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 and the French historical period of Belle Epoque. Currently, the stylish game is slated for a 2025 release on PS5, check out the reveal trailer if you haven’t already. 

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

What’s in a name?

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

“‘Clair Obscur’ refers to the real-world artistic and cultural movement in France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,” says Broche. “It influenced the game’s artistic direction, and also refers to the overarching world of the game.” 

“Expedition 33 reflects the Expedition group led by the protagonist Gustave to destroy the Paintress,” says Broche. “The members of Expedition 33 are the protagonists of the game, and players will get to know each member of the Expedition in their journey. For years, the Paintress has painted a number on her monolith and erased 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 genial warrior Sciel, and the young explorer Maelle are also part of the team, and you’ll be learning a lot about them and their histories throughout the game. 

Respecting the classics

In the reveal trailer we got a glimpse of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s eye-catching graphics. Broche explains that the graphics are one of the focal points for the developers. 

“There hasn’t really been any attempt at making a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics for a good while,” he says, “and that left a deep hole in my gamer heart. We took it upon ourselves to make something to fill that void.”

Broche doesn’t hesitate to tell us about the many classic games that have served as inspiration for this effort from both a visual and gameplay standpoint. 

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

“In terms of narrative, we also took inspiration from a French novel called La Horde du Contrevent, which is a fantasy novel about a group of explorers traveling the world,” says Broche. “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 that inspired it is its implementation of real-time elements into turn-based combat. 

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

Getting 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 battle system is what we call reactive turn-based,” he 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. You will also be able to increase the effectiveness of your skills by mastering attack rhythms. Players will also be rewarded for their skill–it’s even possible to do a no-damage run if you master all the enemies’ patterns.” 

“I kept thinking about ways to make turn-based battles more engaging,” Broche continues.”The attack rhythm system is a mix of different inspirations–we wanted to make something fast paced to fit the vision we had for battle. As soon as I finished the first prototype of the defense system, I knew it was something special.”

Broche also dives into what players can expect when they jump into the game themselves. 

“I’d say dodging and parrying are the most common things players will need to get to grips with as they play,” says Broche. “The timing is pretty important, but the payoff is always really rewarding. Also, you can aim your ranged weapons at enemies too–hitting exposed weak points to do some extra damage, for example. Expedition 33 features some huge boss battles too that’ll really put players’ skills to the test. And, just like any great RPG, you can also build your character to take advantage of different things in battle, including these real-time mechanics. We’re all looking forward to players finding out more about how the game feels as we work towards the game’s launch next year.”

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

“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.”

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 and the French historical period of Belle Epoque. Currently, the stylish game is slated for a 2025 release on PS5, check out the reveal trailer if you haven’t already. 

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

What’s in a name?

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

“‘Clair Obscur’ refers to the real-world artistic and cultural movement in France in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries,” says Broche. “It influenced the game’s artistic direction, and also refers to the overarching world of the game.” 

“Expedition 33 reflects the Expedition group led by the protagonist Gustave to destroy the Paintress,” says Broche. “The members of Expedition 33 are the protagonists of the game, and players will get to know each member of the Expedition in their journey. For years, the Paintress has painted a number on her monolith and erased 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 genial warrior Sciel, and the young explorer Maelle are also part of the team, and you’ll be learning a lot about them and their histories throughout the game. 

Respecting the classics

In the reveal trailer we got a glimpse of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s eye-catching graphics. Broche explains that the graphics are one of the focal points for the developers. 

“There hasn’t really been any attempt at making a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics for a good while,” he says, “and that left a deep hole in my gamer heart. We took it upon ourselves to make something to fill that void.”

Broche doesn’t hesitate to tell us about the many classic games that have served as inspiration for this effort from both a visual and gameplay standpoint. 

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

“In terms of narrative, we also took inspiration from a French novel called La Horde du Contrevent, which is a fantasy novel about a group of explorers traveling the world,” says Broche. “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 that inspired it is its implementation of real-time elements into turn-based combat. 

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

Getting 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 battle system is what we call reactive turn-based,” he 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. You will also be able to increase the effectiveness of your skills by mastering attack rhythms. Players will also be rewarded for their skill–it’s even possible to do a no-damage run if you master all the enemies’ patterns.” 

“I kept thinking about ways to make turn-based battles more engaging,” Broche continues.”The attack rhythm system is a mix of different inspirations–we wanted to make something fast paced to fit the vision we had for battle. As soon as I finished the first prototype of the defense system, I knew it was something special.”

Broche also dives into what players can expect when they jump into the game themselves. 

