The initial concept of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is much simpler than you might think

The founder and director of Sandfall Interactive tells in an interview what was the original germ of what, for many, is the GOTY of this year.

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In a recent interview with Japanese newspaper Gamemakers, Sandfall Interactive’s creative director, Guillaume Broche, shared the origins of the concept behind Clair Obscur Expedition 33, a game that has generated significant interest among players.

Broche explained that his original idea was to create a turn-based and photorealistic game, influenced by his passion for Japanese role-playing games and turn-based combat, as seen in titles like Final Fantasy 7, Final Fantasy 10, and the Atelier series.

A Photorealistic and Turn-Based JRPG

Broche’s inspiration stemmed from his desire to play games he loved with more realistic graphics. So, he decided to take matters into his own hands and start working on his own project. During his time at Ubisoft, Broche fell in love with the Unreal Engine, but his lack of experience as an engineer prevented him from advancing the project on his own. That’s when he asked for help from Tom Guillermin, who would later become the technical director and lead programmer at Sandfall Interactive.

Despite the success of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, Tom Guillermin has revealed that Sandfall Interactive has no plans to expand significantly. Instead, the company prefers to maintain its small team structure, even when taking on new projects. This decision reflects the company’s philosophy and focus on quality and dedication to their projects, rather than seeking rapid and massive growth.