Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the latest release from Sandfall Interactive, has taken the gaming world by storm, selling an impressive one million copies within just three days of its launch. The game takes you to a magical steampunk inspired version of Paris, filled with adventure in places like the Eiffel Tower and the Arc du Triomphe. As you walk through this magical city, you will go on a thrilling adventure story about the search to stop a peculiar villain called The Paintress.
In that way, the Paintress represents a different kind of danger. She comes out each year to kill one more than a player’s age, leaving players in a race against time. Players are hooked by the game’s riveting narrative. It currently ranks first on Spotify’s viral charts for its infectious soundtrack. It was scored by Lorien Testard, a production-finding success story of posts on Soundcloud. Like many contributors to the soundtrack, this is Testard’s debut in video game composition, illustrating the fresh new talent making waves in the industry.
French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the cultural significance of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, praising its artistic achievements and contribution to the gaming landscape. The project has been lauded across the board for its stunning production values. It has a competition now from massive AAA blockbusters produced by crews of 300, 400 or even 1000 developers.
Guillaume Broche, the founder of Sandfall Interactive, dedicated himself full-time to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, based in Montpellier, France. Initially, to build his team, Broche would just cold call people from Reddit and through online forums. While he started with concern over his ability to recruit, he recalled an unexpected excitement from people he reached out to.
“I have a list of 15 people to contact and I’m like: ‘Okay I’m probably going to get maybe no one at all,’” – Guillaume Broche.
To her surprise, Broche soon realized that countless others were more than ready to get in on the action.
“And every time the first one is like: ‘Yeah, let’s do it,’” – Guillaume Broche.
Jennifer Svedberg-Yen joined the team as well, having originally auditioned for one of the main roles in other early iterations of the game. She eventually moved into the role of lead writer and translator. Svedberg-Yen played a critical role in adapting the game for international audiences, ensuring that the narrative resonated across different cultures.
“I call this the Guillaume effect. He’s very good at finding really cool people,” – Jennifer Svedberg-Yen.
The team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 comprises primarily junior developers who have shown remarkable dedication and talent.
“We have, I think, an amazing team mostly of junior people but they are so incredibly invested in the project and talented,” – Guillaume Broche.
Svedberg-Yen underscored the collaborative spirit on the team, focusing on their passion for going above and beyond their job descriptions.
“And so we all pitch in and do different parts, things that may be outside of our traditional role,” – Jennifer Svedberg-Yen.
Broche attributes a good portion of the game’s success to recent advancements in game development technology. He asserts that these innovations have allowed teams of less manpower to be able to produce visually stunning, engaging content and even face off against large studios.
The voice cast for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features well-known actors, including Charlie Cox, Andy Serkis, Jennifer English, and Ben Starr, enhancing the game’s immersive experience. In Broche’s words, “Talent is the currency of this country.”
“Lorien, when we discussed the game for the first time, we had exactly the same references,” – Guillaume Broche.
He referred to their overlapping interests as a reason behind strong collaborative discussions and a unified artistic direction.
“We loved the same thing. We watched the same things. The discussion was so fluid,” – Guillaume Broche.
From players to critics, the game has been met with tidal wave of overwhelming positive praise. Its immersive narrative, beautiful artistry, and phenomenal score are what really win over players.
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