:26:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1900504"},"modified":"2026-04-24T13:26:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T10:26:05","slug":"clair-obscur-expedition-33-gets-free-anniversary-update-that-adds-fresh-haircuts-for-the-whole-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1900504","title":{"rendered":"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gets Free Anniversary Update That Adds Fresh Haircuts for the Whole Party"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/clair-obscur-expedition-33\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/a> is celebrating the first anniversary of its release with a free update that adds new cosmetic options for the game&#8217;s full party. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">There&#8217;s word of a new sales milestone for the beloved RPG, too \u2014 which has now shifted 8 million copies worldwide \u2014 and the suggestion that many, many more players have experienced the adventure via Xbox Game Pass. Expedition 33 was the most downloaded new third-party release on Xbox Game Pass in 2025, developer Sandfall Interactive has said. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As for what&#8217;s new today, fresh haircuts for Gustave, Verso, Maelle, Lune, Sciel and Monoco are now available to claim in-game and equip, giving the gang a fashionable look that&#8217;s fit for a first anniversary shindig. Indeed, Sandfall Interactive revealed today&#8217;s update with fresh artwork of the game&#8217;s cast, sporting their new styles. Maybe <em>this <\/em>is the game&#8217;s true, happy ending, after all \u2014 something <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/clair-obscur-expedition-33-devs-wont-pick-a-canon-ending-as-they-work-on-a-sequel-it-is-a-schrodingers-ending\">the game&#8217;s creators previously said they never considered<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/2026\/04\/24\/hgpldsywiaaz0be-1777030429440.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/a><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 update adds new cosmetic options for the game&#8217;s full party.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Apart from the new haircuts, a handful of bug fixes have also been added today \u2014 though nothing particularly major. Following success at pretty much every major video game award show (most recently <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/bafta-game-awards-2026-winners\">including scooping up Best Game at the BAFTA Awards<\/a>), Sandfall Interactive is now busy planning its next project. Details of that currently remain under wraps, though <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/yes-another-clair-obscur-game-is-coming-expedition-33-is-one-of-the-stories-that-we-want-to-tell-in-this-franchise-teases-director\">the suggestion is that it will be another adventure set in the same Clair Obscur universe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story,&#8221; IGN wrote in our <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/clair-obscur-expedition-33-review\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review<\/a>, dubbing it a &#8220;modern RPG classic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Today&#8217;s full patch notes lie below.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Best Game of 2025<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;IGN Awards: The Best Game of 2025&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nVariety is, as they say, the spice of life, and 2025 provided a fantastic array of different video games. We\u2019ve survived and extracted from the robot-ruled battlefields of Arc Raiders, adventured across the medieval lands of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and established mind-expanding exhibitions in Two Point Museum. We helped Keeper\u2019s sentient lighthouse solve puzzles, and unearthed the secrets buried in Atomfall\u2019s eerie England. But which of the year\u2019s many different video games is worthy of being crowned the very best of 2025?\u00a0&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nEvery December, the IGN team considers all the games they\u2019ve collectively played and reviewed across the year, and votes on which one they think is the greatest of them all. Which one is the \u201cGame of the Year\u201d? Sometimes that choice is incredibly difficult. Other years, it\u2019s easy. 2025 was the latter, with our winner securing almost three-quarters of the vote. But what is that near-universally admired game? That\u2019s what we\u2019re here to reveal.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nExactly half of our shortlist for the Best Game of 2025 is made up of sequels that faced tough challenges. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arguably faced the most difficult one: how to turn a divisive \u201cwalking sim\u201d into something more universally beloved, without betraying its core, admittedly niche values? