It seems like a lot of recent RPGs have tried to put a unique spin on traditional turn-based combat. For example, Final Fantasy 7 Remake And Renaissance took the classic ATB system from the original game and incorporated real-time action, and it’s a similar story with Trails through the dawn and its evolved ambush mechanics. Even Atlus’ next release Metaphor: ReFantazio has a system where you can use hack-and-slash gameplay to take out weaker enemies or gain an advantage over stronger enemies.
This is an interesting trend, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is arguably taking things to the next level. In case you forgot, it’s the rather mind-blowing RPG that was announced at the Xbox Summer Showcase last month, from French developer Sandfall Interactive.
The title’s launch trailer drew attention for its commitment to showcasing turn-based combat, a rarity when it comes to more realistic projects. “It’s been a while since there’s really been an attempt to make a turn-based RPG with high-fidelity graphics,” creative director Guillaume Broche said in an interview with the PlayStation Blog.
Broche begins: “At Sandfall Interactive, we all have a love for JRPGs like Final Fantasy, the Tales series, Lost Odyssey, and Persona with its awesome UI, pacing, and dynamic camera. We all have a lot of nostalgia and love for these kinds of games, but we also want to see something new in this genre.”
But despite the obvious influence of classic Japanese titles, it’s actually action games that could inject some real originality into Expedition 33’s turn-based combat. “We were inspired by action games like the Souls series, Devil May Cry, and NieR, and their rewarding gameplay was something we wanted to bring into a turn-based universe,” Broche explains. “When you play those games, you have to learn the attacks, timings, and weaknesses of each enemy encounter, and we wanted to bring that challenge into a new genre.” Sounds promising, right?
Broche continues: “The combat system is what is called a reactive turn-based system. You can take your time during combat to establish your strategies, but during the enemy’s turn, you will have to react in real time to dodge, jump or parry enemies in order to trigger a powerful counterattack.”
“The attack rhythm system is a mix of different inspirations. We wanted to create something fast-paced that fit the vision we had for battle. As soon as I finished the first prototype of the defense system, I knew it was something special,” he concludes.
So we have a typically tactical turn-based game system, but with skill-based action layered on top. And as Broche suggests, it doesn’t feel particularly artificial: it feels like a fundamental part of the battle.