Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a great game. I like its presentation and combat, the writing is top-notch, and it has a soundtrack I’ve been humming to myself all week. As far as being a game goes, Expedition 33 is worth everyone’s time to check out, however, that’s not exactly what makes it stand out so prominently in my mind.
After reading about the story behind the creation of Clair Obscur, I have a new appreciation for its place in the industry. Expedition 33 has given me hope that the current problems the games industry is facing aren’t completely unfixable and that there are still plenty of success stories we’ve yet to see.
A Game Seemingly Inspired By Ubisoft
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was developed by a team of roughly 30 people at Sandfall Interactive, comprised of several ex-Ubisoft employees. The team has spoken many times about wanting to create something fresh, and you can’t help but think about how Ubisoft games may have influenced Clair Obscur’s development.
That’s not to say that Expedition 33 is trying to be like the standard Ubisoft game. Rather, it’s trying not to be like one. With how stagnant many of Ubisoft’s flagship series, like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry, have felt in recent years, it would make sense that former employees would be interested in breaking out of the typical open-world formula in favor of doing something a little bit riskier.
Clair Obscur wears its inspirations very clearly on its sleeves. Instead of just wallowing in them in an attempt to simply emulate the likes of old-school Final Fantasy, Persona, and the turn-based Mario games, Expedition 33 is able to stand out by making its own strong creative choices with its French-inspired setting and unique story.
It’s a transformative game that takes what’s come before and goes somewhere new with it, which is in stark contrast to Sandfall Interactive’s Ubisoft roots.
Punching Above Its Weight
On top of its creativity-first development style, Clair Obscur is priced at just $50, making it much more accessible in a year where gaming prices have done nothing but increase. Offering a 30+ hour indie experience that punches far above its weight class into the realm of triple-A for budget-pricing feels like a genuine achievement in the industry.
I’m not sure what Sandfall Interactive looks like when it comes to its budgeting, but all signs point to the studio beginning to crack the code on more sustainable game development in an era where budgets have done nothing but inflate.
Clair Obscur: A New Hope
There are so many things about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that feel good. It’s a critically acclaimed entry in a genre that’s started drying up in recent years, it was developed by people who don’t believe in the stagnance that’s come hand-in-hand with recent triple-A trends, and it seems to have been developed in a sustainable way that promotes studio growth, not executive payouts.
I’m doubtful that major publishers like Ubisoft or EA will see Clair Obscur’s success and completely change their unsustainable ways and decide to suddenly ditch their tired mega franchises. But I hope that developers working for major companies are able to see that there’s a different path they can take if they’re unhappy with the current industry. It’s much easier said than done, but Sandfall Interactive has proven it’s possible.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
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Kepler Interactive
