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Japan Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Uh-oh, is the rest of the world making JRPGs better than Japan?
Hailed as 2025's first bonafide game-of-the-year candidate, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 released on April 24 from out of absolutely nowhere. More surprisingly, its gameplay and narrative, heavily influenced by Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs), were crafted by a team with little to do with Japan at all. Developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sets the player in a Belle Epoque-inspired world devastated by an enigmatic apocalypse that annually culls survivors of progressively younger ages. As the game begins, the lone bastion city of Lumiere gathers to bid farewell to all 33-year-old residents as well as Expedition 33, the latest in a long line of doomed task forces charged with traveling to a distant continent where, it's believed, lies a solution to the deepening crisis. You'd be right for thinking none of that sounds particularly Japanese, but make no mistake: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not only a JRPG, a genre that has outstripped the geographical limitations its name might suggest, but it's quite possibly the best JRPG of the decade to date. So what even is a JRPG? In the 1980s and '90s, a cut-and-dry definition of 'role-playing games made in Japan' sufficed, but the gameplay mechanics established in this era — turn-based combat, an overworld punctuated by smaller dungeons and recruitable party members often differentiated by specializations like physical damage, magic-wielding or healing powers, etc. — came to define the genre as a whole. Aesthetics and narrative style also developed their own JRPG niches. The former increasingly took on anime-influenced character designs and voice acting idiosyncrasies, and the latter came to embrace predefined stories (as opposed to ones that change based on player choice) of ragtag groups of ostensibly ordinary adventurers drawn into world-altering struggles with kings, demons, gods and more. The tricky thing is that none of these elements are unique to JRPGs as a genre, and if one or more of them are missing, that doesn't necessarily disqualify a game from the label. More often than not, what separates a Western-style RPG like Baldur's Gate 3 from a JRPG like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — both developed by non-Japanese studios — is an 'I know it when I see it' litmus test, as ambiguous in some cases as it is foolproof in others. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's case, I see a JRPG when I look at this game, which raises a more pressing question than a debate over what is or isn't a JRPG: Why aren't Japanese developers cranking out the type of games that once made the genre the source of some of gaming's best efforts? While developers outside of Japan are making games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, some of the pillars of the country's domestic JRPG scene are focused on remakes and remasters. | SANDFALL INTERACTIVE By critical metrics, the last truly great Japanese-developed JRPG was 2016's Persona 5 (with honorable mention to 2019's Kingdom Hearts III). Last year's Metaphor: ReFantazio was an admirable stab at a new story and setting from former Persona devs, but otherwise, the domestic JRPG scene has since become dominated by remasters and remakes. Industry giant Square Enix is preoccupied not only with sticking the landing on the third and final installment of its multipart remake of 1997's Final Fantasy VII, but it's also working on a remake of the original Dragon Quest (1986) and Dragon Quest II (1988) — following up a similar reworking of Dragon Quest III (1988) released earlier this year. This is hardly a problem specific to Square Enix. Over at Nintendo, Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition released in March, remaking the 2015 game of the same name (setting aside the discussion of whether a 10-year-old game needs a remake at all). It's not that these remasters and re-releases make for objectively bad games, but they do little to move JRPGs as a genre forward. The plucky studios of Japan's past have since become or been subsumed into giant corporations, whose inexorable profit motive rewards commoditization of nostalgia over creative and financial risks aimed at the future. Meanwhile, developers outside Japan continue to experiment with the genre. In 2022, German developer Matthias Linda released Chained Echoes to critical acclaim, and in 2023, Sea of Stars, developed by Montreal-based Sabotage Studio, drew similarly high praise. These games were small in graphical scale, but they were original efforts that drew inspiration from JRPGs' earlier eras instead of repurposing and repacking them. Now, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has set a new high-water mark in modern JRPGs. The next mainline Dragon Quest game is still at least a year or two away from launch, and the Final Fantasy franchise has no releases planned for 2025. So if Japan is to answer the call set down by France's triumph, it just might have to be a daring unknown, a tried-and-true genre trope, that puts Japan-made JRPGs back on the map.
