Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Historical Roots and Innovations

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: A Blend of Historical Influence and Gameplay Innovation

Sandfall Interactive's founder and creative director, Guillaume Broche, recently unveiled key details about their upcoming title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, highlighting its historical inspirations and innovative gameplay mechanics.

Historical Roots and Narrative Inspiration

The game's name itself draws inspiration from the 17th and 18th-century French artistic movement, Clair-Obscur, influencing both the game's visual style and overarching world. "Expedition 33" refers to a series of expeditions led by protagonist Gustave to defeat the Paintress, a being who uses a process called "Gommage" to erase people from existence by painting a number on her monolith. The number 33 represents the Paintress's current age, a detail revealed in the game's trailer which shows the death of Gustave's partner. Broche cites the fantasy novel La Horde du Contrevent and works like Attack on Titan as further narrative inspirations, emphasizing the appeal of stories about perilous journeys into the unknown.

Reimagining Turn-Based RPG Combat

Broche emphasizes the game's commitment to high-fidelity graphics within the turn-based RPG genre, a relatively unexplored area. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 innovates on classic turn-based combat with a reactive system. While players strategize during their turns, they must react in real-time to enemy actions during the opponent's turn, dodging, jumping, or parrying to trigger powerful counterattacks. Inspiration for this system comes from action games like the Souls series, Devil May Cry, and NieR, aiming to integrate the rewarding gameplay of those titles into a turn-based framework.

Future Outlook

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is slated for release on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in 2025. While the release date is still some time away, Broche expressed enthusiasm for the positive reception the game has already received and promised more reveals leading up to the launch. The game promises a unique blend of historical influences, stunning visuals, and innovative turn-based combat, creating an intriguing experience for players.