Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Is Not a Traditional JRPG
The developers say it is an FRPG rooted in French identity
Although many players initially see Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a game heavily inspired by traditional JRPGs, the development team has now made its stance crystal clear. According to the game’s creative director, the title was never intended to be a classic JRPG. Instead, it represents a distinctly French approach to role-playing games so much so that the team believes it may help define a new category: FRPG.
In an interview with DenFamiNicoGamer, later translated by GamesRadar+, Guillaume Broche, Creative Director at Sandfall Interactive, explained that while the team openly draws inspiration from Japanese RPGs, their goal was never to imitate them outright. He noted that many Western games aiming for a JRPG feel often recruit Japanese character designers or composers, or closely mimic Japanese aesthetics. Sandfall Interactive deliberately chose a different path.
Broche emphasized that the studio had no intention of copying Japanese design conventions, opting instead to fully embrace their own cultural identity. This philosophy was even reflected during their appearance at The Game Awards 2025, where the team famously took the stage wearing striped shirts, berets, and carrying baguettes. What seemed playful on the surface was actually a clear expression of the same mindset guiding the game’s development.
While Expedition 33’s gameplay systems may echo JRPG mechanics, nearly everything else from its world design to its narrative tone was crafted through a French creative lens. Broche described the project as an unapologetically “French game,” designed by French developers who wanted their cultural voice to be unmistakable.
This identity becomes especially clear once players step into the game itself. The environments, characters, and storytelling are steeped in a distinctly French atmosphere, evoking a sense of la belle France rather than traditional JRPG sensibilities. Broche also believes this approach is part of a growing movement, as more developers in France experiment with blending Japanese influences and Western identity to form what could become a recognizable FRPG trend.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a real-time turn-based RPG that follows a group of travelers tasked with hunting down The Paintress, a mysterious antagonist who inscribes an age each year causing everyone of that age to vanish. This year’s number is 33, forcing the group into a desperate mission to stop her before the tragedy repeats itself. Combat combines command-based mechanics with real-time movement, allowing players to dodge, counter, and chain combos during battles.
Rather than fitting neatly into existing genre labels, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 positions itself as something new an RPG that respects its inspirations while confidently standing apart. In doing so, it may be laying the groundwork for a new creative identity within the global RPG landscape.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a real-time turn-based RPG where players are a group of travelers tasked with finding The Painters, the villain known as the writer who mandates an age number every year to kill anyone of that age. The gameplay system is to enter commands to fight enemies and move to dodge or fight back to make combos at the same time. Origin
Origin: gamesradar
