Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Historical Roots and Innovations

Sandfall Interactive's creative director, Guillaume Broche, recently unveiled key details about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, highlighting its historical inspirations and innovative gameplay mechanics. This article delves into the game's unique blend of historical influences and modern RPG design.

Historical Influences and Gameplay Evolution

Name and Narrative Origins

"Expedition 33" directly refers to the protagonist Gustave's mission to defeat the Paintress. Each year, a new expedition is launched to achieve this goal. The Paintress, using a process Broche calls "Gommage," paints a number on her monolith, erasing everyone of that age. The reveal trailer showcased the death of Gustave's partner after the Paintress painted the number 33, her current age.

Broche cited La Horde du Contrevent (a fantasy novel about explorers) and Attack on Titan (for its themes of perilous exploration) as key narrative inspirations.

Reimagining Turn-Based Combat

Broche emphasized the game's high-fidelity graphics, a rarity in the turn-based RPG genre. He stated, "We aimed to fill a void in the market by creating a turn-based RPG with truly stunning visuals."

While acknowledging past real-time turn-based titles like Valkyria Chronicles and Project X Zone, Clair Obscur introduces a reactive turn-based system. Broche explained, "Players strategize during their turn, but must react in real-time to enemy actions during the opponent's turn, dodging, jumping, or parrying to unleash powerful counterattacks."

The design draws inspiration from action games like the Souls series, Devil May Cry, and NieR, bringing their rewarding combat feel to the turn-based format.

Future Prospects

Broche shared further lore details, emphasizing the game's rich narrative woven from real-world influences. The combination of high-fidelity graphics and the innovative reactive battle system promises a fresh take on turn-based combat, requiring strategic planning and real-time reflexes.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is slated for release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2025. Broche concluded with a message for anticipating players: "We're thrilled by the positive response to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! As our debut title, we can't wait to share more before launch next year."