Summary
- "Rain from the Ground" almost never made it into Clair Obscur, as it was hidden in the drafts until the director discovered it.
- Composer Testard was surprised the popular boss theme made it into the game, as it was just an experiment.
One of the most popular tracks in all of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, “Rain from the Ground,” almost did not make it into the game. Had Clair Obscur game director Guillaume Broche not discovered it, this popular piece might never have reached the ears of fans.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is 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 the Flying Waters zone players reach early in Clair Obscur – is one of the most popular.
Clair Obscur Pays a Subtle Tribute to Its Composer
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans notice a subtle detail within the game that is likely a homage to its well-regarded composer.
However, this pulse-pounding song almost never made it into Clair Obscur in the first place. During a recent interview with video game and movie trailer composer Alex Moukala, game director and Sandfall CEO Guillaume Broche and composer Lorien Testard spoke about designing the music of Clair 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 fans invested in the music of Clair 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 of Moukala's 40-minute Clair Obscur interview delves 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 for Clair 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 33 has a strong chance of obtaining the accolade later this year. That said, players shouldn’t be surprised if Testard’s dynamic soundtrack wins Clair Obscur the Best Score and Music award as well.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Turn-Based RPG, JRPG, Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 42.33 GB
- Wiki
