Though Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s gameplay and storytelling are heavily inspired by old-school RPGs like Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series, Sandfall Interactive packed in a ton of side content that doesn’t quite fit with the main quest. As an example, one of the optional Gestral Beaches features the Only Up precision platforming minigame – intended as a surprise for players who venture off the beaten path. But even this, the developers say, comes from a place of nostalgia.
Talking to AUTOMATON Japan, creative director Guillaume Broche explains that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s variety of side content stems from a desire to recreate the feeling of surprise and discovery he felt from traditional RPGs he played back in the day. By adding extra optional bosses, new dialogue, and powerful gear, players are encouraged to explore the world. While the game is fairly linear at the start, it slowly introduces wider areas and more ways to explore. This freedom of exploration culminates at the beginning of Act 3, where Esquie regains his ability to fly.
The optional challenges and activities were added at different times within production, with ideas coming entirely from within the core development team at Sandfall. Broche explains that it was current technologies like Unreal Engine 5, along with the team’s ability to adapt to new ways of working, that allowed them to deliver a such a volume of optional content despite their small size.
The Only Up minigame was added during the final year of development, when the game was taking shape and the devs were more focused on adding rewarding and fun side content to round out the experience. Broche admits that the platforming minigame is one of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s biggest surprises, acknowledging that no one would expect anything like it in the middle of a turn-based RPG. This sense of humor is something Sandfall Interactive wanted to incorporate into the game where it made sense, considering how serious and emotional the main narrative can be sometimes.
While Broche says that most of the team’s ideas for side content were realized, there are some that were left out. He hints that these may come back in a future update for the game, which is a possibility since Sandfall Interactive just announced that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 will be getting a major free update that includes more costumes and a new playable environment filled with new enemies and bosses to overcome.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X|S.
