It’s no mystery that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been a great success, given that developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive have announced it’s already a million seller (despite being available on Game Pass, too). How does it compare to other JRPGs, though?
According to our analyst friend Rhys Elliott, who was often previously featured in exclusive interviews on Wccftech, it’s selling much faster, at least on Steam. Elliott, who recently left MIDiA Research to become Head of Market Analysis at Alinea Analytics, spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about the game’s surprising early sales compared to triple-A games like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a certified hit, officially selling more than one million copies. The announcement didn’t say players reached – it said copies sold. That was a choice, and I applaud the transparency. It’s worth noting that two of these are ports, but the data still speaks volumes for how much gamers are drawn to Expedition 33. The low price point likely also factored in, as our Steam data shows that many players bite the bullet when an AAA game goes on sale and drops below $50.
The same doesn’t quite apply to PlayStation sales, where Final Fantasy VII Rebirth sold four times faster at launch. However, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is still ahead of the rest of the pack. Besides, losing to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on PlayStation isn’t surprising, given the enormous hype surrounding that game ahead of its launch last year.
In the interview mentioned above, Elliott also pointed to the fact that several JRPG fans were waiting for such a realistic JRPG, even with its turn-based combat, in contrast to Square Enix’s public statements on the matter:
There was also an opening for a modern, realistic-looking JRPG. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has given RPG fans something they always wanted. If you asked Final Fantasy fans from the late ’90s/early ’00s what the ideal version of a JRPG should look like, it’d be something like this.
The reference is quite obvious. Back in June 2022, Final Fantasy XVI Producer Naoki Yoshida openly said that it is getting harder to mix turn-based combat and realistic graphics because they create a feeling of idiosyncrasy among some players. Indeed, that game focused strictly on action-based combat, shunning the series’ traditional turn-based system.
While I personally don’t fully disagree with Yoshida’s assessment, there is definitely still space for turn-based combat, especially if it is revamped with key innovations such as in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which features real-time dodges and parries.
Besides, this particular game is just too good at almost everything it does, as outlined in Wccftech’s 9.5/10 review:
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 may not be the most innovative role-playing game, but its core elements come together beautifully, delivering an emotional journey that is as moving as it is engaging and fun. It may be Sandfall Interactive’s first expedition, but the French developer has shown it has the passion and the chops to craft a memorable experience worthy of a Game of the Year nomination, if not the award itself.
