Expectation is one of the most dangerous elements in the video game space. Why say that? Simply put, if you put out something incredible, especially on your “first try” as a studio, you have set a high bar that fans will want to see raised every time you put out a new game. This has led to some incredible follow-ups, naturally, but it has also led to developers and publishers “following trends” to try and keep things fresh, instead of going off of what made them successful before. In the case of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, the team at Sandfall Interactive knows of this pitfall and is working to avoid it.
In a chat with EDGE Magazine, as noted by GamesRadar, Lead Writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen noted that she fully gets that due to the success of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, there will be plenty of people waiting in anticipation for what they do next, and that expectations will be high, as the studio’s inaugural title won Game of the Year at several places, including The Game Awards, alongside a plethora of other awards. However, she was quick to note that while fans will have their own ideas on what the team should do next, the team itself will ensure they follow the course they set out on when they first formed:
“Creatively, we’ve always let our North Star be our own personal taste in terms of what we think is cool, what it is we enjoy and want to see. I’ve seen too many TV shows and books be swayed trying to please a lot of people, and in the process you end up losing the heart of what’s there. So [we] feel like we need to trust our instincts and continue to trust the vision behind the studio.”
That might sound simplistic, but that’s what got Sandfall “to the dance” in the first place. The creator of the studio was a former Ubisoft worker who didn’t want to keep making the same games for the publisher, so he set out on his own to find a team that would make a game that followed what he thought was cool, like JRPGs. The results speak for themselves.
Passion and creativity are what make the video game space so special, and how Sandfall Interactive wove old and new concepts together to make something special is why it’s so beloved. Thus, we should absolutely let them keep doing what they’re doing and be excited for whatever they churn out next.