Creator of Final Fantasy 13 Learned About His Decisions in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive was developed as an homage to the Final Fantasy franchise — a series that rekindled interest in turn-based RPGs and inspired a new generation of players.

However, Naoki Hamaguchi, the game director behind Final Fantasy XIII and one of the leads on Final Fantasy VII Remake, argues that much of what Expedition 33 presents as novel was already realised in his trilogy.

In an interview he responded to the praise the combat system has received — a system where players can dodge or block attacks instead of passively waiting for the enemy’s turn.

“When I saw Clair Obscur I thought, ‘They implemented that in their game, but I remember we did something similar in Lightning Returns — the systems are very alike,’” Hamaguchi remarked.

He added that the acclaim for Clair Obscur’s combat mechanics is well-deserved — they do make the game compelling. At the same time, he urged players not to fixate solely on combat, noting the project also boasts other strengths worthy of recognition.

Source: iXBT.games