Compare Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 vs Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Accessibility was mixed because attack QTE assists exist, but the lack of a defend option hurt accessibility.

Accessibility-adjacent options, especially boss skips and a more accessible sequel structure, are treated positively by reviewers who mentioned them.

Enemy AI is a repeated weak spot, with reviewers noting it is not especially sharp even when combat remains fun.

Free aiming was seen as useful for targeting weak spots, though the same reviewer wanted the system developed further.

The only clear aiming criticism was the absence of gyroscopic aiming, despite the game pushing ranged weapons more heavily.

Animation quality was split between beautiful motion and noted cutscene animation issues.

Animation quality is strongly praised through motion capture, character animation, and facial/body performance work.

Art direction was highly praised for beauty, French-inspired style, surreal environments, and cohesive visual identity.

Art direction is strongly praised, especially the detailed vistas and rugged depiction of Australia.

Atmosphere was praised for melancholy tone, dreamlike environments, and emotional connection to the world.

Atmosphere is a major strength, ranging from meditative and haunting to warm, strange, and emotionally resonant.

Bosses were praised for evolving patterns, superboss challenges, and meaningful tests of combat mastery.

Boss design earns frequent praise for spectacle and improvement, though some reviewers found bosses simple or out of place.

Bug reports ranged from occasional jank and a bugged quest to a reviewer reporting almost no bugs.

Camera behavior was praised in combat for dynamic movements that enhanced counterattacks.

Character development was praised for interesting party members, growth, humanity, and introspective motivations.

Character development is praised where reviewers saw Sam relying on others more and the sequel deepening characterization.

The party roster was praised for distinct mechanics, focused cast design, and characters reviewers bonded with.

The cast/character roster is widely praised as excellent, quirky, memorable, and performance-rich, with a few mixed views on newer characters.

The checkpoint system reduced frustration by preventing major progress loss after death.

Combat was the most consistently praised system, with reviewers highlighting active dodges, parries, character-specific mechanics, and satisfying turn-based depth; a few found it divisive or demanding.

Combat is widely seen as tighter and more viable than before, but several reviewers still found it basic, intrusive, or less compelling than traversal.

Community features receive strong praise for likes, shared structures, monorails, roads, and the sense of helping unseen players.

Dollman’s companion role is strongly praised for scouting, advice, and personality, making the journey feel less lonely.

Reviewers praised collectibles, optional areas, bosses, secrets, and side content, with only minigames drawing a weaker reaction.

Reviewers praise expanded tools, weapons, boots, and unlockable options, making the sequel feel broader than the first game.

Countering and timing were praised when they worked, but one review found the input window unexpectedly tight.

Controls are mostly praised as more refined, smoother, and less cumbersome, including PC input support, with only minor complexity caveats.

One review directly called the layered combat and action elements an outstanding gameplay loop.

The delivery loop is often called addictive, satisfying, and more approachable, with dissent focused on repetition rather than the basic loop itself.

Crash stability was inconsistent across reviewers, from no crashes to a report of many crashes over 60 hours.

Dialogue was praised for natural conversations, believable banter, and strong character interactions.

Dialogue quality is mixed, with one review praising clarity while others complain about long or nonsensical speeches.

Difficulty was respected for challenge and balance by several reviewers, but tight QTE reliance and late-game balance drew criticism.

Difficulty balance is one of the more divisive areas: some praise fair harder settings, while others say combat, BTs, or traversal became too easy.

Vehicles are praised for handling better and arriving earlier, though several reviewers felt driving can trivialize the hiking-focused identity.

Resource balance was praised for avoiding inventory tedium and excessive item hoarding.

Resource balance is mixed because plentiful building materials make construction smoother but also reduce challenge.

Reviews repeatedly emphasized the story’s strong emotional effect, from grief and melancholy to catharsis and tears.

Emotional impact is usually strong, driven by sincerity, human stories, and moving payoffs, but not every reviewer felt affected.

Endgame content was praised as expansive and build-focused, opening into a fresh layer after the main story.

Enemy variety was broadly praised for unique patterns, designs, and combat behaviors, though one review saw repetition in late-game enemy attacks.

Enemy variety is mostly praised for new forms and loadouts, but at least one review felt bandits and BTs were too familiar.

Environmental detail was a major strength, with reviewers praising richly detailed regions, color palettes, distinct locations, and memorable areas.

Environmental detail is consistently praised for texture, variety, visual density, and natural effects.

Exploration was generally rewarding through secrets, journals, bosses, and side areas, but several reviewers noted linearity, uneven depth, or trivial overworld movement.

