Video games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 do not get made anymore. And that is as a result of video games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 cannot be made anymore. French developer Sandfall Interactive’s influences have been apparent to me from the second I started taking part in the sport, and confirmed when director Guillaume Broche and producer François Meurisse effusively recounted the fun of taking part in Ultimate Fantasy, Persona, Zelda, and plenty of different Japanese titles.
By way of gameplay, Expedition 33 seems to be shifting in the correct route; drawing from its clear inspirations whereas additionally including attention-grabbing twists and new takes. However many different video games have executed this–in this respect, Expedition 33 is not notably distinctive or uncommon. What does, nonetheless, differentiate this recreation from its contemporaries is the way it evokes the vibe of a transitional time frame when JRPGs and its flag bearers struggled to seek out their place on a brand new technology of consoles.
Whereas Sandfall Interactive usually seems to Ultimate Fantasy as a degree of comparability, for me, it’s a lot nearer to the video games Hironobu Sakaguchi made within the nascent years of the Xbox 360, again when Microsoft was courting Japanese builders and avid gamers in hopes of increasing its presence within the area.
After leaving Sq. Enix, the place he created Ultimate Fantasy, Sakaguchi based Mistwalker. The studio’s most notable releases have been Xbox 360-exclusives Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. On the time, it was an thrilling prospect: the daddy of Ultimate Fantasy making new IPs that, to many, seemed just like the rebirth of Ultimate Fantasy and Dragon Quest. With the religious successors of two of probably the most beloved franchises in Japan being unique to Xbox, Microsoft was positive to lastly crack that Japanese nut.
Each video games garnered some recognition and helped transfer the needle ever so barely, but it surely wasn’t significant sufficient to considerably enhance Xbox’s place. Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon aren’t remembered because the instigators of a tide shift for Xbox in Japan. Nonetheless, for me, the video games and their legacies are fascinating as snapshots of a time when JRPGs acquired a little bit insecure.
With Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, Mistwalker pushed the style from its adolescence–where it was fastidiously nurtured by Japanese builders in secure, managed environments–out into the chaos of a altering online game panorama. It was the style’s awkward teenage years the place it let go of what it was to determine what it needed to be, at a time when it was being informed what it wanted to be. The ensuing identification of the video games present process this journey is so distinctive to its time and context that you just simply needed to be there to see and really feel what that was like.
Very like JRPGs from the 2000s, developer Sandfall Interactive can also be looking for its place on the earth whereas making an attempt to reconcile a number of identities with its first recreation. The idea of Expedition 33 is born of an intense love of Japanese video games, however the small group behind it’s based mostly in France. After taking part in it for just a few hours, Expedition 33 feels prefer it might find yourself being precisely what I hoped would emerge from the interval of uncertainty, problem, and risk-taking Mistwalker’s video games confronted: who or what I remembered, however confident in what it desires to be, and pleased with its modifications.
Fight was the focus of the three-hour demo I performed, and because the core driver of gameplay it was an insightful illustration of how Sandfall Interactive is decoding its inspirations and constructing upon them. Expedition 33’s fight looks like how I keep in mind taking part in Mistwalker’s video games: a mix of the traditional turn-based RPG gameplay that captured me in my formative gaming years and just a bit extra layered on high. Again after I performed Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon, this mix resulted in some awkwardness, however Sandfall’s concepts really feel like they’ve been executed extra confidently.
The studio calls its gameplay model “reactive turn-based fight,” and it is a very apt technique to describe it. It takes the fundamentals of any traditional JRPG–attack, solid magic, use merchandise, flee–and removes virtually all of the components the place you are solely watching it occur. The essential assault and merchandise use are the one press-and-watch instructions I discovered, whereas every little thing else required me to have interaction one, two, and even three additional occasions to maximise their impact–that’s the “reactive” half. All magic and talents are quick-time occasions that made positive I remained engaged and targeted in order that I might do extra harm or get well extra well being.