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly for a Kojima Productions project, was to look back to Metal Gear Solid and incorporate the freedom of The Phantom Pain into this open-world delivery simulator. A constantly rolling conveyor belt of gear, from ladders and boots to coffin hoverboards and weaponised electric guitars, ensures you always have the tools to tackle Death Stranding 2\u2019s missions on your own terms. While this is still a game fundamentally about transporting items from location A to location B, no two deliveries feel the same. An ever-evolving and adapting world sees journeys that once unfolded on foot upgraded to make use of roads, ziplines, and eventually monorails, with destinations pursued either via your own pathways or by making use of creative solutions designed by other players. Such a journey isn\u2019t purely physical, either; as you travel, your growing team supports you through an emotional ordeal that ponders the value of human connection. All this ensures that On the Beach finally fulfills the unique promise of the original Death Stranding.\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Hades 2&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe creative juggernaut that is Supergiant Games likely could have simply recreated its 2020 roguelike hit, Hades, with just a few mechanical upgrades and still received critical acclaim. And, on the surface, that\u2019s what Hades 2 appears to be. It takes just a single scratch to reveal the truth about this incredibly ambitious sequel, though, which smartly rethinks and remixes many of its predecessor\u2019s fundamentals. Yes, this is still a game in which you battle as far as you can through the branching routes of a dungeon until death forces you to start all over again, but new protagonist Melino\u00eb\u2019s quest to kill Chronos, the Titan of Time, takes place along two opposing routes. Every run starts with a choice: ascend Mount Olympus, or descend into Tartarus. Each location provides entirely different bosses, biomes, storylines, and challenges, which solves the age-old roguelike issue of grinding repetition. Stuck on a formidable boss? There\u2019s an entire other world to conquer instead. And conquer you will, armed with the most refined set of skills and upgrades the genre has seen. This is a buildcrafter's dream, even in spite of the random nature of your God-given boons, and each run is an opportunity to mold Mel into a brand new kind of magic weapon. With unrivaled art and music, and one of the tightest combat systems around, Hades 2 is a spectacular triumph.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Hollow Knight: Silksong&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe eight-year wait for Hollow Knight\u2019s sequel did the expectations around Silksong no favours. This wasn\u2019t just one of the most anticipated indie projects of all time \u2013 many major series with decades of history would envy this kind of attention. Some would say it\u2019s nothing short of a miracle that Silksong met (and arguably exceeded) those expectations, but the reality is anchored in creative talent, clear vision, and exceptional art. This is one of the most beautifully drawn video games of the generation, packed with haunting caverns, overgrown dungeons, and myriad more unmissable vistas. Such regions are not just pretty, but precision-engineered to provide some of the best platforming challenges this side of Celeste and Super Meat Boy. And at the heart of each level are the exhilarating boss fights that are partially responsible for Silksong\u2019s fiendish reputation. Yes, this is an unapologetically challenging adventure that stings as fiercely as any of its insectoid characters. But it never strikes unfairly, and its elegant Metroidvania map always offers an alternative route, should a foe prove too imposing. In a world where difficult games have perhaps become something of an oversubscribed format, the idea of a challenge being truly worth the pain has perhaps worn a little thin. But in Hollow Knight: Silksong, developer Team Cherry really has crafted a treasure worth fighting for.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Blue Prince&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe roguelite is nothing if not an incredibly malleable genre. You can make an action RPG roguelite, a shooter roguelite, a card game roguelite, even a puzzle roguelite \u2013 although that latter one is certainly rarer than the others. Joining that small roster of looping head-scratchers is Dogubomb\u2019s Blue Prince, an elegantly crafted labyrinth in which the corridors are all of your choosing. Every new run is, fundamentally, an attempt to find a mysterious hidden room within a sprawling mansion where every new chamber you enter is chosen from a random selection of blueprints. But that overall goal is ultimately less important than the many secrets that await in every fresh attempt \u2013 room combinations that unlock clues to further mysteries, and breathtaking discoveries that deepen the house\u2019s story. Its random nature is the initial obstacle, as building rooms in the correct order is all but impossible when you don\u2019t know which blueprints you\u2019ll be dealt. But soon you realise that the real challenge is in logic, pattern, and connections. And when you finally see the fine lines that link its many ideas together, it instantly becomes clear how immaculately constructed Blue Prince is.