Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Says ‘Very Japanese’ Gameplay Makes No-Hit Runs Possible

Follow Us

The distinctive parry-based, turn-based combat of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has rapidly become one of its most talked-about features. According to creative director Guillaume Broche, the French team at Sandfall Interactive achieved this by leaning into a “very Japanese” philosophy during the game’s development.

In a recent conversation with Capcom legend Hiroyuki Kobayashi—now leading GPTRACK50—featured on Denfaminicogamer, Broche detailed this unique approach. Both developers noted that Expedition 33 essentially feels like a stylish, French-inspired Sekiro.

Broche observed that the game’s willingness to overwhelm players with high-stakes boss encounters is a rarity in modern Western game design. “One of the reasons I have such an affinity for JRPGs is that specific thrill of facing a massive hurdle and eventually conquering it,” Broche explained. “Even if a challenge seems insurmountable, I’m the type of player who will keep at it for days. The surge of power you feel after finally winning is incomparable.”

This design logic cuts both ways: if a boss can crush the player, the player should also be able to master the boss completely. Kobayashi pointed out that by meticulously studying enemy patterns, players might even be able to defeat the final boss at Level 1. Broche confirmed this, stating that Expedition 33 is built to be finished without the player taking a single point of damage.

“During the design phase, our litmus test for every mechanic was: ‘Is it possible to beat this boss flawlessly?'” Broche said. “If a mechanic made a ‘no-hit’ run impossible, we simply didn’t include it.”

The lead developer of Phantom Blade Zero recently noted that his takeaway from the Expedition 33 team was to “trim the fat” and focus on polishing the core action.