Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's fresh take on RPG traditions could revitalise the genre

It's fair to say Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 caught the eyes of many - myself included - when it was revealed during the Summer Game Fest Xbox Showcase. Here, among the multiple sequels and remakes of familiar franchises, was something completely fresh: a turn-based RPG in a Belle Epoch setting to pull the genre into a modern era.

"It was very overwhelming," creative director Guillaume Broche tells me of the attention the game has received. "I was expecting turn-based fans to stand up and say 'oh this looks cool', but I wasn't expecting this community to be that excited actually. It's like we awakened a sleeping dragon."

Indeed, it's the game's turn-based combat with action elements that's turned heads most of all. Not since Xbox 360 exclusive Lost Odyssey has there been a "big realistic" AAA turn-based game, says Broche. And while Sandfall Interactive's game isn't AAA in budget, it's certainly aspiring to that look and feel.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - First Look Gameplay | PS5 Games

"I'm a very big fan of turn-based games and I was deeply lacking something that had high-fidelity graphics," says Broche, mentioning the likes of Persona and Octopath Traveller as stylish and nostalgic alternatives. "If nobody wants to do it, I will do it. That's how it started."

It's certainly an intriguing decision. In today's industry, turn-based combat is mostly reserved for pixel games, while series like Final Fantasy - known for its combat - have moved closer to action-RPG in recent years. It was a criticism of Final Fantasy 16 in particular from longtime fans (incidentally, Clive voice actor Ben Starr features in the cast for Expedition 33) that has left behind a gap for Broche's game to neatly fill.

"I don't believe for a second that turn-based [combat] is dead, or that people don't like turn-based games anymore," says Broche. "And I think [this game] can show that, there is still a big community - 'finally, a turn-based game with this kind of graphics!'"

Yet not only is Expedition 33 a "love letter" to the classic RPG games of Broche's past (Final Fantasy and Persona especially), it's also a project that's intended to push the genre further. "How can we make it more dynamic and integrate real-time elements that people also love?" he asks. "And that's when we came up with the reaction system, both in terms of attack... but especially the dodge and parry system, which is very core to our battle system."

Expedition 33's combat includes timed button presses for extra damage and dodges, which isn't exactly new - it's featured in games from Nintendo's Super Mario RPG, to Legend of Dragoon, and more recently Sea of Stars. Surprisingly, though, it's FromSoftware's Sekiro that proved influential here: "I love perfect parries," says Broche.

So how does it work in practice? I was able to watch Broche play through a demo, showing off both exploration and combat. Enemies are visible in the world but initiating combat takes players to a battle scene. Here, the UI looks most akin to Persona 5 with its button prompts and stylish, angular menus. As well as various attacks and skills, characters can also freely aim with a gun - not only to shoot weak points, but to interact with the environment during boss battles too. Each character has a unique combat ability as well: lead character Gustave goes into Overdrive after a certain number of attacks, while Lune uses Stains for elemental damage and Maelle can utilise Stances to prioritise offence and defence.

Once chosen, attacks are initiated and followed by timed button prompts that provide extra damage and build into strings of combos - though can sometimes hurt player characters if missed. Then, when enemies attack, players must dodge, jump, or parry hits, with the latter requiring the tightest timing but allowing for a powerful counter. The full party can even parry at once for a group counter. It seems, then, that the action elements are well integrated into combat and enemy animations clearly telegraph hits, but Broche explains to me they mostly add to combat and aren't always necessary. Equally, it's perfectly possible to do a no-hit run by dodging or parrying every attack. Boss battles also feature a break bar to stun enemies, though again this is more of a bonus. With attacks lining up with elemental weaknesses too, it's all about giving players options in combat.

That extends to character customisation too. At rest points - flags left behind by previous expeditions - players can spend points to level up character attributes and unlock new abilities in the skill tree. And while certain characters may align with speed or power for instance, players can freely tweak builds. In fact, Broche is keen for players to experiment and create "broken builds".

