Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a highly anticipated turn-based RPG with innovative real-time mechanics, aiming to offer players a deeper level of immersion and interaction. This game pays homage to the rich heritage of JRPGs, particularly drawing inspiration from iconic titles like Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, and 10. In an interview at the 2025 Game Developers Conference, Expedition 33 Producer François Meurisse shared insights into the game's influences, stating, "Those are big childhood games for Guillaume [Broche], our game director. He wanted to have the kind of feeling that he imagined would have remained in modern Final Fantasy-like games, if they had kept doing turn-based stuff. But he mixed also lots of different inspirations. Definitely Final Fantasy and JRPGs are the preeminent gameplay heritage we have."
While the gameplay is rooted in JRPGs, Meurisse emphasized the team's desire to carve out their unique identity, especially in the art style. "On the art style in particular, we didn't want to mimic Japanese games, making more stylized manga-like or anime-like graphics. We wanted to make some art direction that was based on our own influence. That's how we came up to do this early 20th century Belle Époque inspiration with art deco elements mixed with high fantasy. We had a few iterations on that to try to find our own uniqueness in the art, but it really helped us to build our own difference," he explained.
Beyond JRPGs, Expedition 33 also incorporates elements from souls-like games, notably Sekiro, in its defense mechanics. Meurisse noted, "The defense system is more inspired by Sekiro and From Software games. It has this kind of rhythm element and a more real-time component in it. More skill-based." Additionally, the game introduces mechanics inspired by deckbuilding games, such as using action points for skills during battles, instead of traditional magic or mana points.
As the release date approaches, Expedition 33 is set to unveil its characters weekly. On March 13, the game's official Twitter (X) account released a trailer introducing Gustave, a resourceful and dedicated engineer from Lumière, tasked with leading Expedition 33 to defeat the Paintress and prevent her from painting death again. Gustave is equipped with a sword and pistol, showcasing his ability to deal significant damage and navigate the overworld with agility. While the trailer highlights his combat prowess and multiple skills, the developers have not yet disclosed detailed information about character roles and mechanics.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is scheduled to launch on April 24, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To keep up with the latest updates and news about the game, be sure to check out our related articles below!