Express Tribune
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
French independent video game draws first fans
Independent French studio Sandfall Interactive's first video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched worldwide on Thursday and has already built up a solid community of fans eager to discover its post-apocalyptic fantasy world. According to Metacritic, which aggregates video games reviews, it had a 92 out of 100 "universal acclaim" score – the highest so far this year. More than a million players have also added the "turn-based" role-playing game to their wish-list, according to the company, which was set up in 2020 in Montpellier, southern France. One of the studio's three co-founders said the high numbers – rare for a game developed by an independent studio – were "extremely encouraging". "We are coming to the end of four years of production and even longer for some of us," Francois Meurisse told AFP a few days before the game's release. "We're now at a crucial moment," he added calmly. Sandfall Interactive's 20 or so employees sit serenely behind a bank of screens on the first floor of an Art Deco-style mansion in the southern coastal city of Montpellier. The building's high ceilings, marble-accented bathroom and large garden ideal for drinks fits perfectly with the fantasy "Belle Epoque" spirit of the game. For players, Expedition 33 starts in "Lumiere", a city on an island whose iconic buildings recall the real-life City of Light – Paris. But while passers-by are dressed in 1900s fashion, most of the buildings barely remain standing after a disaster whose nature is gradually revealed. Just as intriguing is a gigantic monolith which displays the number "34", corresponding to the age at which the city's inhabitants "fade away" and turn into flowers. Worse still, an enigmatic "Paintress" lowers this age every year, cutting life expectancy accordingly. As characters Gustave, Maelle, Lune, Sciel or Monaco, players must leave the island and explore a vast continent across the sea where, among forests and ruins, the heavily armed minions of the Paintress await. Between cinematic sequences, the player-explorer must fight fierce battles to try to reach level 33, which should take at least 30 hours, and twice as long to explore the entire universe and solve side puzzles. The story also provides its share of "unpredictable" twists and turns, according to its creators, who have chosen not to display an on-screen map allowing players to locate themselves. At the studio, Guillaume Broche holds the key role of "creative director" for the game, which he has overseen from start to finish and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. He conceived the adventure more than five years ago and wanted it to be a "role-playing" game, inspired by the famous Final Fantasy series but in an environment resembling late 19th, early 20th-century France. AFP
The Star
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
French independent studio's first video game draws fans
According to Metacritic, which aggregates video games reviews, it had a 92 out of 100 "universal acclaim" score – the highest so far this year. — Photography Ysis PERCQ/AFPTV/AFP MONTPELLIER: Independent French studio Sandfall Interactive's first video game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched worldwide on Thursday but has already built up a solid community of fans eager to discover its post-apocalyptic fantasy world. According to Metacritic, which aggregates video games reviews, it had a 92 out of 100 "universal acclaim" score – the highest so far this year. More than a million players have also added the "turn-based" role-playing game to their wish-list, according to the company, which was set up in 2020 in Montpellier, southern France. One of the studio's three co-founders said the high numbers – rare for a game developed by an independent studio – were "extremely encouraging". "We are coming to the end of four years of production and even longer for some of us," Francois Meurisse told AFP a few days before the game's release. "We're now at a crucial moment," he added calmly. Sandfall Interactive's 20 or so employees sit serenely behind a bank of screens on the first floor of an Art Deco-style mansion in the southern coastal city of Montpellier. The building's high ceilings, marble-accented bathroom and large garden ideal for drinks fits perfectly with the fantasy "Belle Epoque" spirit of the game. Fierce battles For players, Expedition 33 starts in "Lumiere", a city on an island whose iconic buildings recall the real-life City of Light – Paris. But while passers-by are dressed in 1900s fashion, most of the buildings barely remain standing after a disaster whose nature is gradually revealed. Just as intriguing is a gigantic monolith which displays the number "34", corresponding to the age at which the city's inhabitants "fade away" and turn into flowers. Worse still, an enigmatic "Paintress" lowers this age every year, cutting life expectancy accordingly. As characters Gustave, Maelle, Lune, Sciel or Monaco, players must leave the island and explore a vast continent across the sea where, among forests and ruins, the heavily armed minions of the Paintress await. Between cinematic sequences, the player-explorer must fight fierce battles to try to reach level 33, which should take at least 30 hours, and twice as long to explore the entire universe and solve side puzzles. The story also provides its share of "unpredictable" twists and turns, according to its creators, who have chosen not to display an on-screen map allowing players to locate themselves. Inspired by Final Fantasy At the studio, Guillaume Broche holds the key role of "creative director" for the game, which he has overseen from start to finish and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. He conceived the adventure more than five years ago and wanted it to be a "role-playing" game, inspired by the famous Final Fantasy series but in an environment resembling late 19th, early 20th-century France. Broche was working in Sweden for the French gaming giant Ubisoft and spoke to a colleague, Tom Guillermin, about the project. At the end of the first Covid lockdown, they teamed up with Meurisse and founded Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, which has a long-established video game industry. In 2022, the three young entrepreneurs were at a specialised trade show in San Francisco when they met London-based publisher Kepler Interactive. Kepler provided them with funding and took charge of marketing and distribution – and also helped them gain international recognition. In June last year, Microsoft announced that Expedition 33 would also be included on the release date in its Game Pass subscription service. Since then, interest and anticipation have grown. – AFP
eNCA
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- eNCA
French independent studio's first video game draws fans
