Clair Subbur: Expedition 33 Producer Talk Inspiration: Fromsoftware, French Novel

Western RPG fans have already had some big releases this year, like the announcement and the just-announced Elder Scrolls: Forgotten remake. However, gamers looking for novel RPGs trying to break the mold will have another option when Clair Buckur: Expedition 33 is launched on April 24 – the game’s producer explained the player’s merchandise to me.

At GDC 2025, I have to play Expedition 33 for hours produced by French Studio Sandfall Interactive. With interaction-based turn-fighting and extensive stories about death, coupled with beautiful worlds and beautiful music, Expedition 33 seems to be expected to capture gamers looking for something different in their story-based games.

In the preview, I chatted with Sandfall Interactive’s co-founder and Expedition 33 producer François Meurisse, introducing influence, combat and art, which gave French studios a view of the dignified JRPG genre.

David Lumb (CNET): This is my first time getting into the game, and when I switch between windows it feels very moving about the dynamic menu of the RPG when I switch between windows. What was the inspiration for the team?

François Meurisse (Sandfall Interactive): There are some great games [Japanese RPG] Like the older Final Fantasy, inspiration – for example, Final Fantasy 10. But, for example, some huge inspiration from more modern JRPGs from Persona 5 (such as Persona 5).

From the characters, we draw this inspiration that every click is essential for action, but there are no extra game operations to achieve what you want to do. Each button you click triggers some camera movement. When you see some people playing, it’s almost action-based. We want to have this reaction-based turn feeling that enables turn-based games to get the best shape, but with a real-time feel.

DL: I really like the interaction of the combat system. How do you balance parrying and dodging, especially for players who may not be good at it?

FM: Therefore, the defense system is very demanding, but there are several defense options. For example, when you encounter a new enemy, learn their pattern and start with Dodge, which is easier in terms of timing. And, when you get the right time to perfect Dodge, you can try parry.

We are balanced now, but there are many different game styles and types of players. And, we have a wide variety of devices, different skills, different characters – so even if you don’t like Parry, or you’re not the best Dodge on Earth, you can have some specific passive effects or equipment based on your play style.

For example, I like dodge dodges, and I can have passive effects, which gives me additional action points to dodge rather than Paris. Or, I could focus on specific builds to trigger some state effects on the monster and cause heavy damage instead of relying on the defense system too much. If that’s not what I like [quick-time events] In Attack – You can enable automatic QTE in settings.

DL: Another thing about the game is art style. In the demo, I ran into this little white guy, almost clown with a head with a plaster bottle opener. What inspired this kind of art design?

FM: Throughout the game, we have more beauty finishes, Art Deco inspiration, so early 20th century France is mixed with high fantasy. This is the city we wanted at the beginning of the expedition, for the expedition, the manor.

Now, it’s a bit like an adventure into the wild, entering an undeveloped continent, which is very barbaric. Our Art Directors have chosen different inspirations for different enemies and environments – for example, the references to the enemies you mentioned are more like clay sculptures and organic shapes.

DL: This is a great choice – what will French studios bring to JRPG? What is French in the game?

FM: Therefore, it is definitely Lumiere [the city where the game begins and expeditions set out from]Eiffel Tower [in it]. Yes, there is a lot of feedback on French oaths, some names, artistic inspiration and some costume patterns.

DL: I feel like the one who ends up making the pain is the big villain, or at least the one you are looking for, a unique French enemy, not what we see in JRPG.

FM: Yes, maybe not. Anyway, the painman will reveal some secrets throughout the game.

DL: Do you also feel that Expedition 33 brings a JRPG we have never seen before?

FM: Of course, it’s the core RPG, but the game also gets inspiration from software inspiration such as defense systems or even some statistical systems or deck building. We took some inspiration and learned why it works so much in the games we love, but tried to make it your way with unique artistic directions, unique stories and unique characters.

DL: Can you tell me more about music? The combat music is especially great, I love to take part in the battle and hear the chorus elements. However, there are also some French parts with organs on the background.

FM: So Lorien [Testard]Our composers form a complete [original soundtrack] For the game. OST is huge, it will be up to several hours and has been working with us since the 2020 development. He does work side by side with the creation of the game. and Alice Duport-Percier, she is a composer and singer–her voice is great, she is a classical singer. Moreover, we have about 45 minutes of band recording with the French band.

DL: The time we’re going to chat is over, and I just want to focus on the game’s repetitive death themes, as the age limits of surviving humans become increasingly lower every year. What was the inspiration for the Dure theme?

FM: About the countdown [Broche, Sandfall Interactive CEO and creative director] Wake up one morning, although the idea might be cool. But the special inspiration behind the concept of adventure is a French novel called la horde du contrevent, [in English: The Horde of Counterwind]. It is not translated in other languages, but it is a French cult classic published in 2004.

This is a great novel about a group of warriors, such as the adventure of 20 or 30 people, trying to find the origin of the wind in the world, always blowing from the west to the east. Each expedition failed and they sent a new expedition. We like the idea of ​​this idea, such as trying to overcome what the best groups do in front of you, trying to find out the perspective they reach in the world, how they fail, will you succeed?

DL: OK, last question: What are you most excited about when the player picks up the game for the first time?

FM: Oh – I mean, everything, gameplay, world map. But personally, this story is great. I can’t wait to get to the end of the story, share theories about it, and discover the fate of the characters. Story, twists and turns, progress towards the pain – it gave me chill. Some voice actors [performances] It made me cry. So I can’t wait to hear their reaction.

Clair Subbur: Expedition 33 for PC, Xbox and PS5 appears on April 24.

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