"Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Blends Sekiro, Belle Époque, and JRPG Styles"

Discover the rich inspirations behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and get a sneak peek at the first character trailer. This upcoming title blends elements from JRPGs, souls-like games, and deckbuilding mechanics into a unique gaming experience.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Ramping Up Towards Its Release

Building the Heritage of JRPGs

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a highly anticipated turn-based RPG that incorporates innovative real-time mechanics to enhance player immersion and interaction. The game draws deep inspiration from the rich tradition of JRPGs, particularly echoing the essence of classic Final Fantasy titles. During the 2025 Game Developers Conference, François Meurisse, the producer of Expedition 33, shared insights into the game's inspirations with GamesRadar+.

Meurisse highlighted that Final Fantasy 10 and the earlier PlayStation entries like Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9 were pivotal influences for the game. "These are big childhood games for Guillaume [Broche], our game director," Meurisse explained. "He envisioned capturing the essence that would have persisted in modern Final Fantasy-like games if they had continued with turn-based mechanics. However, he also integrated a variety of other inspirations. While JRPGs, especially Final Fantasy, are the cornerstone of our gameplay heritage, we wanted to forge our own path."

Despite the strong JRPG influence, Meurisse stressed the importance of originality in their art style. "We didn't want to simply mimic Japanese games with manga-like or anime-like graphics," he said. "Instead, we aimed to develop an art direction influenced by our own cultural touchstones. This led us to adopt the early 20th century Belle Époque aesthetic, blended with art deco and high fantasy elements. We iterated on this vision to carve out our unique identity in the art."

Other Inspirations

In addition to JRPGs, Expedition 33 borrows elements from souls-like games, with a particular nod to Sekiro for its defense mechanics. "The defense system is more inspired by Sekiro and From Software games," Meurisse noted. "It introduces a rhythmic element and a more real-time component, focusing on skill-based gameplay."

The game also incorporates mechanics from deckbuilding games into its battle sequences. Meurisse elaborated, "For instance, the concept of using action points for skills in battles is inspired by deckbuilding games, rather than traditional magic points or mana systems seen in RPGs."

First Character Trailer

As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 nears its release, the developers are set to unveil characters weekly. On March 13, the official Twitter (X) account of Expedition 33 released a trailer introducing Gustave, the resourceful and dedicated engineer from Lumière, who aims to lead Expedition 33 in stopping the Paintress from painting death again.

The trailer showcases Gustave wielding a sword and pistol as his main combat tools. In the overworld, he navigates and leaps across various terrains. Combat sequences reveal Gustave dealing significant damage to enemies with a variety of skills at his disposal. However, the developers have not yet detailed the specific roles and mechanics related to characters in the game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is scheduled to launch on April 24, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news and developments by following our coverage below!