Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had a trailer so compelling that upon seeing it, I instantly went to all the group chats I take part in (a singular Discord server) to extol it, urging my friends to look at it again on YouTube.
After rewatching the trailer for this piece, I am much more excited. There’s a number of energy in a very good trailer and Clair Obscur’s reveal did all the things completely. We bought a style of what is distinctive in regards to the setting, we noticed the stakes our characters are going through and we bought an ending that left us wanting extra. All of that is accompanied by a fascinating observe that mixes a classical, operatic really feel with the rising rigidity of an anime opening.
Belle Époque
Clair Obscur is the debut title of Sandfall Interactive, a French studio based in 2020 with an eye fixed for “single-player experiences.” The premise of the sport is a Paintress awakens annually and paints a quantity, inflicting each particular person with the age of that quantity to vanish Thanos-style. Expeditions to cease the Paintress are despatched yearly, with our celebration being Expedition 33 because the title suggests.
I am virtually sure already that the Paintress will not be some evil, tyrannical being. She’s in all probability defending the world from an much more apocalyptic pressure; that is often how these narratives twist. That is the fantastic thing about it, although. There’s going to be a thriller to unravel, it isn’t going to be as black and white as offered. Why is the Paintress doing this? What is the significance of the numbers? We’re in all probability not going to search out out however I’m wondering what occurs when she paints a zero.
The trailer opens with an overgrown and disproportionate depiction of Paris, a lopsided Eiffel Tower standing (leaning) at its centre. Based on Sandfall, Clair Obscur is impressed by Belle Époque, the ‘stunning period’ of France that lasted from the top of the Franco-Prussian Conflict in 1971 to the outbreak of World Conflict I in 1914. That vibe is definitely coming throughout within the trailer, as we see well-dressed characters mourn the lack of the Paintress’s victims in flowery, paved streets.
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It is at all times good to see studios leveraging their very own cultural context to create artwork, and I anticipate the French-based Sandfall goes to create an exquisite depiction of Belle Époque. This era is characterised by cultural enlightenment so anticipate to see a number of artwork nouveau and post-impressionism.
We see some gameplay, too. Our curly-haired potential protagonist walks alongside varied environments staring on the sky, showcasing among the visible potential of the sport. You are additionally seen taking part in as a brown-haired girl, doubtlessly which means we are able to change our lead character as in a JRPG.
The fight system on show is distinctly Japanese, additionally. It seems to be a Satan Might Cry-esque turn-based system with quick-time occasions, presumably for more practical assaults or further harm. I am keen on extra dynamic takes on turn-based fight, it is one thing I totally loved in Sea of Stars. Within the trailer, there are three celebration members in fight, all three of which we see in snippets of cutscenes. It is a minor element however I respect the menus that type of float dynamically in entrance of the character whose flip it’s. It provides a way of motion to a static part of the sport.
The reveal trailer is a constructive begin to the advertising and marketing journey of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I am excited, and I’ve seen fairly just a few others who’re equally as invested on social media. The sport is scheduled for launch someday subsequent yr, and I am desperate to see if Sandfall can preserve this momentum going ahead.
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