Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wears Its FF and Persona Influences on Its Sleeves

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an upcoming turn-based RPG from Sandfall Interactive, is generating significant excitement with its unique take on the genre. Following a successful showcase, the game's director has shed light on its key inspirations.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: A Fusion of Classic JRPGs, Final Fantasy, and Persona

Blending Turn-Based Strategy with Real-Time Action

Inspired by the Belle Époque era of France and classic JRPGs, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 innovatively blends turn-based mechanics with real-time elements. Drawing heavily from the iconic Final Fantasy and Persona series, it aims to establish its own distinctive identity within the genre.

Following a well-received hands-off demo at SGF, creative director Guillaume Broche discussed the game's inspirations with Eurogamer. Expressing his deep appreciation for turn-based gameplay, Broche explained his desire to create a title boasting high-fidelity graphics: "I'm a very big fan of turn-based games and I was deeply lacking something that had high-fidelity graphics," he stated, citing Atlus' Persona and Square Enix's Octopath Traveler as stylish and nostalgic examples that shaped his vision. "If nobody wants to do it, I will do it. That's how it started."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 presents a turn-based RPG experience enhanced by real-time elements, centered around preventing the enigmatic Paintress from unleashing death once more. The game's environments, such as the gravity-defying Flying Waters, promise to be as captivating as its narrative.

Combat demands quick reactions. Players input commands in a turn-based system but must also react swiftly to enemy attacks to defend effectively. This approach has drawn comparisons to renowned titles like the Persona series, Final Fantasy, and last year's critically acclaimed Sea of Stars.

Broche was surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reception. "It was very overwhelming," he admitted. "I was expecting turn-based fans to stand up and say 'oh this looks cool', but I wasn't expecting this community to be that excited actually."

While acknowledging Persona's influence, Broche clarified to PC Gamer that the Final Fantasy series, particularly the Final Fantasy VIII, IX, and X era, had a more profound impact on the game's development. "I don’t hide my love of action for the Final Fantasy 8, 9, and 10 era. I think a lot of the core of the game definitely takes inspiration from that," he noted. He emphasized that the game isn't a direct imitation but rather a reflection of his personal tastes cultivated through years of playing these classics.

"The game is more like what I grew up with, and kind of built my creative tastes on. So I would say we take a lot of influence from them but not directly trying to pick things from them." He added, "And on the Persona side, yeah, we definitely took a look at what they were doing in terms of the camera movements, and the menus, and how everything has been created dynamically, and trying to do something that really feels dynamic, but is also more like our own thing, in a way. Because, also, we have a very different art style. We just wanted to do it our own way."

In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's open world, players have complete control over their characters. They can seamlessly switch between party members and utilize unique traversal abilities to solve environmental puzzles. Broche, describing the game as an homage to classic turn-based titles, expressed his desire for players to "break the game with crazy builds and like, stupid combinations," he jokingly told GamesRadar.

"Our dream is to make a game that will profoundly touch players as much as the classics impacted our lives," the development team shared on the PlayStation Blog. "And hey, even if we fail, we lay the trail for those who come after, right?"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is slated for release on PC, PS5, and Xbox sometime in 2025.