As a debut release for new studio Sandfall Interactive, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a miracle. Funded on a relatively small budget compared to most modern releases, the stunning turn-based RPG has done extraordinarily well, so much so that it’s creators still can’t believe the game’s level of success.
As the team works on an update to add even more content to the current game, many fans are already dreaming up what the company’s next title could possibly be. While some fans expect another RPG to be the team’s next project, that might not actually be the case.
Speaking to the Washington Post in a paywalled article, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche explained that Sandfall’s next game might not be another RPG. While the creative didn’t explain what genre the team is pursuing, they don’t want to be boxed into a specific genre.
“We don’t want to be constrained by story, art style or gameplay in whatever we want to make next, so nothing to say,” Broche told the outlet. “We just want it to feel authentic, and made with love.”
“We want to remain a kind of small art house, remaining small and agile.”
Broche notes that, while Expedition 33 certainly is a turn-based RPG, the game’s satisfying combat is unique by bringing in elements from Devil May Cry to spice up its combat. Just like you and I, the team plays and is inspired by many types of games, and they might not want to just pump out RPGs, even if they are of an extreme level of quality.
Alongside the flexible relationship with genre, Broche explained that Sandfall Interactive will also stay small for its next project. As an ex-Ubisoft developer with credits on massive open world games, Broche is well aware of what a massive scope can do to development, and that’s not a path Sandfall wishes to tread down.
“The normal path for any company when they get to be successful like this is to say, ‘Let’s grow bigger and hire more people,’” Broche said. “That’s not the route we want to go. We want to remain a kind of small art house, remaining small and agile where we just make games we love and want to play.”
At the time of writing, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the top contenders for this year’s annual Game of the Year at The Game Awards, alongside Death Stranding 2 and others.
