Sandfall Interactive’s award-winning turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is known for its gorgeous visuals and fantastic story that even its actors are still smitten with. However, part of being one of the best game of the year also requires you to be a fantastic game, which it thankfully is.
Speaking to Denfaminicogamer after taking home the Game of the Year Award at The Game Awards, game director Guillaume Broche explained that the entire point of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s intense, high-action battle system was to eliminate “frustrating deaths”.
“The reason why dying feels frustrating in typical turn-based RPGs is because luck is often involved,” Broche explained. “For example, the boss might just attack the wrong character and there’s nothing the player can do, or the boss has a random behaviour pattern that’s impossible to counter. Deaths like these lead to dissatisfaction among players.” (Translated by Automaton)
Broche explained that Sandfall went out of their way to design “a game that can be cleared without taking a single hit” through the use of pattern recognition, parries and proper equipment managing. The game director revealed that mechanics that were unfair or too luck-based were purposefully removed to allow players to have that power trip if they were good enough.
“Even if I’m told it’s impossible, I want to keep trying, even if it takes me three days.”
Sandfall Interactive’s Guillaume Broche
“Traditional turn-based RPGs feature a plethora of mechanics, such as status effects, buffs, and debuffs,” he said. “During the design phase, we first considered, ‘Can a boss using this mechanic be defeated without taking any damage?’ If the answer was no, we didn’t use that mechanic in the first place.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean every boss fight in the game is ridiculously easy… at least not for most of us. Just like in many JRPGs, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a number of “obviously overpowered” bosses in early areas for dedicated players to challenge, and that’s something Broche purposefully wanted in the game.
“In Western games, you don’t often see an obviously overpowered boss placed early on,” Broche said. “One of the reasons I love JRPGs is precisely this experience of challenging something and eventually overcoming it. Even if I’m told it’s impossible, I want to keep trying, even if it takes me three days. And when I finally win, I become overwhelmingly stronger. That feeling is irresistible.”
While every boss can be defeated without taking damage, Broche explained that they’re also designed for players to die once, learn and try again with new knowledge. As long as you’ve paid attention, and your reaction times are up to snuff, then you should be able to clear the game.
With Broche frequently discussing their love for JRPGs like Lost Odyssey and Final Fantasy X, it’s no surprise that the team has taken a lot of inspiration from the genre for its boss design. However, there’s also a unique Western spirit in there, making for one of the most wholly unique game experiences this generation.