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Donkey Kong Bananza&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWhen Nintendo launched the original Switch, it did so with the open world-redefining Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And so with Switch 2, the pressure was on to craft yet another ground-breaking launch game. Nintendo took on that mission quite literally with Donkey Kong Bananza, in which your core interaction with the world is to shatter it into tiny chunks. We\u2019ve had games with destructible environments before, but there\u2019s nothing quite like Bananza\u2019s complete demolition of its levels, which somehow still manage to maintain their Mario-grade craftsmanship even after having been pummeled to pieces. That terrain is filled with buried collectables, and excavating them often requires the completion of clever challenges that feel satisfying to solve every single time. The banana on top of this platforming delight, though, is the duo of DK and Pauline, whose pairing is not only charming, but also mechanically powerful: the titular Bananzas, activated via catchy songs, turn you into unstoppable brawling machines that can easily defeat monkey, monster, and mountain. It\u2019s perhaps Nintendo\u2019s best-ever power trip.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 update 1.5.5 patch notes:<\/h2>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">New content<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Added 1st Anniversary haircuts for the expedition!\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Gustave&#8217;s Anniversary haircut is available at the Gestral Merchant near Stone Wave Cliffs.<\/li>\n<li>Verso + Maelle + Lune + Sciel + Monoco&#8217;s Anniversary haircuts are available at the Gestral Merchant near Grosse T\u00eate on the World Map.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">Fixes<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Fixed an issue where Danseuse outfit for Lune and Sciel made the character menu too <em>obscur.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Fixed an issue where it was not possible to open a rest point in various locations when an in-world dialogue was playing.<\/li>\n<li>Fixed collision issues in various locations.<\/li>\n<li>Adjusted some achievement text for consistency.\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li><s>We&#8217;ve noticed something went wrong after adjusting this, we&#8217;re investigating now to resolve the issue<\/s><\/li>\n<li>Fixed the issue! We&#8217;ve readjusted some of the achievement descriptions back to the correct achievements. Thank you for your patience!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/clair-obscur-expedition-33\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/a> is celebrating the first anniversary of its release with a free update that adds new cosmetic options for the game&#8217;s full party. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">There&#8217;s word of a new sales milestone for the beloved RPG, too \u2014 which has now shifted 8 million copies worldwide \u2014 and the suggestion that many, many more players have experienced the adventure via Xbox Game Pass. Expedition 33 was the most downloaded new third-party release on Xbox Game Pass in 2025, developer Sandfall Interactive has said. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">As for what&#8217;s new today, fresh haircuts for Gustave, Verso, Maelle, Lune, Sciel and Monoco are now available to claim in-game and equip, giving the gang a fashionable look that&#8217;s fit for a first anniversary shindig. Indeed, Sandfall Interactive revealed today&#8217;s update with fresh artwork of the game&#8217;s cast, sporting their new styles. Maybe <em>this <\/em>is the game&#8217;s true, happy ending, after all \u2014 something <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/clair-obscur-expedition-33-devs-wont-pick-a-canon-ending-as-they-work-on-a-sequel-it-is-a-schrodingers-ending\">the game&#8217;s creators previously said they never considered<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"jsx-313219616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/assets-prd.ignimgs.com\/2026\/04\/24\/hgpldsywiaaz0be-1777030429440.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image article-image article-image-full-size jsx-1809694635 jsx-2338608387\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/a><figcaption data-cy=\"caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490 jsx-479945570 article-image-caption\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 update adds new cosmetic options for the game&#8217;s full party.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Apart from the new haircuts, a handful of bug fixes have also been added today \u2014 though nothing particularly major. Following success at pretty much every major video game award show (most recently <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/bafta-game-awards-2026-winners\">including scooping up Best Game at the BAFTA Awards<\/a>), Sandfall Interactive is now busy planning its next project. Details of that currently remain under wraps, though <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/yes-another-clair-obscur-game-is-coming-expedition-33-is-one-of-the-stories-that-we-want-to-tell-in-this-franchise-teases-director\">the suggestion is that it will be another adventure set in the same Clair Obscur universe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Wearing its inspirations on its sleeve, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 paints itself into the pantheon of great RPGs with a brilliant combat system and a gripping, harrowing story,&#8221; IGN wrote in our <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/clair-obscur-expedition-33-review\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review<\/a>, dubbing it a &#8220;modern RPG classic.