Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs say “being recognized in Japan” is “very personal to us” after making a game “inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with”
By Catherine Lewis
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads follow up meeting their JRPG idols at Square Enix to exchange “visions and ideas” with praise from another genre icon over dinner: “My favorite game”
The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann joins the chorus of industry praise for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after rolling credits: “One of the most moving, creative stories I played in a long time”
After the president of France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has earned a nod from a hugely popular French MMO that references one of its many heart-wrenching twists
Baldur’s Gate 3 performance director praises Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for being a “beautiful” RPG “that 100% knows what it is”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was inspired by JRPG greats like Final Fantasy, but its director loves gaming because of an old-school 1988 beat ’em up
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leaves CD Projekt Red co-CEO “absolutely blown away,” even if he has “sadly” not beaten the French JRPG’s toughest challenge
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio is “just the right size” for a “full-priced turn-based RPG,” so don’t expect its success to lead to AAA ambitions: “I’d prefer working as a small team”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says the hit French JRPG is just “one of the stories that we want to tell in this franchise,” but thinks “the only way” to succeed “is to ignore the first game completely”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says the RPG went up against “one of the biggest remasters” with Oblivion Remastered – but it worked out: “I feel like it makes us even more deserving in a way”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s possible endings aren’t particularly cheery because the French JRPG’s creative lead likes “really sad stories” and wanted to give players “an impossible choice”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star says the French JRPG hasn’t brought back turn-based combat as bangers like Octopath Traveler have been here all along: “I’m glad that people are discovering it again”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says “prejudice against turn-based RPGs isn’t completely gone,” even if fellow JRPGs like Persona and Dragon Quest sell millions of copies
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Verso actor thanks fan fic writers for “taking very specific license with this classic masterpiece” – “We see you, we hear you, we appreciate how detailed you can truly get”
Action RPGs
Phantom Blade Zero director says playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 “reminded me of Final Fantasy 10” and “I’d love to bring back some vibes from the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation 2 era”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s outsourcing allowed the RPG’s in-house team to stay “very focused on building that core,” speculates former Dragon Age dev: “Everyone was able to synergize together”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs say “being recognized in Japan” is “very personal to us” after making a game “inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with”
Catherine Lewis
23 September 2025
“We could not be more grateful”
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(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs at Sandfall Interactive say “being recognized in Japan” with their French JRPG’s Breakthrough Award win at the Japan Game Awards is “very personal to us.”
Creative director Guillaume Broche has been very open about the games that inspired Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, from Final Fantasy to Persona, not to mention the Atelier series, Shadow Hearts, Suikoden, and more. This is something that’s been reiterated in Sandfall Interactive’s response to its debut RPG’s big win at the Japan Game Awards.
“It is such an honor to receive the Breakthrough Award at the Japan Game Awards,” begins a tweet posted on the official Clair Obscur Twitter account. It continues: “Expedition 33 is inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with and love, so being recognized in Japan is both important and very personal to us. We could not be more grateful. Merci beaucoup.”
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads follow up meeting their JRPG idols at Square Enix to exchange “visions and ideas” with praise from another genre icon over dinner: “My favorite game”
The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann joins the chorus of industry praise for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after rolling credits: “One of the most moving, creative stories I played in a long time”
After the president of France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has earned a nod from a hugely popular French MMO that references one of its many heart-wrenching twists
It is such an honour to receive the Breakthrough Award at the Japan Game Awards, @tokyo_game_show!Expedition 33 is inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with and love, so being recognised in Japan is both important and very personal to us. We could not be more… pic.twitter.com/ZOfrBKZvhpSeptember 23, 2025
The Breakthrough Award was only just established last year, with the previous winner being The Exit 8 – a horror game which sees players explore an endless Japan-inspired underground passageway while identifying “anomalies.” Needless to say, the two winners are pretty different, but they both made a big impression.
Back to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Broche has previously expressed how much it means to him that players in Japan enjoy his game so much. Even with its major worldwide acclaim, he said, “I feel more pleased that the game has been accepted by people in Japan than I do about it receiving acclaim in any other country.” There’s no doubt he’s going to be feeling proud about this latest win, as he should be.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was inspired by JRPG greats like Final Fantasy, but its director loves gaming because of an old-school 1988 beat ’em up.
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I’m GamesRadar+’s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield’s student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming’s news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you’re sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads follow up meeting their JRPG idols at Square Enix to exchange “visions and ideas” with praise from another genre icon over dinner: “My favorite game”
The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann joins the chorus of industry praise for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after rolling credits: “One of the most moving, creative stories I played in a long time”
After the president of France, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has earned a nod from a hugely popular French MMO that references one of its many heart-wrenching twists
Baldur’s Gate 3 performance director praises Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for being a “beautiful” RPG “that 100% knows what it is”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was inspired by JRPG greats like Final Fantasy, but its director loves gaming because of an old-school 1988 beat ’em up
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leaves CD Projekt Red co-CEO “absolutely blown away,” even if he has “sadly” not beaten the French JRPG’s toughest challenge
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