Game development is, more often than not, a non-linear process. Developing games can take years or even decades, as we have seen with high-profile games such as Grand Theft Auto VI or the much-anticipated Half-Life 3. But what if you take the path less traveled? Guillaume Broche, an ex-Ubisoft employee, sought help on Reddit and SoundCloud with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, drawing inspiration from popular RPGs such as Final Fantasy, made it turn-based (gasp!), and even got high-profile voice actors such as Andy Serkis (who voiced Gollum from Lord of the Rings, Captain Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin, and Supreme Leader Snoke in the first two Star Wars sequel films) to make Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, leading gamers to ask the question: can you have fun making games and achieve the financial success that shareholders want?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings together old-school RPGs with current graphical capabilities. While playing, I noticed that my setup struggled at max settings, so those with older PCs may need to turn down the settings to enjoy it. The game takes place in a dark fantasy Belle Epoque setting (late 19th-century France) and centers on groups of explorers grouped into Expeditions, where the Paintress, mimicking Thanos of Avengers fame, paints a decreasing number, where those with an age above that number disappear in an event called the Gommage. Expedition 33 is now tasked with finding and fighting the Paintress—and finding out what happened to the previous expeditions as well.
While a turn-based game is considered passé to modern gamers, there are real-time elements to this game, namely dodging and parrying. Those with slower reflexes may struggle with this, but you can adjust the window to make it easier (or harder, if you’re a masochist). You can gain ability points (AP) by attacking regularly, and then using AP to use ranged attacks or skills. During skills, you can do a quick time event (usually pressing a button at a precise moment) for additional effects. On enemy turns, you can dodge, parry, or jump; parrying is a lot harder than dodging, so you will need to get the enemy’s attacks down to a science. In addition, if you hit enemy weak points with ranged attacks and/or hit them with a skill they are weak against, you can break their stamina bar, you can stun them, and prevent them from taking a turn. Status effects can also be applied, most notably Burn, to do additional damage.
Each character is unique. Luna, a mage, can apply elemental stains to enemies, making them weak against that element; Maelle, a fencer, has stances that can alter her damage, skills, or defense; and Sciel, a scythe-wielding warrior, can hit enemies with magical cards that can stack damage and consume them for devastating effect. Combat encounters can reward experience, currency, and upgrades. Upon leveling up, you can use skill points to increase core stats such as Vitality (health), Might (attack power), Agility (frequency of attack), Defense (damage reduction), and Luck (critical rate).
You can also equip weapons and Pictos, which give you perks and stat improvements; after a certain number of battles, you can master them and unlock the passive bonuses known as Luminas for others to use. You can gain Lumina through leveling up or by finding it in the game. You can also level up weapons using Chroma Catalysts. You can save at previous Expedition flags, fast travel between them, and learn about the previous Expeditions as you explore the continent. Numerous side quests and a New Game Plus mode give the game more replayability.
One of my biggest pet peeves (as an OCD game saver from back in the day) is that the game has no manual save option; you automatically save at your camp or before a story event. Otherwise, the game’s music is very enthralling and varied, which kept me engaged. The game became so acclaimed that the current President of France, Emmanuel Macron, stated that the game was “a shining example of French audacity and creativity.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a great example of having fun while creating games with an engaging story, while reminding both gamers and developers that certain game genres still have value. As of this writing, there are also plans for a movie based on the game. I have always loved turn-based RPGs, and this is proof that the genre is still alive and kicking.
Publisher(s): Kepler Interactive
Developer(s): Sandfall Interactive
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Words by Jose Alvarez
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE Volume 25 Issue No. 10.