“I’d say dodging and parrying are the most common things players will need to get to grips with as they play,” says Broche. “The timing is pretty important, but the payoff is always really rewarding. Also, you can aim your ranged weapons at enemies too–hitting exposed weak points to do some extra damage, for example. Expedition 33 features some huge boss battles too that’ll really put players’ skills to the test. And, just like any great RPG, you can also build your character to take advantage of different things in battle, including these real-time mechanics. We’re all looking forward to players finding out more about how the game feels as we work towards the game’s launch next year.”

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

“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.”

Arguably one of the more intriguing new game announcements from tonight's Xbox Games Showcase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new turn-based RPG from French studio Sandfall Interactive.

Combining fantasy and 'Belle Époque' art influences, you'll be leading the titular expedition to try and stop the mysterious Paintress, a being who's slowly wiping out the last remnants of humanity by painting numbers on a strange monolith - with each number killing off everyone who's that particular age.

A slightly convoluted setup to write down in words, perhaps, but the idea of your 'number being up' and having fewer and fewer folks to help aid you in your fight against fate with every passing year is strong indeed, so why not have a gander at the reveal trailer below:

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Hi future Expeditioners! We are Sandfall Interactive, a team of around 30 passionate developers based in Montpellier, France and we are thrilled to reveal our project to you today: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, coming to Xbox Series X|S next year and available day one with Xbox Game Pass. We poured our hearts and souls into creating the game of our dreams, so we sincerely hope you will enjoy our reveal trailer just below. 

The Paintress’ Cycle of Death 

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or just Expedition 33, is a brand-new reactive turn-based RPG that will transport you to a beautiful, surrealist new world inspired by France’s La Belle Epoque — a period famous for its stunning and lavish contributions to the country’s world-renowned culture of art. 

Expedition 33 opens in the city of Lumière, the last city of humanity, where everyone knows the age when they will die. Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints a number on her Monolith. This number represents an age — the age of everyone who will soon be erased. Year by year, this number ticks down, more people die, and old age is not so old anymore. 

Soon the Paintress will wake again and paints 33, condemning everyone of that age to a gentle death. But with only one year left to live, the members of Expedition 33 embark on a quest to destroy the Paintress. 

The Expedition’s Hopeless Quest 

You’ll play as Gustave and his fellow Expeditioners on their impossible quest to end the Paintress’ cycle of death. Your journey will take you through a vast and beautiful fantasy world, where you’ll battle deadly adversaries, befriend fabled creatures, and discover traces of the Expeditioners who came before you. 

Along the way, you’ll grow your bond with your fellow Expeditioners and piece together their personal stories of heart and heartache. Together, you’ll strive to unravel the mystery of the Paintress – a desperate and seemingly hopeless undertaking that has eluded generations of Expeditioners.  

Our Reactive Turn-Based Battle System 

At Sandfall, we’re huge fans of turn-based RPGs, action games, and Souls-likes. For Expedition 33 we wanted to create something unique that combines the depth of a turn-based game with the thrill of executing a dodge or a perfect parry. And so was born our unique reactive turn-based battle system. 

Each member of the Expedition has a distinct playstyle with their own unique mechanic. You will be able to further customize each character’s stat growth, expansive skill tree, and gear alongside a wide range of learnable passive traits, offering endless opportunities to fine-tune your preferred strategies. We can’t wait to see what crazy builds you will come up with. 

But strategy alone won’t suffice. To reach the Paintress you will also need to master the defense systems. During the enemy’s turn, you can dodge, parry, or jump above enemy attacks in real time, allowing you to land devastating counterattacks. Mastering enemy patterns will ensure your victory and who knows, maybe you’ll even finish the battle without taking any damage and earn additional experience? 

Additionally, the free-aim system allows you to shoot at enemies’ weak points, offering you a substantial advantage against the hardest foes or flying enemies. 

We believe that whether you are an action RPG fan or a turn-based fan (or both), you will enjoy the unique combination that Expedition 33 offers. We’ve focused on creating a challenging, rewarding combat system that will make every battle an enthralling encounter. 

Expedition 33 has been developed using Unreal Engine 5 to bring incredible fidelity and beautiful graphics on Xbox Series X|S. You’ll explore an enchanting realm and wander through breathtaking landscapes. From the somber, Paris-inspired city of Lumière, to the stunning Island of Visages, and to the haunting Forgotten Battlefield discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. 

We can’t wait to show you more of our debut game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and we hope you’re excited to learn more about its world, characters, and gameplay. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be released on Xbox Series X|S in 2025 and will be available day one with Xbox Game Pass – you can wishlist the game today on the Xbox Store. We’ll be revealing more details and updates over the next few months, so be sure to follow us at @Expedition33 to stay up to date. 

The post Explore a World of Wonders in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Kepler Interactive has announced a new turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics, called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, promises to have stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack, and it will come out on PC in 2025. In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions will enhance the … Continue reading Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a new turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics →

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