Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: A Blend of JRPGs, Sekiro, and Belle Époque Aesthetics

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an eagerly anticipated turn-based RPG that incorporates unique real-time mechanics to enhance player immersion and interaction. This game draws heavily from the rich heritage of JRPGs, particularly the iconic Final Fantasy series, while also integrating elements from other genres to create a fresh and exciting experience.

Building on the Legacy of JRPGs

At the 2025 Game Developers Conference, François Meurisse, the producer of Expedition 33, shared insights into the game's inspirations. He highlighted that the game director, Guillaume Broche, drew significant inspiration from childhood favorites like Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, and 10 on the PlayStation. "Those are big childhood games for Guillaume, our game director," Meurisse explained. "He wanted to capture the feeling that he imagined would have remained in modern Final Fantasy-like games if they had continued with turn-based mechanics. But he also mixed in lots of different inspirations. Definitely, Final Fantasy and JRPGs are the preeminent gameplay heritage we have."

While the gameplay is deeply rooted in JRPG traditions, Meurisse emphasized the team's desire to forge a unique identity. "On the art style in particular, we didn't want to mimic Japanese games, making more stylized manga-like or anime-like graphics," he said. "We wanted to create an art direction based on our own influences. That's how we came up with the early 20th century Belle Époque inspiration, mixed with art deco elements and high fantasy. We went through several iterations to find our own uniqueness in the art, which helped us build our distinctiveness."

Diverse Inspirations Beyond JRPGs

Expedition 33 doesn't limit itself to JRPGs alone; it also incorporates elements from souls-like games, notably Sekiro, for 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. It's more skill-based."

Additionally, the game's battle sequences draw from deckbuilding games. "For example, the idea of having action points for skills in the battles is more inspired by deckbuilding games than having the usual magic points or mana in RPGs," Meurisse elaborated.

Introducing the First Character: Gustave

As the game gears up for its release, Expedition 33 will introduce characters weekly. On March 13, the official Twitter (X) account unveiled Gustave, a resourceful and dedicated engineer from Lumière. He is poised to lead Expedition 33 in their quest to stop the Paintress from painting death again.

The trailer showcases Gustave wielding a sword and pistol as his primary combat weapons. In the overworld, he navigates and jumps across various points with agility. Combat footage reveals Gustave dealing substantial damage to enemies and utilizing a variety of skills. However, the developers have yet to confirm specifics about character roles and related mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to launch on April 24, 2025, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. To stay updated with the latest news about the game, click on the article below!