If you've been following video game news at all lately, it's hard to have missed the two bombshells of the last few weeks. There's of course GTA 6, its postponement and its new trailer that everyone's talking about, but at the opposite end of the spectrum from Rockstar's blockbuster, another game is making a lot of noise: Clair Obscur Expedition 33. A true ode to art, dripping with love for video games, the RPG from French studio Sandfall is a hit. More than that, it's shaking up one of the biggest licenses in history, from which it draws a lot of inspiration in a sense: Final Fantasy. The reason? Fans are using Clair Obscur to prove Square Enix wrong on every count regarding the future of Final Fantasy. Things could well change...
Final Fantasy has completely changed, it's not what it used to be
Even hardcore Final Fantasy fans can't deny it, the franchise isn't what it used to be, for better or for worse. Since Final Fantasy 12 (not counting the online game just before) the cult saga has taken a turn, slowly but surely moving towards total action, abandoning what had made it so charming until the tenth episode: turn-based combat. Final Fantasy 13, FF15 and FF16 have mutated the gameplay to pure action. FF16 is actually closer to the Devil May Cry-style beat'em up than the traditional JRGP, which has almost become a fantasy in the collective imagination, as it seems so far away. Even the very good FF7 Remake has gone there, while the original game offered an excellent, very strategic, classic combat system.
For years now, fans have been screaming and demanding a return to the roots. This is heard, but brushed aside by Square Enix. The company believes that turn-based gameplay is a hindrance for games aimed at a general audience. In 2022, Naoki Yoshida, in the middle of promoting FF16, explained to Famitsu that the choice to focus on action was also due to the fact that young audiences "might not understand the appeal of selecting controls in games of the genre. »We can totally understand the maneuver given the stakes surrounding such productions. After all, a lot of players say they are resistant to this system, often categorized as being slow, not dynamic enough, or even downright soporific. Yet, in recent years, a number of games opting for a turn-based combat system have proven that it is possible to change opinion.
Turn-based is a brake? Yet a bunch of games have been hits, including a GOTY
While Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is obviously the trigger for this new wave of discussion, almost protest, other turn-based games are nevertheless very good examples of success, even if they offer turn-based games. We can immediately mention Persona 5 and its other version Persona 5 Royal, available for a while, even if the genre is a bit removed from the Final Fantasy style. The game is considered by many to be a masterpiece, praised by players and critics and now selling several million copies. Persona 5 has widely popularized the entire license, so much so that several spin-offs have been released, and even a remake of Persona 3. We can also mention Metaphor, a surprise from 2024 nominated several times at The Game Awards.
Here again we're talking about an extremely atypical game, and yet, it had a great launch on Steam in particular, in addition to receiving extremely positive feedback. Finally, how can we not talk about turn-based without mentioning Baldur's Gates 3? Yes, we're moving away from the JRPG here, we're very far from Final Fantasy, but we're still dealing with a combat system that initially put off more than one person, and yet!
Very tactical and strategic, the game really takes its time and some battles can last a while. Yet, Baldur's Gate 3 was crowned GOTY, it is still one of the most played games today on Steam in particular. Fans are legion and the game has sold by the pallets on all platforms. It will have achieved the feat of seducing players who are skeptical, or even totally resistant to the turn-based system, something that is happening at the moment with Clair Obscur Expedition 33.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 gives a boost to turn-based systems
The Sandfall game draws without holding back, nor hiding, from the great games like Final Fantasy and even Persona in a way. However, it manages to offer its own style, whether from a purely gameplay or artistic point of view. The result is clear: it's a resounding success. The turn-based battles are dynamic here thanks to a mechanic as old as the world: the QTEs. Intelligently placed, these keys, which must be pressed with the right timing, sometimes with a certain rhythm, force players to remain on their toes, active at all times.
Even when it's no longer our turn to play, we must dodge, parry, counterattack by hammering our keys with precision, sometimes for long seconds under a flurry of blows. Percussive, explosive blows, which give rise to successful animations and striking visual effects. This is how you give a fresh look to a game system that everyone thinks is out of its time.
Fans want change for their favorite license
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, but also surpasses them in several respects by daring to do what no one had dared to do until now: change things. Fans all agree on this: turn-based gaming is not dead, far from it and it has its place in major productions. It should no longer be limited to smaller productions. Fans are simply forced to turn away from certain licenses that were once spearheads in the genre, Final Fantasy at the forefront. It is for this reason, brandishing Chiaroscuro at every turn, that they are collectively giving a new rant in front of Square Enix's digital doors.
While some are obviously not holding back, not shying away from saying that "Chiaroscuro works on Final Fantasy" without batting an eyelid, others are fortunately more temperate. But the message is crystal clear: if a studio like Sandfall can pull off a feat like this, Square Enix is also fully capable of doing so.
Can the Final Fantasy series still change? In our opinion, yes.
Final Fantasy fans want, and even seem to need, a return to their roots. While the publisher and developers do not seem satisfied with the sales of FF16, there may be hope. As a reminder, Final Fantasy 16 sold nearly 3 million copies in a few days. Unfortunately, sales plummeted dramatically and began to stagnate. This is not great for a game of this caliber. However, the license still has time to change before the inevitable Final Fantasy 17, which will inevitably see the light of day at some point.
In the meantime, perhaps the franchise will try a couple of things. Perhaps with the potential return of Final Fantasy Tactics or even FF9 Remake, who knows. Both games are heavily rumored, but have never been officially confirmed as being in production. On the other hand, Square has never said they aren't either. In any case, Final Fantasy still has some cards to play, maybe it will listen to some of its fans for the sequel, time will tell.
Source: Famitsu via VGC, X.com
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