Exploration is strongly praised for making Australia exciting, scenic, and rewarding to traverse, especially when routes and vistas click.

Facial presentation was mixed because voice and scenes landed, but lip-sync problems appeared in minor scenes.

Facial animation evidence is uniformly positive, with reviewers highlighting detailed faces, capture, and rendered human contact.

One reviewer praised the sequel for preserving the franchise’s heart and soul while expanding its systems.

Fast travel is useful and convenient through the Magellan and waypoint systems, though some restrictions and grading tradeoffs remain.

Frame rate reports were mixed: one review noted Quality-mode drops, while another reported steady high performance.

Frame-rate stability is consistently positive, with reviewers citing smooth 60fps, high PC frame rates, and handheld stability.

The fun factor was high, with reviewers eagerly running into fights, calling the game a standout, and enjoying combat.

Fun factor trends positive, with many reviewers calling the sequel more fun, though some still did not personally connect with it.

Reviewers praised the systems when they cohered, especially build synergies and tactical options, though one review found the turn-based-to-QTE blend disjointed.

Reviewers generally describe the broader mechanics as substantially refined and more approachable, though one review found the gameplay disappointing despite the spectacle.

Graphics were widely praised as striking or phenomenal, with only minor pop-in or performance caveats elsewhere.

Graphics quality receives near-universal acclaim, with reviewers repeatedly calling it gorgeous, stunning, or among the best-looking games on PS5/PC.

The game was praised for reducing grind through shared Picto learning and focused inventory systems, though one review still noted some padding.

Grind level is rated positively by one reviewer who felt the game can be enjoyed at the player’s own pace without grinding.

Handheld suitability was mixed but workable in one review, which reported Steam Deck performance around 30 to 40 FPS on low settings.

Handheld play is viable but compromised, with Steam Deck running at low resolution while ROG handheld play was issue-free.

Haptic/DualSense integration is praised as highly immersive through controller feedback, speaker use, and adaptive triggers.

Horror tension is mixed to weak because BTs can still feel tense, but several reviewers say the sequel reduces their fear factor.

HUD clarity was a minor issue for one reviewer who struggled with small menu text on a TV.

Immersion was strong, with reviewers wanting to dig deeper, feeling invested, and describing the experience as lingering after credits.

Immersion is strongly praised, with reviewers describing effortless absorption and deeply lingering experiences.

Innovation was praised for contributing to JRPG traditions while still feeling unique and structurally distinct.

Reviewers praise the sequel’s inventive systems, unusual world, and a gameplay structure that few other games attempt.

The game was considered easy enough to start yet challenging to master, though one review found some systems overwhelming at first.

The main noted learning curve is movement weight, which takes adjustment before it becomes satisfying.

Level design ranged from hard-to-navigate areas to extravagant maps with rewarding side paths.

Level and environment design is praised for being more thoughtful and confident in how it leverages traversal.

Load times receive a perfect single-review score for near-seamless transitions between menu, cutscenes, and gameplay.

The loot system was viewed as simple but supportive of weapons, elements, and customization.

Lore depth was praised through expedition journals, wider history, and an intriguing world.

Lore support and depth are praised through the Corpus encyclopedia, which helps handle the dense terminology and proper nouns.

Navigation was the clearest recurring complaint, with reviewers repeatedly wanting more maps, minimaps, or clearer tracking.

Map and navigation design gets strong praise from the Route Simulator and more convenient route planning.

Menu usability was a repeated drawback, especially when managing long Picto and Lumina lists.

Menu usability is improved overall, especially radial menus and reworked menus, though some still found systems fiddly or clunky.

Microtransaction impact was positive because a reviewer explicitly valued the lack of microtransactions.

Mission design is mixed: reviewers liked forward momentum and variety, but some criticized forced backtracking or insufficient challenge.

Mission variety is praised for fresher cargo conditions, hazards, and delivery setups, though some reviewers still noted simplification.

Monetization was praised through the absence of microtransactions and a lower launch price.

Movement drew a mild complaint for characters catching on floor geometry during exploration.

Movement and hiking retain a distinctive physical weight that many reviewers loved, even when vehicles reduce how often players need to walk.

Asynchronous multiplayer is one of the clearest strengths, making players feel connected through structures, roads, likes, and shared effort.

Narrative quality was the strongest consensus point, with reviews repeatedly calling the story unique, compelling, mature, and emotionally resonant.

Narrative quality is highly divisive: many praise the story as memorable and emotional, while others find it muddled, messy, or unsatisfying.

The opening was widely praised for establishing stakes quickly and delivering unusually strong early context.

