During a postmortem event hosted by Epic Games Japan in Yokohama, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive reflected on the game’s inspirations, development philosophy, and plans for the future.
In interviews with AUTOMATON, Creative Director and CEO Guillaume Broche explained why the studio intends to remain small, discussed the team’s love of Japanese RPGs, and shared why limitations helped shape the game.
Broche said his biggest influences include Final Fantasy, Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, Atelier, and Tales of Vesperia, describing Final Fantasy VIII as one of his earliest gaming memories. He also cited Studio Ghibli films, particularly Spirited Away, along with Attack on Titan and Bleach as major inspirations behind Expedition 33‘s story, visual identity, and character designs.
According to Broche, one of the primary goals behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was creating the kind of large-scale, realistic turn-based RPG he felt had become increasingly rare after Lost Odyssey.
Broche also spoke about accepting the Game of the Year award, explaining why he specifically thanked Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. It made him fall in love with video games, which he said was potentially the most influential series of his life.
Broche contrasted Western RPGs, which often emphasize player choice and branching narratives, with Japanese RPGs that typically focus on a fixed cast and linear story. He said he personally prefers the latter because it allows developers to tell more focused stories with memorable characters.
The team also discussed the technology behind Expedition 33. Broche credited Unreal Engine 5, particularly its Blueprints visual scripting system, for allowing Sandfall’s small team to create a game that looked far larger than its headcount would suggest. Technical Artist Alexandre Breton added that the accessibility of Blueprints and the abundance of community resources made development significantly easier.
When asked about a potential Switch 2 version, Broche confirmed the studio is interested but said it is too early to announce anything. Co-founder and CTO Tom Guillermin described the project as a significant technical challenge due to the hardware’s lower performance compared to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, while Broche noted that several Unreal Engine 5 features currently used by the game are not supported on the platform.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the interview centered on the studio’s future. Sandfall currently employs around 26 developers, and Broche said he has no desire to dramatically expand the team. Broche argued that removing every production constraint would ultimately hurt the creative process.
He added that the focused scope of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a direct result of those constraints, helping every system and feature serve a clear purpose.
Although Sandfall has already begun work on its next project, Broche said it is still too early to reveal details. He described Expedition 33 as a six-year effort and said the team wants to recapture the same passion while experimenting with something new.
Lastly, the developers also reflected on the future of physical games following Sony’s announced plans to end PlayStation disc production in 2028. Broche called the move “a sad decision,” explaining that physical games remain an important part of the medium’s artistic value.
Despite the added production costs and logistical challenges, Sandfall pushed to release Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 physically because the team believed players would want to own a tangible copy.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
