The Resurgence of AA Games: A New Era of Mid-Budget Masterpieces
The gaming industry has long been plagued by the notion that mid-budget games, affectionately known as AA games, are a dying breed. With the rise of indie games and the increasing focus on mega-budget blockbusters, it seemed as though the AA game was a relic of the past. However, a recent trend suggests that this may not be the case. In this article, we’ll explore the resurgence of AA games and what it means for the future of the gaming industry.
The Rise of Mid-Budget Masterpieces
According to a recent post on the gaming forum ResetEra, the two best-reviewed games of 2025 so far, alongside the indie darling Blue Prince, are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Split Fiction. Both games retail for $50, a modest price point compared to the industry-standard $60 or the increasingly widespread premium price point of $70. This has led some to frame this as a triumph of fair pricing over the greed and bloat of AAA gaming.
A New Era of Sustainability
While some may argue that accepting more expensive games that take even longer to make is the only path to sustainability for gaming, it’s also true that redefining our expectations for the scope and technical specifications of games could be a viable alternative. As the meme goes, “I want shorter games with worse graphics made by people who are paid more to work less and I’m not kidding.” This sounds like a description of a AA game to me.
The Outskirts of the Traditional Publishing System
Clair Obscur and Split Fiction are both made on the outskirts of the traditional publishing system. Clair Obscur is the debut game of Sandfall Interactive, an independent French studio founded by Ubisoft veterans, while Split Fiction is more of an establishment release, but only kind of. It was bankrolled by industry giant Electronic Arts, but its Swedish developer Hazelight is fully independent and published under the EA Originals label in an arms-length relationship that gives the developer full creative control.
A New Kind of AA Game
What sets these two releases apart from the AA games of old is their critical reception. The AA classics of the past were good, but seldom considered great in their time. They were enjoyably pulpy genre efforts that mostly stayed in their lanes, and were gently penalized by reviewers for their lack of ambition. Clair Obscur and Split Fiction, however, have both enjoyed universal acclaim, reflected in 90-plus ratings on both Metacritic and Opencritic.
A New Era of Mid-Budget Masterpieces
The success of Clair Obscur and Split Fiction suggests that there is still a market for mid-budget games that offer something specific and unique. Unencumbered by the need to be huge or to appeal to the widest possible audience, these games are able to give players something that they crave and that the mainstream gaming industry isn’t giving them. And they do so in a gaming vernacular that looks almost indistinguishable from a full-blooded AAA release.
Actionable Insights
- The resurgence of AA games suggests that there is still a market for mid-budget games that offer something specific and unique.
- The success of Clair Obscur and Split Fiction demonstrates that it’s possible to create critically acclaimed games without breaking the bank.
- The industry should consider redefining its expectations for the scope and technical specifications of games to create a more sustainable future.
Conclusion
The resurgence of AA games is a heartening trend in the gaming industry’s current crisis of sustainability. If Split Fiction or Clair Obscur is crowned Game of the Year, it will be a testament to the power of mid-budget games to create something truly special. As the industry continues to evolve, it’s essential to remember that there is still a place for games that offer something unique and specific, and that these games can be just as impactful as their AAA counterparts.