Further, players can customise the Pictos of their characters - essentially their armour - by mastering Luminas assigned to gear that can be mastered to offer enhanced stats and passive effects. I liken this to Final Fantasy 9's abilities system, and Broche agrees. As with the best RPGs, there are overlapping systems that allow for plenty of experimentation.

I ask if there are any other systems or elements from the past included in Expedition 33 - a world map, for instance? "Maybe," says Broche with a glint in his eye, though he's not willing to give further details. "Old school JRPG fans can expect a lot more in that direction."

Combat is deserving of the attention, then, but seeing the game in motion for the first time it's the visuals and music that really grab me. The environment explored in the demo seemingly takes place underwater, but with characters running and breathing as normal: sea monsters glide over the skeletons of ruined ships, while light shimmers down over luminescent aquatic flora, all accompanied by mournful piano. It's breathtaking (literally, perhaps) and really sets the dramatic, surrealist tone.

It's all in the name really: Clair Obscur, or chiaroscuro in Italian, is a term in art to describe the strong contrast between light and dark, and was a French cultural and artistic movement in the 17th and 18th centuries. Together with the Belle Epoque and Art Deco setting mixed with realism and high fantasy, Expedition 33 has a unique aesthetic that's baked into its lore too - there are plenty of artistic phrases, perhaps linking to the game's villain The Paintress.

Much of the unique visual style is down to Nicholas Maxson-Francombe, the game's art director. "I think the core is that Nicholas our art director is, for me, a genius," says Broche. "He comes up with crazy stuff on his own without a lot of references or anything. It's just plucked from his brain."

A doorway from the underwater area leads to an entirely new area called The Manor, as the team plays with space and time. It's a recurring area that's dark and gothic by contrast to underwater, and the party is aided by a ghostly, faceless creature. Afterwards we meet the Gestrals, metallic merchants with bristles for hair who provide some comic relief and must be fought to unlock all their wares. Just like the visuals, the characterisation balances light and dark as Broche pursues believable, human characterisation.

"The core of the game is serious, it's dark, it's heavy," says Broche, "but it's lightened up by some funny aspects of the game. The characters are not always dark and sombre, they know how to have fun also and decompress." That occurs at camp, where characters can rest up between exploration.

Broche continues: "I think to get attached to someone you also have to see their funny side. We wanted to show they can be funny and give them real humanity in this way."

Characterisation is core to the narrative, then, and while plot elements from this preview were minimal, we know from the trailer the game will follow an expedition of characters seeking to destroy the Paintress and prevent her from painting death - an event known as The Gommage. The story won't always be told explicitly, with players piecing together lore by finding the remnants of previous expeditions and speaking to NPCs (another Souls influence, perhaps). Much like in traditional RPGs, the expedition forms a party of characters who each have a different view of the Paintress and varying reasons for joining the expedition, but they form a cohesive group. There's certainly plenty of chatter between them while exploring.

The music, meanwhile, is "the most important thing" to Broche in establishing the game's haunting tone. The likes of Final Fantasy 7 and 8 have iconic, recognisable soundtracks and Broche is keen for Expedition 33 to have the same; composer Lorien Testard was only the third member to join the development team after Broche began alone. Testard cites NieR: Automata as a favourite game on the Sandfall website and, along with the inclusion of a French opera singer for the Expedition 33 score, you can certainly hear the influence. Metal vocalist Victor Borba also features, known for singing on the Devil May Cry soundtrack.

In all, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 feels like a particularly ambitious project, with Broche inspired by some of the greatest RPG classics in gaming history. Despite its spectacular presentation, this appears more limited in scope compared to recent open world giants like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - world design in particular is not open, but does feature branching paths to explore - and I can't imagine card games and karaoke here. Yet by bringing modern presentation and gameplay elements to a traditional RPG structure, I've no doubt Expedition 33 will satisfy fans of the genre eager for a fresh interpretation.

As the preview ends with the party arriving in a beautiful autumnal area of vivid red leaves, I find myself itching to see more and play for myself. Clair Oscur: Expedition 33 had already caught my eye, but now it's shot to the top of my most-wanted list.