How could the success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shape the future of JRPGs?

We’ve all seen the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 reviews and accolades, singing the praises of this one-of-a-kind Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG). Although Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 maintains the feel of the classic JRPGs it’s inspired by, the game has innovated the long-running genre.

This feature breaks down the main aspects that set it apart from existing JRPGs, outlining what future JRPGs could learn from the game’s success in terms of the characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, narrative, and worldbuilding, beginning with its turn-based combat.

Best in its class combat

The way the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 game delivers combat appeals to players who enjoy traditional turn-based combat systems, as well as those who favor action-packed hacking and slashing. Distancing itself from the majority of other JRPG titles, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 players have much more of an active role during every encounter. The timing-based actions offer more than just selecting the moves you want each character to perform. The need to parry, dodge, and jump as a character or with your entire party at once raises the stakes by testing your reaction time and means you have to stay engaged to win the fight. 

Combat is also rewarding. As you level up, your character’s movesets become stronger. Combining high-damage attacks with parrying executes a combo that deals serious damage, and each character in your party uses a unique combat system, which evolves the party as new members join, keeping battles fresh.

Lune’s Expedition 33 combat mechanics are based on five types of Elemental Stains: Ice, Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Light. Casting skills generate Stains, and some skills can consume Stains to become more powerful. This encourages players to switch between elements to maximize the effectiveness of her skills, actively altering the flow of combat and naturally allowing for experimentation. Players can also use Pictos to unlock new abilities for each character.

It seems obvious now, but why wouldn’t you want to participate in turn-based combat where you’re more actively involved in the fights? Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gameplay implements a turn-based system that’s so much better than having you choose an action to be performed by each character and watching what you’d expect to happen play out on screen. Expedition 33 is a prime example of how JRPGs can incorporate traditional turn-based combat while providing innovative mechanics and distinct character skills that engage players, preventing fatigue through system depth. 

Out with the open-world

Expedition 33 does involve exploration throughout its linear, structured levels. Biomes are vast and a feast for the eyes, making exploration worthwhile. The beautiful yet eerie streets of Lumiere are bustling with personality, while your journey to defeat the Paintress will take you to a colorful underwater biome known as the Flying Waters, a mythical Gestral Village, and so much more. Each location on the Expedition 33 map is memorable, even with the game taking approximately 25-30 hours to complete. 

JRPGs with vast open worlds that take hundreds of hours to explore seem to have become the norm in modern gaming. Although compact biomes sprawling with eye candy aren’t exactly new, Expedition 33 demonstrates that JRPGs can deliver enough side content without an elaborate, sprawling map, while ensuring that branching paths and collectibles remain a joy to discover. A bigger open-world JRPG may mean a longer playthrough, but that isn’t always for the better.

Another Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 gameplay feature that was once a staple in JRPGs is the overworld camera. The game incorporates the best aspects of the overworld perspective from classics to capture the breathtaking world through a new lens, making travel between levels more visually appealing. As a companion, Esquie helps you to swim, fly, and break through other parts of the continent. Esquie, having you travel the world through an overworld view, brings the environment together in a new light that maintains the awe from the start until the credits roll — without an extensive open-world. 

The risks and rewards of storytelling 

Wannabe heroes working together to defeat a common enemy has been done to death, but nothing can prepare you for the complex yet emotional Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 story. The premise of a Paintress who paints a number each year, resulting in everybody of that age disappearing, is enough to draw you in, but it doesn’t stop there. The game challenges you with a deep story of loss and sacrifice, while the consequences of the Paintress’ actions upend the societal setup we’re used to. 

Its haunting premise shrouds the story, which takes every opportunity to play on a fractured reality that still feels familiar. Here, we see what happens when a JRPG commits to its themes, rather than grabbing your attention at the beginning with an interesting narrative and relying solely on gameplay to carry players to the ending. Expedition 33’s gameplay masterfully conveyed its powerful storytelling, taking players through gripping twists and turns. The execution demonstrates that JRPGs shouldn’t be afraid to be bold; taking risks can elevate ideas (even if it means killing off a fan-favorite character in Act 1).

Characters grounded in humanity

The Persona series, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Sea of Stars are considered some of the best games in the JRPG genre. The characters in them, however, are extremely young. That works in their settings, but Expedition 33 was written for a mature audience. The characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are incredibly relatable, have genuine flaws, and have faced genuine hardships. Each character in your party has their own personality and trauma, something the game continuously dives into to make them resonate. As the relationships between characters grow meaningfully, there’s a further emotional connection between the player and the characters.

For a story-focused genre, JRPGs often don’t humanize dialogue enough. Dialogue between the Expedition 33 crew members excels beyond many games because it feels as if you’re involved in real conversations. Many scenes feature characters interrupting each other, you’ll run into awkward silences, and the characters’ mannerisms deepen immersion. It’s the subtle yet important details that make them genuine enough for the dialogue to be as dynamic as other areas of the game. Characters interact as if they’ve known one another for years, without having to overcompensate for the player.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is evidence that JRPGs don’t need to abandon their roots to bring out brand new, exceptional adventures. The fact that the game attracts players who aren’t usually fans of JRPGs or turn-based combat shows how the long-established genre hasn’t yet reached its full potential.