By The Phantom Thieves have made their move once more
It’s widely recognized that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative head Guillaume Broche is an avid enthusiast of Japanese RPGs — however, the Sandfall Interactive CEO has endorsed one particular game in a recent discussion.
“Persona 5 in particular is what I deem the finest game in existence regarding UI and combat aesthetics,” declares Broche, conversing with Japanese outlet Denfaminicogamer (as interpreted by Automaton).
He adds: “The manner in which the camera dynamically shifts with every action from the player, rendering it feel like you’re observing a film, made a significant impact on me.”
And it’s challenging to dispute, wouldn’t you agree? Atlus has been delivering some of the most visually captivating titles over the past few decades, and it’s likely we’d concur that Persona 5 stands out as the pinnacle in terms of design coherence. That said, the newer Persona 3 Reload and Metaphor: ReFantazio certainly provide strong competition.
If you’ve experienced Clair Obscur, you’ve undoubtedly perceived the influence — particularly in how the combat camera adjusts depending on your chosen moves. However, Broche emphasizes that he doesn’t intend to merely borrow concepts from other titles and recycle them.
“In the West, you occasionally encounter games that simply replicate elements of popular titles superficially, trying to achieve their success. Nevertheless, this approach only produces subpar imitations — and that was precisely the type of game I wanted to steer clear of creating,” he clarifies.
Considering how aesthetically remarkable Clair Obscur is, and the admiration Broche holds for timeless classics like Persona 5, we’re outspokenly asserting that the Sandfall Interactive team undoubtedly possesses exceptional taste. It will be very intriguing to see what the studio’s forthcoming project entails.
What are your thoughts on Broche’s statements? Do you believe the influence is evident in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Don’t forget to share your opinions in the comments section below.
[source news.denfaminicogamer.jp, via automaton-media.com]
Robert (or Rob if you prefer brevity) is an associate editor at Push Square, having been a PlayStation aficionado since the 90s, when Tekken 2 introduced him to the fantastic realm of video games. He still takes his fighting games earnestly, but RPGs are his true enthusiasm. The Witcher, Persona, Dragon Quest, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Trails, Tales — he’s delved into them all. Perhaps a tad too fervently, some might argue.