Clair Obscur Expedition 33, the first game from Montpellier-based studio Sandfall Interactive, has achieved impressive sales of two million copies in just 12 days. This turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics was launched on April 24 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and is available through Xbox Game Pass at release. The game has garnered acclaim from both critics and players, earning a Metacritic score of 92, making it the highest-rated game of the year ahead of anticipated titles like Blue Prince or Kingdom Come Deliverance 2. Even President Emmanuel Macron praised its success, describing it as an “excellent example of French audacity and creativity.”
Expedition 33 does not merely revisit the codes of JRPGs; it redefines them with a combat system that seamlessly integrates turn-based strategy and real-time actions such as dodges, parries, free aiming, and rhythmic combos. The game’s artistic direction is inspired by the Belle Époque era, blending surrealism with melancholy. The narrative centers around Expedition 33, a group of characters sentenced to die at age 33, who strive to break this cycle imposed by the enigmatic Painter, an entity that annually removes an age segment from the population. Although collector’s editions sold out quickly and there were criticisms regarding limited availability in France, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has achieved significant commercial and critical success. This demonstrates that a French independent studio can compete with major industry players.
