Guillaume Broche, the director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, said that he drew inspiration from other projects. As an example, he cited the parry mechanic from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features turn-based combat, but that didn't stop Broche from implementing a parry system like Sekiro. "I wanted to do a turn-based game, but I was also kind of burnt out by turn-based games, so I wanted to make something that felt fresh," he told. "I was playing Sekiro on the side, and I was like, 'I love parrying. Why can’t I parry in my game?'"
The developer tested the idea on an early prototype of Expedition 33 and “everything just clicked.” Similar mechanics have already been seen in turn-based battles like Super Mario RPG and Lost Odyssey. However, Broche believes that the industry lacks turn-based games with realistic graphics, so he sees great potential in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
"It was a case of, if nobody is going to do it, I will do it," he said. "And I tried to make it more engaging for people who don’t necessarily like turn-based combat, while keeping the strategic core."
According to the creative director, his decisions will increase the involvement of gamers in the battle. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, you can not only parry, but also counterattack, and at later stages, even jump away from any enemy attack. "It gives a completely different feeling to turn-based combat when you have to read the animations", forcing you to remain "super-engaged in the battle."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to release in Spring 2025 on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series, including Game Pass.
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