summary
- The game does not have a mini map to promote exploration using navigation that helps the compass.
- Expect challenging combat and level designs inspired by classic JRPGs and soul-like games.
- Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 combines real-time and turn-based mechanics.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks like a modern game, but its roots are the roots of classic JRPGs. Don’t expect the game to introduce one classic genre. It’s not for technical reasons, but for intentional gameplay design.
I’m mentioning minimap. We are confirming that developer Sandfall Interactive has confirmed that it will not be featured in the game.
Claire’s Unclear: Expedition 33 has no minimap, Sandfall explains why
Why doesn’t Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have no minimap? Producer and COO Francois Meurisse explained this in a chat with Eurogammer at the Xbox event held at the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC).
“There are no minimaps in the level. If you have minimaps, you can ultimately depend on them. And we want players to discover the world as the expedition does,” Meurisse said.
However, players will not be left groped in the dark as they confirm that Meurisse has added a compass to help the player. “What we add to the world map that wasn’t included in the preview demo is simply a compass, so it’s easy to find north and get directions more easily,” the producer points out. At the very least, RPGs have an overview map of the entire game world, but we still don’t know if this focuses on the area you’re in or just the game world.
Aside from games that don’t feature mini maps, expect that too to be a bit challenging. Sandfall has mentioned that not only is the game inspired by classic JRPGs such as Final Fantasy 7, FF8, but also that Software’s Sekiro plays the role of inspiring the game, as well as previously mentioned.
Some of the soul-like similarities to Sandfall’s turn-based RPGs allow players to zoom in on the camera and scale large slow-motion hits and weapon attributes based on character stats. Even the design of the level has a major impact on the window of the soul. Clair Obscur is more linear than Software’s games, but it brings out some inspiration. It still feels like the player is lost in a dangerous world.
Meurisse said, “The design approach has a link to the FromSoftware game, which is on a very linear level, but very intense level. There’s no mastery of the ideas they have, but it was part of the inspiration.” The trends that include soul-like influences come from the game’s director, Guillaume Brooch. He wasn’t a huge fan of FromSoftware’s games, and even Sekiro Speedrunner.
Meurisse hopes to get good feedback from the Souls community with Claire’s obscurity and can’t wait to see “no damage” because it’s “technically achievable.” Given that he is a rarely skilled soul-like speed runner, you won’t be surprised to see this feat being pulled away within the first three months of the game. This means that some Eldenling players can go through the game without hitting. Certainly they can do that in RPGs, right?
If you’re interested in RPGs, check out the hands-on preview to see why you’re excited to get this JRPG from the French development team.
This is from a small studio, but don’t think the delay will become part of the equation as Sandfall revealed that work was finished this weekend.
