After a superb critical reception, Sandfall Interactive’s RPG debut, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has got off to a fine start with players as well.
Publisher Kepler Interactive announced over the weekend that the game had sold over one million units (including those shipped to retailers), and that didn’t even include those who played the game through Xbox Game Pass. French developer Sandfall Interactive was only formed in 2020.
It’s a powerful debut for a brand-new game from a new studio, and no doubt the high praise the game received last week, when the review embargo was lifted, made a significant impact on player curiosity.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Paints a Success Story
The story of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 concerns the dreadful power of the Paintress, a being who inscribes a cursed number on a monolith, which causes mass death. Each year, after she does this, an expedition is sent out to stop her before the following number can be painted. Unfortunately, they tend to fail…hard. Players lead the members of the titular Expedition 33 on their quest to finally destroy the Paintress.
The game world is heavily inspired by Belle Époque France, a late 1800s-early 1900s period in French history, and features a combat style that blends real-time and turn-based mechanics. Players and critics alike have noted how it reminds them of early 2000s JRPGs like Lost Odyssey, Final Fantasy X, and XIII in its structure, and it’s hard to disagree with those comparisons.
You can join the growing number of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam now, with a Game Pass option also available.
