Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Highlights “Very Japanese” Gameplay, Promises Hit-Free Playability: “I’ll Keep Trying, No Matter What”

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features turn-based combat that allows for parrying, making it one of the standout elements of the game. Director Guillaume Broche highlights that the French studio Sandfall Interactive made a surprisingly “very Japanese” design choice in its development.

In a recent interview, Broche shared insights into Sandfall’s combat philosophy, which resonates with the views of Capcom veteran Hiroyuki Kobayashi, now at Stupid Never Dies studio GPTRACK50. Both creators liken Expedition 33 to a blend of Sekiro with a French twist, complete with a beret and cigarette.

Broche points out that the RPG’s approach to challenging players with tough boss battles right from the start is a rarity in Western games. He expresses his admiration for JRPGs, stating, “One of the reasons I love JRPGs is precisely this experience of challenging something and eventually overcoming it. Even if I’m told it’s impossible, I want to keep trying, even if it takes me three days. And when I finally win, I become overwhelmingly stronger. That feeling is irresistible.”

This philosophy also applies in reverse; if Expedition 33 can deliver punishing defeats, players should have the means to turn the tables. Kobayashi emphasizes that staying alert to boss patterns equips players with the skills to “beat the final boss at Level 1,” while Broche mentions that “it’s a game that can be cleared without taking a single hit.”

“During the design phase,” he explains, “we first considered, ‘Can a boss using this mechanic be defeated without taking any damage?’ If the answer was no, we didn’t use that mechanic in the first place.”

The lead from Phantom Blade Zero notes that the key takeaway from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is to “cut things” from the kung fu action RPG and “polish the rest.”