Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Historical Roots and Innovations

Sandfall Interactive's founder and creative director unveils fascinating details about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, revealing its historical inspirations and innovative gameplay mechanics.

Real-world Influences and Gameplay Innovation

The Story Behind the Name and Narrative

In a July 29th interview, Sandfall Interactive's founder and creative director, Guillaume Broche, shed light on the real-world influences shaping *Clair Obscur: Expedition 33*'s title and narrative.

The game's title, "Clair Obscur," draws inspiration from the 17th and 18th-century French artistic and cultural movement of the same name. Broche explains, "It influenced the game's artistic direction and also refers to the overarching world of the game."

"Expedition 33" directly reflects the in-game narrative: a series of expeditions led by protagonist Gustave to defeat the Paintress. Each year, a new expedition is launched, aiming to stop the Paintress, who uses a monolith to erase people from existence—a process Broche calls "the Gommage." The reveal trailer dramatically showcases the protagonist's partner perishing after the Paintress marks the number 33, representing her current age.

Broche cites La Horde du Contrevent as a narrative inspiration, describing it as "a fantasy novel about a group of explorers traveling the world." He adds, "In general, stories about venturing into the unknown despite incredible risks, like in Attack on Titan, have always been very appealing to me."

A Fresh Take on Classic Turn-Based RPGs

Broche highlights the game's commitment to high-fidelity graphics within the turn-based RPG genre. "There hasn’t really been any attempt at making a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics for a good while," he states. "That left a deep hole in my gamer heart. We took it upon ourselves to make something to fill that void."

While acknowledging past real-time turn-based RPGs like Valkyria Chronicles and Project X Zone, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 introduces a reactive turn-based battle system. Broche explains, "You can take time during battles to establish your strategies, but during the enemy’s turn, you will have to react in real-time to dodge, jump, or parry enemies to trigger a powerful counterattack."

The inspiration for this innovative system? Action games like the Souls series, Devil May Cry, and NieR. Broche explains that the team wanted to capture the rewarding gameplay of these titles within a turn-based framework.

Looking Ahead

Broche's insights reveal a game deeply rooted in historical influences, shaping both its lore and narrative. The combination of high-fidelity graphics and the reactive battle system promises a unique and engaging experience. Players will need to strategically plan their actions between turns while simultaneously reacting to enemy attacks in real-time.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is slated for release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC by 2025. Despite the game's distant release date, Broche assures fans, "We’re glad to see so many fans are excited for the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! As our first title, we’re thrilled with the reception we’ve seen so far, and we can’t wait to show more in the lead-up to launch next year."