Independent French studio Sandfall Interactive's first video game "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" launched worldwide on Thursday but has already built up a solid community of fans eager to discover its post-apocalyptic fantasy world. According to Metacritic, which aggregates video games reviews, it had a 92 out of 100 "universal acclaim" score -- the highest so far this year. More than a million players have also added the "turn-based" role-playing game to their wish-list, according to the company, which was set up in 2020 in Montpellier, southern France. One of the studio's three co-founders said the high numbers -- rare for a game developed by an independent studio -- were "extremely encouraging". "We are coming to the end of four years of production and even longer for some of us," Francois Meurisse told AFP a few days before the game's release. "We're now at a crucial moment," he added calmly. Sandfall Interactive's 20 or so employees sit serenely behind a bank of screens on the first floor of an Art Deco-style mansion in the southern coastal city of Montpellier. The building's high ceilings, marble-accented bathroom and large garden ideal for drinks fits perfectly with the fantasy "Belle Epoque" spirit of the game. - Fierce battles - For players, "Expedition 33" starts in "Lumiere", a city on an island whose iconic buildings recall the real-life City of Light -- Paris. But while passers-by are dressed in 1900s fashion, most of the buildings barely remain standing after a disaster whose nature is gradually revealed. Just as intriguing is a gigantic monolith which displays the number "34", corresponding to the age at which the city's inhabitants "fade away" and turn into flowers. AFP | GABRIEL BOUYS Worse still, an enigmatic "Paintress" lowers this age every year, cutting life expectancy accordingly. As characters Gustave, Maelle, Lune, Sciel or Monaco, players must leave the island and explore a vast continent across the sea where, among forests and ruins, the heavily armed minions of the Paintress await. Between cinematic sequences, the player-explorer must fight fierce battles to try to reach level 33, which should take at least 30 hours, and twice as long to explore the entire universe and solve side puzzles. The story also provides its share of "unpredictable" twists and turns, according to its creators, who have chosen not to display an on-screen map allowing players to locate themselves. - Inspired by 'Final Fantasy' - At the studio, Guillaume Broche holds the key role of "creative director" for the game, which he has overseen from start to finish and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. He conceived the adventure more than five years ago and wanted it to be a "role-playing" game, inspired by the famous "Final Fantasy" series but in an environment resembling late 19th, early 20th-century France. Broche was working in Sweden for the French gaming giant Ubisoft and spoke to a colleague, Tom Guillermin, about the project. AFP | GABRIEL BOUYS At the end of the first Covid lockdown, they teamed up with Meurisse and founded Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, which has a long-established video game industry. In 2022, the three young entrepreneurs were at a specialised trade show in San Francisco when they met London-based publisher Kepler Interactive. Kepler provided them with funding and took charge of marketing and distribution -- and also helped them gain international recognition. In June last year, Microsoft announced that "Expedition 33" would also be included on the release date in its Game Pass subscription service. Since then, interest and anticipation have grown. By Philippe Siuberski
Int'l Business Times
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
French Independent Studio's First Video Game Draws Fans
Independent French studio Sandfall Interactive's first video game "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" launched worldwide on Thursday but has already built up a solid community of fans eager to discover its post-apocalyptic fantasy world. According to Metacritic, which aggregates video games reviews, it had a 92 out of 100 "universal acclaim" score -- the highest so far this year. More than a million players have also added the "turn-based" role-playing game to their wish-list, according to the company, which was set up in 2020 in Montpellier, southern France. One of the studio's three co-founders said the high numbers -- rare for a game developed by an independent studio -- were "extremely encouraging". "We are coming to the end of four years of production and even longer for some of us," Francois Meurisse told AFP a few days before the game's release. "We're now at a crucial moment," he added calmly. Sandfall Interactive's 20 or so employees sit serenely behind a bank of screens on the first floor of an Art Deco-style mansion in the southern coastal city of Montpellier. The building's high ceilings, marble-accented bathroom and large garden ideal for drinks fits perfectly with the fantasy "Belle Epoque" spirit of the game. For players, "Expedition 33" starts in "Lumiere", a city on an island whose iconic buildings recall the real-life City of Light -- Paris. But while passers-by are dressed in 1900s fashion, most of the buildings barely remain standing after a disaster whose nature is gradually revealed. Just as intriguing is a gigantic monolith which displays the number "34", corresponding to the age at which the city's inhabitants "fade away" and turn into flowers. Worse still, an enigmatic "Paintress" lowers this age every year, cutting life expectancy accordingly. As characters Gustave, Maelle, Lune, Sciel or Monaco, players must leave the island and explore a vast continent across the sea where, among forests and ruins, the heavily armed minions of the Paintress await. Between cinematic sequences, the player-explorer must fight fierce battles to try to reach level 33, which should take at least 30 hours, and twice as long to explore the entire universe and solve side puzzles. The story also provides its share of "unpredictable" twists and turns, according to its creators, who have chosen not to display an on-screen map allowing players to locate themselves. At the studio, Guillaume Broche holds the key role of "creative director" for the game, which he has overseen from start to finish and is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. He conceived the adventure more than five years ago and wanted it to be a "role-playing" game, inspired by the famous "Final Fantasy" series but in an environment resembling late 19th, early 20th-century France. Broche was working in Sweden for the French gaming giant Ubisoft and spoke to a colleague, Tom Guillermin, about the project. At the end of the first Covid lockdown, they teamed up with Meurisse and founded Sandfall Interactive in Montpellier, which has a long-established video game industry. In 2022, the three young entrepreneurs were at a specialised trade show in San Francisco when they met London-based publisher Kepler Interactive. Kepler provided them with funding and took charge of marketing and distribution -- and also helped them gain international recognition. In June last year, Microsoft announced that "Expedition 33" would also be included on the release date in its Game Pass subscription service. Since then, interest and anticipation have grown. The game is set in a fantasy world resembling late 19th century, early 20th century France AFP Interest has been huge for the game, according to the company AFP
