Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will not cling a mini scheme to preserve its sense of discovery, says producer

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will not feature a minimap for exploration; however, a compass will be introduced within the open world layout for free.

The game’s producer and COO of Sandfall Interactive, Francois Meurisse, confirmed this to me at an Xbox event during this year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), following some feedback during previews indicating that navigating the environments was challenging.

“There won’t be mini maps in the levels,” Meurisse stated. “When a mini map is present, you may end up depending too much on it. Our goal is for players to explore the world as the expedition does. They lack a map because all prior expeditions have failed. So yes, at times it might be difficult to find your way.”

He went on to say: “What we included on the world map that wasn’t in the preview demo is merely a compass, allowing players to easily locate north and navigate more effectively.” There will also be an outline of your entire game world.

Since the game’s initial reveal, much has been noted regarding its JRPG influences from titles like Final Fantasy and Persona, particularly with its turn-based combat system and elegant menus. However, what significantly stood out to me from the preview was the impact of FromSoftware, both from Dark Souls and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. There are clear similarities: the satisfaction from a successful parry as the camera zooms for a dramatic slow-motion strike, as well as the weapon attribute scaling based on character statistics. Yet, it also manifests in the design of the stages – they may be more linear, but they certainly provide a similar feeling of getting lost in an overwhelming, hostile environment.

Meurisse elaborated that the game balances between rather linear, or semi-open levels with side path opportunities, which can be reached through the JRPG-style explorative world layout. This is intended to convey a focused narrative. “The design philosophy has some connections with FromSoftware games,” he stated, “where the levels are quite linear but possess a really intense atmosphere. While we don’t possess their mastery of systems, they were indeed an inspiration.”

The Souls influence was absolutely deliberate, Meurisse affirmed. Moreover, the game’s director, Guillaume Broche, isn’t just a great admirer of FromSoftware but was also a Sekiro speedrunner. “I hope we attract some positive feedback and players from that community,” Meurisse stated. “I eagerly anticipate seeing players attempt no damage runs, as it is technically feasible.”

The game’s turn-based combat is significantly inspired by RPGs but incorporates action elements, enabling players to parry and dodge adversary attacks. Instead of using mana or skill points for character abilities, the system provides characters a certain number of action points to utilize each turn. This was inspired by deck-building games, as Broche is indeed an avid Magic the Gathering player.

Beyond all these influences, the game also possesses a distinctly and authentic French flavor, from its costume design to the incorporation of French expressions in the dialogues – after all, the Montpellier-based team is mainly French. While the gameplay is evidently influenced by Japanese design, the team aimed not to replicate manga or anime visuals but rather to create its own unique style. “When you tell a story or envision a world, it’s typically beneficial to start from something you know well,” noted Meurisse, which led to the Belle Époque and Art Deco references.

“The desire to seek something more distinctive made it intuitive to connect with the artistic influences we were most familiar with, being French,” he added, “but it was not a specific studio directive to state ‘we are French, we want to create something'”