Gustave functioned as my all-around harm seller; my Cloud, Squall, Zidane, or Tidus. His talents have been oriented round growing harm for himself and others. “Mark” allowed me to color a goal with a crosshair so the following assault would deal 50 p.c extra harm. Nonetheless, the precise execution additionally concerned hitting a button with very particular timing indicated by an on-screen bar–think of it as a QTE model of Squall’s slash and gunshot combo from Ultimate Fantasy 8.
Lune, in the meantime, was extra akin to a mage, with elemental spells that would exploit weaknesses and be bolstered with the identical timing-based button press. The twist on her gameplay concerned the weather interacting with one another. Utilizing combos of parts can change their harm values, but it surely’s a multi-stage course of the place you “paint” an enemy with Stains of a component after which follow-up with one other to eat it and activate the impact. There’s a little diagram on display that retains monitor of which parts an enemy has been painted with so gamers can plan their approaches.
Maelle is troublesome to categorize since she is a secondary harm seller like Barret, Zell, or Auron is likely to be, however with an attention-grabbing mechanical twist. The vast majority of her talents contain operating as much as enemies and slashing them, with a profitable QTE growing harm. Nonetheless, the added wrinkle is that she has a stance system tied to those varied assaults. Through the use of a capability, I used to be capable of go from an un-stanced state into an offense-oriented one that might improve my harm but additionally make me take extra harm as a trade-off. From there, I might use talents to transition into defensive stances, or others which have their very own threat versus reward trade-offs that had necessary strategic concerns.
Though Sekiro was the inspiration, the QTE and parry system as a complete, when used collectively, feels extra like a rhythm recreation
When the stream of battle switches to protection, with the enemies attacking, there’s additionally all the time alternatives to have an effect on the battle to your benefit. That is the place, surprisingly, Sandfall seemed to From Software program’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice to convey an analogous parry system to Expedition 33’s fight. The overwhelming majority of enemy assaults have particular timing home windows throughout which, if the parry button is pressed, harm is totally nullified. The window may be very tight, however even those that aren’t capable of react rapidly naturally can construct muscle reminiscence via repetition and familiarity with the enemy’s assault animations. Many assaults have a number of hits, usually with staggered timing between them and that is the place the additional problem lies. Nonetheless, after I was capable of parry each a part of a multi-stage assault I used to be capable of escape with out taking harm and, higher nonetheless, riposte with my very own assault to show the tables. The ultimate piece of the defensive puzzle is jumping-specific assaults which might be telegraphed and may solely be prevented by launching into the air. Whereas airborne, a pull of the set off will execute a mid-air counterattack–think of it as the sport’s Mikiri Counter; one other Sekiro reference level.
Correctly executing parries is extremely satisfying, with crunchy sound results and flashy visible results synchronizing with every profitable parry, additional rewarded with an over-the-top counterattack. Though Sekiro was the inspiration, the QTE and parry system as a complete, when used collectively, feels extra like a rhythm recreation. The combination of inputs at particular timing and the suggestions acquired tickled the identical a part of my mind that’s activated by video games like Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, Taiko no Tatsujin, and even Beat Saber.
A safer defensive possibility, nonetheless, is the dodge. Hit a button as an enemy is attacking and the get together member beneath siege hops backward to get out of the way in which, and may accomplish that a number of occasions too. There’s a normal dodge, which has a reasonably beneficiant timing window, and an ideal dodge, which is completed on the final split-second, it is timing matching that of the parry. With the correct loadout, doing this may be rewarded with the AP factors spent on actions.
For people who need or want it, reducing the issue possibility makes the timing home windows for the follow-up inputs extra beneficiant and there is an accessibility possibility that can auto-complete all of your offensive instructions. Dodge and parries, nonetheless, usually are not mechanically executed utilizing this setting.
Alongside the Ultimate Fantasy 10-like tracker of assault order, there was a beautiful synergy between protection and offense that leveraged timing-based inputs to make each interplay really feel rewarding and helpful. It additionally builds a palpable sense of momentum that may generally translate to an entire get together wipe the place no harm is inflicted on any of my crew. With all of the metaphorical wheels turning, gears clicking, and pistons firing, the battles have the identical thrilling vitality as Persona 5 and its baton cross system. Expedition 33’s fight is fabricated from acquainted mechanics, however they’re synergized and layered on high of a traditional system that actually executes on the foundational choice of doing turn-based fight, however elevating it just a bit extra. On the threat of overselling it, after I reached a stream state, it had that intoxicating impact that had me in search of out extra alternatives to struggle enemies. And that may be a good signal.
