Role-playing games are extremely popular because they're so captivating, and it's no secret that part of the magic is in their soundtracks. Video game series like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, and The Witcher have sweeping soundscapes as well as short earworms that stick with players for the rest of their lives. Earlier this year, a new game emerged as a contender to join the ranks of gaming classics.
'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' was released in April 2025 by France's Sandfall Interactive to wide acclaim for its unique premise, stunning visuals, and epic soundtrack. It takes place in a fantasy Belle Époque setting, a period in France that followed the Franco-Prussian War in the late 1800s. The drama of the story is captured in the game's main theme, 'Alicia,' composed by Lorien Testard and vocalist Alice Duport-Percier, who sings a soaring melody that matches the game's emotional tone.
Today we're checking out a version of 'Alicia' by YouTube pianist Caliko, who arranged it for solo piano. Caliko, who was also enthralled by the game, kept the spirit of the original while putting it on keys.
'I kept this one pretty close to the original and didn't go too crazy on the embellishments, especially in those loud parts where I play octaves with the left hand,' she writes. 'I felt it didn't really need more than that, and it's much easier to play for it!'
Caliko also noted the song is in her favorite key: C minor.