Onboarding is praised for clearer instructions, a stronger opening, and a better job of pulling players into the systems.

The open world is repeatedly praised as varied, beautiful, and more densely interesting, with Australia seen as a stronger setting than before.

Originality was a major strength; reviewers repeatedly called it fresh, unique, and unlike anything else.

Originality remains high, with reviewers praising bold creativity, even as some say the sequel is safer than the first.

Most reviewers praised the focused pacing and lack of filler, while one found some areas padded.

Pacing is mixed: many reviews praise improved mission or story momentum, while others call the narrative slow, muddled, or filler-heavy.

Performance was mostly positive on tested PC hardware, but stutters and Unreal Engine issues were noted.

Performance optimization is praised across PS5 and PC, including smooth performance mode, strong PC scaling, and polished port work.

Platform-specific support is excellent in cited reviews, covering deep PC settings, controller support, and full DualSense implementation.

Platforming was a recurring weak spot, described as awkward or very finicky despite being mostly optional.

Polish was mostly praised, especially production cohesion, but one review noted minor stutter and visual glitches.

Polish is praised through refined systems, a smooth PC port, and an almost flawless technical presentation.

Progression earned strong marks for build preparation, Pictos/Lumina, customization, and viable options, with only occasional complexity caveats.

Progression is praised for faster unlock pacing and more forgiving advancement that keeps deliveries rewarding.

Gustave was singled out as a likable protagonist.

One reviewer found Sam especially well cast and suited to the game’s semi-silent protagonist role.

Optional quests received praise for classic-RPG flavor and meaningful rewards.

Fetch-style questing remains a pain point for one reviewer, who found ferrying boxes back and forth exhausting.

Replay value was supported by optional content and New Game Plus, though one reviewer doubted many players would replay.

Replay value is supported by one reviewer eager to return for more missions after finishing the story.

One reviewer praised the sequel for letting individual playstyles feel legitimate through its expanded systems.

A side character was praised for hiding darker motivation beneath an upbeat personality.

Supporting characters are often praised for nuance and memorable moments, though one review felt they were underused.

Skill trees and character building were praised as concise but deep, enabling strong identities without overwhelming every reviewer.

Skill-tree and APAS-style systems are praised for rewarding playstyle choices and allowing situational re-specs.

Social features are praised where likes and player feedback create a warm, positive network of encouragement.

Sound design was praised in combat and timing feedback, though one review criticized mundane traversal sounds.

Sound design is very highly rated for immersive environmental audio, rain, wind, footsteps, and overall atmosphere.

The soundtrack received overwhelming praise, often framed as one of the game’s defining strengths.

Soundtrack quality is strongly praised, from licensed tracks to Ludvig Forssell/Woodkid scoring and emotionally timed music.

Stealth is broadly praised as deeper, more flexible, and more fun, with many reviewers comparing the expanded toolkit favorably to Kojima’s stealth legacy.

Tutorials for new character mechanics were praised for making complexity easier to absorb.

VR Training/tutorial support is praised as both useful and fun for refreshing mechanics.

Weapon upgrading was described as a useful part of the broader equipment loop.

Upgrade systems are praised for flexible perks and incentives that help tailor traversal, stealth, and combat approaches.

The user interface drew criticism for clutter and painful Picto/menu navigation despite stylish presentation.

User interface design is praised for thoughtful fictional UI and a radial menu that makes road management easier.

Value for money was strongly praised through the $50 price, Game Pass availability, production value, and overall recommendation strength.

Vehicle roster evidence is limited but positive, with one reviewer praising the usefulness and variety of vehicles across missions.

Visual effects were praised for stylish flourishes and flashy battle presentation.

Visual effects are praised as incredible, with weather, landscapes, and special effects repeatedly singled out.

Voice acting drew near-universal praise for emotional performances, natural delivery, and a strong cast.

Voice acting is one of the strongest consensus positives, with performances frequently called excellent, memorable, or world-bringing.

Weapon balance is mixed to weak, with several reviewers calling Sam overpowered or finding many weapons redundant, despite some praise for variety.

World-building was praised as distinct, rich, and central to the game’s identity.

World-building is praised as bizarre, imaginative, and distinctive, though one review criticized gaps in cultural representation.

Dynamic weather, terrain hazards, and reactive routes add life and variety, though one critic felt some additions gesture at depth without enough substance.

Writing was praised for maturity, comedy, thematic intelligence, and character nuance, with one review noting melodrama and messiness.

Writing quality is split sharply, ranging from career-best praise to criticisms that the script and finale do not land.