As a completely From Software program-pilled particular person, I’m vulnerable to taking a look at issues via a Soulslike lens. That, it seems, additionally goes for Sandfall and its method to enemies. Whereas the usual grunts can ultimately be trivialized (offered you are on level with timing), the bosses are much more formidable–I died a complete bunch of occasions to a couple of them and even opted to keep away from one or two non-obligatory ones for concern of getting right into a spiral of grudge matches. Problem is not the one ingredient taken from the Souls video games, because the group has additionally tried to ensure every boss is memorable each visually and mechanically. I fought nightmarish eldritch creatures that spat ink at me; a vicious French Mime that repeatedly kicked my ass till I made a decision to come back again later for him; rotund sea-dwelling creatures that draw energy from flowers; and plenty of different bizarre monstrosities.
Every boss was a little bit puzzle that may very well be solved with the offensive and defensive instruments at my disposal, however just a few introduced sudden challenges. The ink-spitting big, for instance, was a little bit of a tank however after a little bit experimentation I discovered a really efficient combo of marking it, stunning it with lightning, and casting a defensive barrier to nullify any assaults I wasn’t capable of parry or dodge. I had all of it labored out till it reached down and ate one among my get together members, eradicating them; their instruments; and their involvement in my technique. This occurred a second time till simply Lune was left. With all objects depleted, a sliver of well being left, and never sufficient AP to essentially dent its lifebar, I turned on my Sekiro mind and determined to only give attention to parrying to make use of the counterattack for large harm. Towards all odds, I emerged victorious and I can not describe the elation I felt having locked in and prevented all harm from a barrage of assaults.
Once more, powerful bosses are a pillar of the JRPG experience–you can look to Ultimate Fantasy’s Emerald Weapon, Omega Weapon, Penance, and the like for that. Expedition 33 builds on that pillar with a larger give attention to boss phases that change up the stream of battle. It is boss fights, however just a bit extra.
In my discussions with Expedition 33’s devs, one factor was talked about repeatedly because the holy grail of JRPGs for the group that, sadly, has fallen out of favor: the world map. There is a huge distinction between an overworld that connects areas in trendy open-world video games and the traditional world maps of JRPGs. Expedition 33 firmly aligns with the latter model, utilizing an isometric viewpoint of a miniaturized world {that a} tiny model of your characters runs round in to journey to new areas or uncover hidden ones. You possibly can even arrange camp and chat with get together members, take heed to music, or replicate on occasions. It is not fairly as charming as summoning a Moogle that’s one way or the other capable of dash over mountains to come back and save the sport for you, but it surely injects the identical sense of a grand journey.
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There’s a lot extra to Expedition 33 past its gameplay mechanics. It has a easy premise and nice hook: a determine known as the Paintress seems at sure factors on the earth of Lumiere and writes a quantity on a distant monolithic construction. This begins a countdown that, when it runs out, makes everybody of the age of the preliminary quantity stop to exist. As Expedition 33, you are tasked with lastly stopping the Paintress and the cycle of demise. Early within the journey, nonetheless, you encounter a mysterious antagonist that has aged, that means he has one way or the other escaped sure doom to reside a protracted life. There’s an enchanting Belle Époque France meets post-apocalyptic world to find, characters to satisfy; Nier Automata-inspired music to take heed to, and extra. Each a part of Expedition 33 feels acquainted, however all of them come collectively to create an expertise that feels contemporary on the identical time, type of like how Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon as soon as felt.
Whereas borrowing design concepts and reinterpreting gameplay mechanics is one thing many are able to doing efficiently, with the ability to seize the vibe of a recreation that existed at a sure place and time is so unlikely that it verges on unattainable. And but, Expedition 33 seems to be doing that. However the recreation it may very well be is not one looking for itself; it is one that wishes to point out you what its style has change into. And that is potential value keeping track of.