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

Discover how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 blends elements from various iconic games, particularly JRPGs, and get an exclusive look at its first character trailer.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Ramping Up Towards Its Release

Building the Heritage of JRPGs

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an eagerly anticipated turn-based RPG that introduces unique real-time mechanics to enhance player immersion and interaction. At its heart, the game echoes the spirit of classic JRPGs, especially the Final Fantasy series, due to its mechanics and themes. 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 earlier PlayStation titles like Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9 significantly influenced Expedition 33. "Those are big childhood games for Guillaume [Broche], our game director," he noted. "He wanted to capture the feeling he imagined would persist in modern Final Fantasy-like games, if they continued with turn-based mechanics. But he also incorporated many other inspirations. Definitely, Final Fantasy and JRPGs form the core of our gameplay heritage."

While the gameplay draws heavily from JRPGs, Meurisse stressed their intent to forge a unique identity, particularly in art style. "We didn't want to mimic Japanese games with stylized manga-like or anime-like graphics. Instead, we aimed for an art direction inspired by our own influences," he explained. "This led us to the early 20th-century Belle Époque style with art deco elements blended with high fantasy. We went through several iterations to find our unique artistic voice, which helped us stand out."

Other Inspirations

In addition to JRPGs, Expedition 33 also incorporates elements from souls-like games, notably Sekiro, for its defense mechanics. "The defense system is inspired by Sekiro and From Software games," Meurisse said. "It includes a rhythmic element and a more real-time component, making it more skill-based."

The game also borrows from deckbuilding games in its battle sequences. "For instance, the concept of using action points for skills in battles is more akin to deckbuilding games than traditional RPG magic points or mana systems," Meurisse added.

First Character Trailer

As the release date approaches, Expedition 33 is set to introduce new characters weekly. On March 13, the game's official Twitter (X) account unveiled a trailer featuring Gustave, a resourceful and dedicated engineer from Lumière, who is poised to lead Expedition 33 in their mission to stop the Paintress from painting death again.

In the trailer, Gustave is shown wielding a sword and pistol as his primary combat weapons. He navigates the overworld with agility, jumping between points. The combat scenes reveal Gustave dealing substantial damage to enemies with a variety of skills at his disposal. However, the developers have yet to disclose full details on character roles and related mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is scheduled for release on April 24, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news by clicking on the article below!