Final Fantasy 7 Remake Director Reveals His Game of the Year — And It Isn’t Death Stranding 2
2025’s Game of the Year brawl is already underway. Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi, among others, is planting his flag in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
2025 has been stacked with good games, so the Game of the Year debate is going to be a knife fight. One big-name voice has already planted a flag: Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi says his pick is Sandfall Interactive's debut, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Hamaguchi's pick, loud and early
In comments highlighted by GamesRadar, Hamaguchi called Expedition 33 a "really great game" and made it clear he's backing it for GOTY 2025 over the obvious juggernaut choice, Death Stranding 2. He doubled down in a separate chat with VGC, saying he believes it deserves the top prize this year.
"Really great game."
The timing matters because The Game Awards are locked for December 11, 2025, and GOTY is the crown jewel everyone chases. Hamaguchi jumping in this early is a flex, and honestly, it tracks with how people have been talking about the game since it dropped in April.
Why he's so high on Expedition 33
Hamaguchi isn't just impressed with the surface-level stuff. In a comment surfaced by a fan account on October 24, he praised how the whole thing is balanced and complete — not just the flashy combat system. Expedition 33 takes traditional turn-based JRPG play and layers in reactive, timing-based inputs, so fights feel tactical without turning into button-mashy chaos. On top of that, you get a multi-layered story and characters that actually read as written, not placeholder archetypes.
And the results show. Beyond the critical love, the game has crossed 5 million copies sold and spilled into broader pop culture more than anyone probably expected for a first outing from a new studio.
The race around it
Expedition 33 isn't cruising to an easy win. The field is loaded, and yes, a lot of the heat is coming from smaller or indie teams — which feels like a nice echo of Baldur's Gate 3 running the table in 2023.
- Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Hades II
- Split Fiction
- Death Stranding 2
- ...and more contenders still in the mix
Where this lands
Seeing a director from one of gaming's biggest franchises champion a new studio's first game says a lot about where tastes are right now: inventive systems and strong writing can go toe-to-toe with long-running brands. Whether Expedition 33 actually takes the statue is another story, but Hamaguchi's endorsement fits the moment.
What are you putting your vote behind for GOTY 2025?