Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director speaks about the dark fantasy RPG's stunning Unreal Engine 5 graphics: 'It’s a key foundation for the studio to really look for the latest technology'

GamesRPGClair Obscur Expedition 33Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director speaks about the dark fantasy RPG’s stunning Unreal Engine 5 graphics: ‘It’s a key foundation for the studio to really look for the latest technology’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a new RPG from Sandfall Interactive, lead character Maelle staring into the darkness

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Reveal Trailer - YouTubeWatch On

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | Reveal Trailer - YouTube

So, having recently sat down with the new RPG’s creative director, Guillaume Broche, for a hands-off demonstration of the game, I decided to ask him about the studio’s use of Unreal Engine 5 and what it brought to the table for the dev team.

“The production actually started six years ago on Unreal Engine 4, and we‘ve upgraded with every version that came out, and right now we are on Unreal Engine 5. We are big fans of Unreal Engine 5, because, right now, as we have told you, we are a very small team compared to the game we are making. We are a team of about 30 people. We are betting a lot on new technology to be able to achieve that, and I truly believe that five or six years ago it would have been impossible for a team of our size to make this.

“But now with the ecosystem of tech that exists, like with Unreal Engine 5, which saves us a lot of time on everything, like animation, rendering, and everything. For example, the MetaHumans (Unreal Engine 5’s framework tools for creating high fidelity digital humans) that we are using for the character’s face – of course, it is 100 per cent customised, but we start from the rig to do all the facial work and everything. So it’s definitely a huge help to help us achieve that. For us, it’s a key foundation for the studio to really look for the latest technology that the other studios have.”

Character models and lighting look fantastic in Expedition 33.(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 male hero Gustave, the leader of the team in this new turn-based RPG

Yes, sure, from what I’ve seen of the game so far, it’s not an expansive open world, but the character models, environments and how they are both lit truly is impressive, adding to the cinematic experience and flair of the game, which is already elevated thanks to its unique Belle Époque aesthetic. So, yeah, I’m excited to see more for sure, with Expedition 33 launching sometime in 2025, and here’s hoping my RTX 3090 Ti system is up the job of running this game as it deserves to be ran.

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