Ubisoft veterans behind stylish turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 'all have a love' for JRPG classics like Final Fantasy, 'but also want to see something fresh done with the genre'

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes inspiration from classic turn-based RPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona while adding unique mechanics and stunning graphics, blending turn-based and real-time combat to offer a fresh take on the genre.

The developer behind promising-looking turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 isn't shy about its Final Fantasy and Persona inspirations, but has offered a firm sense of what its project brings to the table that its influences currently don't.

Speaking to PlayStation.Blog, Sandfall Interactive creative director and Ubisoft veteran Guillaume Broche says the team "have a love for JRPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, Lost Odyssey, and Persona" when it comes to visuals and gameplay. 

But, while the team has "a lot of nostalgia and love for these kinds of games," the team wants to see "something fresh done with the genre.” In this case, a push for PC melting graphics that doesn't leave turn-based battles behind. 

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

It's a fair pitch. While Square Enix often tries to push the graphical limit with Final Fantasy, combat these days is largely a hybrid of real-time and turn-based - unless we're talking about Final Fantasy 16, which is a big ol' action game. Persona, meanwhile, does stay true to the turn-based formula, though it is comfortable with an animated aesthetic that oozes style.

As we saw from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Xbox Showcase reveal earlier this year, this game offers a mixture of both. The visuals are lofty enough to make my graphics card sweat, whereas the mix of turn-based and real-time gameplay leans further toward the former, which the team calls "reactive turn-based."

"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.”

As for setting and narrative, the RPG takes the French historical period of Belle Epoque and adds some fantasy for good measure. You lead a group known as Expedition 33 on a mission to destroy the Paintress, who paints a number on her monolith to erase anyone of that age in an event known as the "Gommage." Every year sees a new expedition try and break the cycle, but no one has managed to do so just yet. 

Further story inspirations come from a fantasy novel called Le Horde du Contrevent, which tells the tale of a group of explorers traveling the world. Broche adds that "stories about venturing into the unknown despite incredible risks, like the anime/manga Attack on Titan, have always been very appealing to me.”

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to release next year on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

Can't wait? Check out Clair Obscur's homework with our list of the best JRPGs to play in 2023.