Expedition 33 Developers Discuss Classic Turn-Based RPG Inspiration and Real-Time Mechanics – PlayStation.Blog

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an upcoming RPG and the first release from French development team Sandfall Interactive. The game’s unique design combines fantasy elements with the French Belle Epoque historical period. Currently, this fashion game is expected to launch in 2025 on PS5, check out the reveal trailer if you haven’t seen it yet.

To get a deeper understanding of this promising game, I spoke with Guillaume Broche, founder and creative director at Sandfall Interactive, about the game’s unique approach to classic turn-based RPG gameplay, its classic inspirations, and even the unique title itself.

What’s in a name?

One intriguing aspect of the game is its title, so I asked Broche about the inspiration behind it.

“’Clair Obscur’ refers to the 17th and 18th century French art and culture movement,” Broche said. “It influenced the game’s art direction and also informed the game’s overarching world.”

“Adventure 33 reflects the expedition team led by protagonist Gustave to destroy Paintress,” Broche said. “The members of Expedition 33 are the main characters of the game, and players will learn about each member of the Expedition as they journey. For years, Paintress has been drawing a number on her monolith and wiping out everyone of that age in an event known as the Gommage, and each year a new Expedition ventures out to try to destroy her and stop the cursed cycle.”

Other characters, such as the mage Lune, the skilled warrior Sciel, and the young adventurer Maelle are also part of the party, and you’ll learn a lot about them and their history throughout the game.

Respect the classics

In the trailer, we got a glimpse of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s eye-catching graphics. Broche explained that the graphics were one of the developers’ highlights.

“There hasn’t been a real attempt at a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics in a long time,” he said, “and that left a deep hole in my gamer heart. We took it upon ourselves to create something to fill that void.”

Broche doesn’t hesitate to tell us about the many classic games that inspired this effort from both a visual and gameplay perspective.

“At Sandfall Interactive, we all love JRPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, Lost Odyssey, and Persona with their amazing UI, rhythm, and dynamic camera,” he said. “We all have a lot of nostalgia and love for these types of games, but also want to see something new done with the genre.”

“In terms of plot, we also took inspiration from a French novel called La Horde du Contrevent, a fantasy novel about a group of adventurers traveling around the world,” Broche said. “In general, stories about venturing into the unknown despite incredible risks, like the anime/manga Attack on Titan, have always been very appealing to me.”

One thing that sets Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 apart from the games it inspired is the inclusion of real-time elements in turn-based combat.

“We were inspired by action games like the Souls series, Devil May Cry, and NieR, and their rewarding gameplay is something we wanted to bring to a turn-based setting,” Broche said. “When you play those games, you have to learn the attacks, timing, and weaknesses of each enemy encounter, and we wanted to translate that challenge into a new genre.”

Get into the rhythm of battle

Combat is one of the elements that Broche and his team are most proud of, so we discussed some of the unique mechanics they implemented and the inspiration behind them.

“The combat system is what we call reactive turn-based,” he explains. “You can take your time during battles to set up your strategy, but during the enemy’s turn, you’ll have to react in real time to dodge, jump, or block enemy attacks to trigger a powerful counterattack. You’ll also be able to increase the effectiveness of your skills by mastering the attack rhythm. Players will also be rewarded for their skill – even being able to do a damage-free run if you master all of the enemy’s attack patterns.”

“I was constantly thinking about ways to make turn-based combat more engaging,” Broche continued. “The attack tempo system was a combination of different inspirations – we wanted to create something fast-paced to match the vision we had for combat. As soon as I finished the first prototype of the defense system, I knew it was something special.”

The brochure also goes into detail about what players can expect when they join the game.

“I think dodging and blocking are the most common things players need to master while playing,” Broche says. “Timing is important, but the rewards are always really worth it. You can also aim your ranged weapons at enemies – for example, hitting exposed weak points to deal extra damage. Expedition 33 also has some big boss fights that will really test your skills. And, like any great RPG, you can also build your character to take advantage of different things in combat, including these real-time mechanics. We’re all looking forward to players learning more about the feel of the game as we move towards its launch next year.”

Finally, I asked Broche if he had any message for future players.

“We’re thrilled to see so many fans excited about the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! As our first title, we’re thrilled with the reception we’ve seen so far and we look forward to introducing more titles before launch next year.”