When Call of Duty emerged as the king of first-person shooters, everyone chased that dragon to varying degrees of success. However, nobody could replicate the “lightning in a bottle” magic of the series at its peak. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild heralded an era of open-world games trying to emulate its greatness. (Annoyingly so, for the most part, but that’s another rant.) Well, Sandfall Interactive, I hope you’re ready. Because Clair Obscur Expedition 33 will likely usher in the renaissance of the turn-based RPG as the AAA world tries (and inevitably fails) to capture that special something you have.
And I’m not saying that to the talented, passionate developers aligned with AAA projects who put everything behind their work. No, I’m talking to the executives pulling the creative strings who, right now, are flabbergasted at Clair Obscur‘s success. “How the hell did a turn-based RPG ignite the gaming world? Nobody’s cared about that genre since, what, the ’90s?” And once they get over the initial shock, those cartoon dollar signs will appear behind their eyes. Then, as is tradition, a bunch of AAA games will try to jack Clair Obscur‘s swag, alongside AA and indie games that can actually compare and compete. You know why Call of Duty, Breath of the Wild, Clair Obscur, and every other industry-shaking title succeed and become flagbearers to be admired, envied, and emulated?
Because — and I’m only going to say it once — the only thing those games ever had to chase was the ambitions of the creatives who dared to dream and travel the paths the industry doesn’t view as “profitable.” Clair Obscur concerns itself with creativity. With the respect the medium deserves. It’s not a condescending, corporate-mandated checklist of trends and tropes.
wow, ‘clair obscur EXPEDITION 33’ SUCCEEDED BECAUSE SANDFALL GOT TO CRAFT A GAME THEY WANTED TO MAKE? INSANITY!
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 sold over one million copies within three days of its launch. Wanna see? It is pretty cool. More importantly, though? It’s a sign that gaming, no matter how many money-hungry fiends try to poison it, will always return to the creativity and passion that made it a billion-dollar business in the first place.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is everything AAA executives hate. It’s not copying anyone’s homework to maximize profits. It’s not nestled in a “safe” genre decided via market research. This is the result of creatives’ hopes and dreams. Of their faith in a vision that was theirs and theirs alone without external interference. To witness the rise of what I know will be an icon in the industry in real time gives me an immeasurable amount of hope in the medium’s future.
It’s everything I’ve loved about gaming since I booted up my PlayStation 1 for the very first time. Thank you, Sandfall. For showing creatives that their artistic talents still mean something. Clair Obscur Expedition 33, in lockstep with its themes, has shown the world the value of persevering against all odds. It’s a win for players and developers alike, and ideally, it’ll only continue reaching new milestones. And I’ll be rooting for it every step of the way.
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