The folks over at Sandfall Interactive had a smash hit for its debut title. When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was first unveiled to the masses, most might have written it off. Others kept it in the back of their mind with other major games coming out into the marketplace in 2025. However, upon release, nothing could contain this beast from becoming the mega hit it deserved to be.
Fans worldwide rejoiced and praised the development team. They crafted such a thrilling storyline and captivating gameplay experience. We’ve seen more than a few fans who enjoyed this game while despising the typical JRPG gameplay genre. The magic that Sandfall Interactive placed in this title will go down in history as a must-play classic.
However, it’s also a window looking back at some of the more iconic genres the game’s roots are based in. JRPGs are not anywhere near as popular as they once were. That’s according to the developers who crafted this game. While it might have a new surge of interest thanks to Sandfall Interactive, they still feel there’s some prejudice for the genre.
Sandfall Interactive Developers Talk JRPG Prejudice
Speaking with Auomaton-Media, Guillaume Broche and Tom Guillermin were asked about JRPGs. For those unaware by name, these two are the creative director and lead programmer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. So who better to ask about their decision to go with a classic JRPG style approach for the game?
I could talk about the prejudice forever. Personally speaking, I think Japanese turn-based RPGs were super popular up until the Xbox 360 era. But around the time open-world games started getting more popular through gaming media, [JRPGs] started being considered “uncool.” While they do still sell a large number of copies, with the Persona series as a prime example, I feel like the prejudice against turn-based RPGs isn’t completely gone. – Guillaume Broche
We’re certainly expecting a lot more attention to go into JRPGs in the future. Whenever we see a hit title experience come out, developers are looking to capitalize on player interest. Of course, just how well those games compare to Sandfall Interactive’s hit title is anyone’s guess. These developers certainly raised the bar for those looking to provide a similar gameplay experience.
Of course, we’re all waiting to find out what the studio is going to bring out next. We already know that they are not keen on expanding the studio size. Instead, they will keep it the same as they work through likely the next game and more importantly, the first DLC of this title. While we’re clueless on what to expect on both of those fronts, the team did recently offer a fan-requested feature update for the game.
