Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is Sekiro Meets Belle Époque Meets JRPG

Discover the inspirations behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an upcoming turn-based RPG that blends elements from classic JRPGs, souls-like games, and deckbuilding mechanics. Dive into the game's unique art style and get a glimpse of 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 innovative real-time mechanics to enhance player immersion and interaction. The game draws heavily from the rich tradition of JRPGs, particularly the Final Fantasy series. During the 2025 Game Developers Conference, GamesRadar+ had the opportunity to speak with Expedition 33 Producer François Meurisse about the game's inspirations.

Meurisse revealed that the game's director, Guillaume Broche, was influenced by childhood favorites such as Final Fantasy 10, as well as earlier PlayStation titles like Final Fantasy 7, 8, and 9. "Those are big childhood games for Guillaume, our game director," Meurisse explained. "He wanted to capture the essence that he imagined would have remained in modern Final Fantasy-like games, had they continued with turn-based mechanics. But he also mixed in a lot of different inspirations. Definitely, Final Fantasy and JRPGs are the preeminent gameplay heritage we have."

While the gameplay is rooted in JRPG traditions, Meurisse emphasized the team's desire to forge a unique identity. "On the art style in particular, we didn't want to mimic Japanese games with stylized manga-like or anime-like graphics," he said. "We wanted to create an art direction based on our own influences. That's how we arrived at the early 20th century Belle Époque inspiration, mixed with art deco elements and high fantasy. We went through several iterations to find our own uniqueness in the art, which really helped us to establish our distinctiveness."

Other Inspirations

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

Additionally, the game introduces mechanics inspired by deckbuilding games into its battle sequences. "For example, the idea of using action points for skills in battles is more inspired by deckbuilding games than the traditional magic points or mana systems found in RPGs," Meurisse elaborated.

First Character Trailer

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

The trailer showcases Gustave wielding a sword and pistol as his primary combat weapons. In the overworld, he is seen navigating and jumping between points. Combat footage reveals Gustave dealing significant damage to enemies and utilizing a variety of skills. However, the developers have yet to confirm specific details about character roles and related mechanics.

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