For the last decade or so, I have watched as the rhythm game genre has slowly withered away. A lack of new, exciting ideas (outside of rare diamonds like Hi-Fi Rush or Thumper) and Harmonix getting bought by Epic Games has left the genre feeling rather bare. While Fortnite Festival brought Rock Band and Guitar Hero's formula back in 2023 – albeit with a lifeless, homogenized art style – playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 on Expert difficulty has unintentionally (or maybe even intentionally) given me the huge, showpiece rhythm game I have wanted for years.
Indie games have been trying to keep the spirit of the genre alive. But, there hasn't been a big, ambitious rhythm game that felt like it was the next step for the genre in a long time. And, while I didn't go into Expedition 33 wanting it to be that game, after five or so hours with it I realized it was doing more for the genre than anything in recent years.
