(Well, I redesigned my website today, so I might as well give it something to show off!)

The first video game that I remember playing is Freddi Fish and the Case of the Missing Kelp Seeds. It was a point-and-click adventure game where you went around talking to fish, collecting items, and solving a mystery. I remember sitting in my dad’s office with a giant joystick (which, if I’m remembering the right one, was more ball than controller), directing Freddi on where I wanted her (and her friend Luther) to go.

Since then, I’ve played a lot of video games. On Steam alone, I have over 2,000, and I’ve collected hundreds more on consoles. I love being part of the stories, exploring fantasy worlds, and making a difference there. They’ve allowed me to approach ideas that I never would have even considered in the past.

For nearly a decade, my favorite game has been NieR: Automata, the story of androids fighting in an endless, maybe meaningless, war for the survival of the human race. It was that story that led me to start my journey with humanism… and it speaks volumes, at least to me, that a video game was able to give me perspective on the kind of spirituality and world philosophy that I have.

But if my 2,000+ strong collection of video games is any indication, I certainly didn’t stop at NieR. I’ve played a ton of games since then, and there have been some real surprises. But none moreso than the subject of this blog post.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the greatest video game that I’ve ever played, and it is one of the most powerful stories I have ever experienced across any medium. That’s not something that I say lightly, but having had a week or so to digest it after finishing, I stand by it.

I don’t want to get too far into spoiler territory, but it captivated me from the first few moments. I didn’t really read too much about the game before I bought it (which is a separate issue), to preserve the mystery. The first thing that you see is a fractured Paris, with land floating in the sky, the Eiffel Tower bent nearly to the point of snapping, and a cut to a tower with a bright yellow “34” written on it. There’s haunting music playing as they introduce the beautiful but broken world.

It took me about 43 hours to beat the game in it’s entirety – completing everything there was to do in the game. It didn’t overstay it’s welcome, and it didn’t make me feel like I was just trudging along to the end. Frankly, it probably would’ve taken less time if I didn’t find myself putting down my controller multiple times to just take things in. The cast are so real, and the way they interact with each other – physically and emotionally – was enough to make me forget that I was even playing a game sometimes. There’s a particular moment late into the story where two characters are arguing with each other, but they know their paths are set. The music swells, the camera cuts, and you enter a battle with one another. I sat there for nearly eleven minutes until the song that was playing finally looped.

Of course, that makes it a good story, but what makes it a good game?

It’s a turn-based role playing game, which I have a really soft spot for. But there’s a twist. When an enemy attacks you, you have the option to either dodge or parry the attack. It adds some really dynamic gameplay as you try to match your opponent’s cadence to execute a perfect dodge to avoid damage, or parry it back at them.

And, man, the exploration… there’s so much to see. I spent hours looking in every nook and cranny of the world. Every time another means of exploration opened up, or I was given access to a new area, I was excited. It felt like I’d never run out of things to do. And I didn’t use a guide, so the secrets I found made me feel great.

I felt like I was fighting against the world, with it bringing it’s full weight against me and my expedition… and every victory brought me that much closer to saving my people – people I learned to care about and want to succeed.

This game is simply a masterpiece. And it’s one that you deserve to experience first-hand. Go play it.

(also on PlayStation and Xbox Series X|S).