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Today&#8217;s full patch notes lie below.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Best Game of 2025<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;IGN Awards: The Best Game of 2025&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nVariety is, as they say, the spice of life, and 2025 provided a fantastic array of different video games. We\u2019ve survived and extracted from the robot-ruled battlefields of Arc Raiders, adventured across the medieval lands of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and established mind-expanding exhibitions in Two Point Museum. We helped Keeper\u2019s sentient lighthouse solve puzzles, and unearthed the secrets buried in Atomfall\u2019s eerie England. But which of the year\u2019s many different video games is worthy of being crowned the very best of 2025?\u00a0&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nEvery December, the IGN team considers all the games they\u2019ve collectively played and reviewed across the year, and votes on which one they think is the greatest of them all. Which one is the \u201cGame of the Year\u201d? Sometimes that choice is incredibly difficult. Other years, it\u2019s easy. 2025 was the latter, with our winner securing almost three-quarters of the vote. But what is that near-universally admired game? That\u2019s what we\u2019re here to reveal.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nExactly half of our shortlist for the Best Game of 2025 is made up of sequels that faced tough challenges. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach arguably faced the most difficult one: how to turn a divisive \u201cwalking sim\u201d into something more universally beloved, without betraying its core, admittedly niche values? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly for a Kojima Productions project, was to look back to Metal Gear Solid and incorporate the freedom of The Phantom Pain into this open-world delivery simulator. A constantly rolling conveyor belt of gear, from ladders and boots to coffin hoverboards and weaponised electric guitars, ensures you always have the tools to tackle Death Stranding 2\u2019s missions on your own terms. While this is still a game fundamentally about transporting items from location A to location B, no two deliveries feel the same. An ever-evolving and adapting world sees journeys that once unfolded on foot upgraded to make use of roads, ziplines, and eventually monorails, with destinations pursued either via your own pathways or by making use of creative solutions designed by other players. Such a journey isn\u2019t purely physical, either; as you travel, your growing team supports you through an emotional ordeal that ponders the value of human connection. All this ensures that On the Beach finally fulfills the unique promise of the original Death Stranding.\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Hades 2&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe creative juggernaut that is Supergiant Games likely could have simply recreated its 2020 roguelike hit, Hades, with just a few mechanical upgrades and still received critical acclaim. And, on the surface, that\u2019s what Hades 2 appears to be. It takes just a single scratch to reveal the truth about this incredibly ambitious sequel, though, which smartly rethinks and remixes many of its predecessor\u2019s fundamentals. Yes, this is still a game in which you battle as far as you can through the branching routes of a dungeon until death forces you to start all over again, but new protagonist Melino\u00eb\u2019s quest to kill Chronos, the Titan of Time, takes place along two opposing routes. Every run starts with a choice: ascend Mount Olympus, or descend into Tartarus. Each location provides entirely different bosses, biomes, storylines, and challenges, which solves the age-old roguelike issue of grinding repetition. Stuck on a formidable boss? There\u2019s an entire other world to conquer instead. And conquer you will, armed with the most refined set of skills and upgrades the genre has seen. This is a buildcrafter's dream, even in spite of the random nature of your God-given boons, and each run is an opportunity to mold Mel into a brand new kind of magic weapon. With unrivaled art and music, and one of the tightest combat systems around, Hades 2 is a spectacular triumph.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Hollow Knight: Silksong&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe eight-year wait for Hollow Knight\u2019s sequel did the expectations around Silksong no favours. This wasn\u2019t just one of the most anticipated indie projects of all time \u2013 many major series with decades of history would envy this kind of attention. Some would say it\u2019s nothing short of a miracle that Silksong met (and arguably exceeded) those expectations, but the reality is anchored in creative talent, clear vision, and exceptional art. This is one of the most beautifully drawn video games of the generation, packed with haunting caverns, overgrown dungeons, and myriad more unmissable vistas. Such regions are not just pretty, but precision-engineered to provide some of the best platforming challenges this side of Celeste and Super Meat Boy. And at the heart of each level are the exhilarating boss fights that are partially responsible for Silksong\u2019s fiendish reputation. Yes, this is an unapologetically challenging adventure that stings as fiercely as any of its insectoid characters. But it never strikes unfairly, and its elegant Metroidvania map always offers an alternative route, should a foe prove too imposing. In a world where difficult games have perhaps become something of an oversubscribed format, the idea of a challenge being truly worth the pain has perhaps worn a little thin. But in Hollow Knight: Silksong, developer Team Cherry really has crafted a treasure worth fighting for.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Blue Prince&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nThe roguelite is nothing if not an incredibly malleable genre. You can make an action RPG roguelite, a shooter roguelite, a card game roguelite, even a puzzle roguelite \u2013 although that latter one is certainly rarer than the others. Joining that small roster of looping head-scratchers is Dogubomb\u2019s Blue Prince, an elegantly crafted labyrinth in which the corridors are all of your choosing. Every new run is, fundamentally, an attempt to find a mysterious hidden room within a sprawling mansion where every new chamber you enter is chosen from a random selection of blueprints. But that overall goal is ultimately less important than the many secrets that await in every fresh attempt \u2013 room combinations that unlock clues to further mysteries, and breathtaking discoveries that deepen the house\u2019s story. Its random nature is the initial obstacle, as building rooms in the correct order is all but impossible when you don\u2019t know which blueprints you\u2019ll be dealt. But soon you realise that the real challenge is in logic, pattern, and connections. And when you finally see the fine lines that link its many ideas together, it instantly becomes clear how immaculately constructed Blue Prince is.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;b&gt;Runner-Up: Donkey Kong Bananza&lt;\/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWhen Nintendo launched the original Switch, it did so with the open world-redefining Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And so with Switch 2, the pressure was on to craft yet another ground-breaking launch game. Nintendo took on that mission quite literally with Donkey Kong Bananza, in which your core interaction with the world is to shatter it into tiny chunks. We\u2019ve had games with destructible environments before, but there\u2019s nothing quite like Bananza\u2019s complete demolition of its levels, which somehow still manage to maintain their Mario-grade craftsmanship even after having been pummeled to pieces. That terrain is filled with buried collectables, and excavating them often requires the completion of clever challenges that feel satisfying to solve every single time. The banana on top of this platforming delight, though, is the duo of DK and Pauline, whose pairing is not only charming, but also mechanically powerful: the titular Bananzas, activated via catchy songs, turn you into unstoppable brawling machines that can easily defeat monkey, monster, and mountain. It\u2019s perhaps Nintendo\u2019s best-ever power trip.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<h2 data-cy=\"title2\" class=\"title2 jsx-1903782357 jsx-3735650234\">Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 update 1.5.5 patch notes:<\/h2>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">New content<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Added 1st Anniversary haircuts for the expedition!\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Gustave&#8217;s Anniversary haircut is available at the Gestral Merchant near Stone Wave Cliffs.<\/li>\n<li>Verso + Maelle + Lune + Sciel + Monoco&#8217;s Anniversary haircuts are available at the Gestral Merchant near Grosse T\u00eate on the World Map.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 data-cy=\"title3\" class=\"title3 jsx-12333944 jsx-3517023867\">Fixes<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li>Fixed an issue where Danseuse outfit for Lune and Sciel made the character menu too <em>obscur.<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Fixed an issue where it was not possible to open a rest point in various locations when an in-world dialogue was playing.<\/li>\n<li>Fixed collision issues in various locations.<\/li>\n<li>Adjusted some achievement text for consistency.\n<ul class=\"list jsx-4224303756\" data-cy=\"list\">\n<li><s>We&#8217;ve noticed something went wrong after adjusting this, we&#8217;re investigating now to resolve the issue<\/s><\/li>\n<li>Fixed the issue! We&#8217;ve readjusted some of the achievement descriptions back to the correct achievements. Thank you for your patience!!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is celebrating the first anniversary of its release with a free update that adds new cosmetic options for the game&#8217;s full party. There&#8217;s word of a new sales milestone for the beloved RPG, too \u2014 which has now shifted 8 million copies worldwide \u2014 and the suggestion that many, many more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1900504","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900504","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1900504"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1900504\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1900504"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1900504"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1900504"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}