In an interview with Final Fantasy 15 creator, Hajime Tabata, the director of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 explained how JRPGs influenced the upcoming game. The Sandfall Interactive developer also revealed how FFXV‘s iconic “bro road trip” storyline has similarities to Clair Obscur‘s characters.

How JRPGs Influenced ‘Clair Obscur’

In a recent sit-down conversation with Den-fami Nico Gamer, Sandfall Interactive’s CEO, Guillaume Broche, discussed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 with Hajime Tabata. During the interview, Guillaume opened up about his favorite thing about Final Fantasy XV and how Clair Obscur incorporated similar elements.

“I personally love Final Fantasy XV, but if you ask me what I like best, it’s the scene where the four main characters are talking. I especially love the scene where the guys are messing around in the car. Seeing these interactions makes you feel closer to the characters. Those casual scenes become memories with the characters. So, we made the characters [in Clair Obscur] more relatable to players by including scenes of everyday life. Scenes where the characters goof around and highlight their individual personalities. We think that these elements play a role in getting closer to the players.”

Hajime Tabata also noticed the similarities. “When I saw the gameplay of Clair Obscur just now, I thought, If some unique characters were added to this, it would create an atmosphere closer to the Final Fantasy setting.” Interestingly, the two developers agreed that players tend to “create the story” in Western RPGs. Whereas in JRPGs, they are more so passively experiencing the story as a “viewer.”

It’s Shaping Up To Be one of the best RPGs in Years

I don’t expect Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to have a fun road trip at the center of its dark story. However, it sounds like the RPG has really focused on the characters’ relationships, like Final Fantasy 15 did with Noctis and his friends. It’s interesting because in our own preview of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the game was giving off serious Final Fantasy 7 vibes. When you factor in the game’s flashy Persona combat and unique story? The upcoming RPG really is ticking all the boxes.

The Sandfall Interactive developer also revealed the game’s runtime. Which will settle around “30 hours,” as well as an additional “30 hours of side content.” As someone who has to complete everything in my RPGs, a 60-hour adventure is perfect. Still not convinced? Guillaume gets major cred from me, as he shouted out the music from Balamb Garden in Final Fantasy 8. It’s clear the studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is crafting a love letter to some of the best JRPGs. And I’m excited as hell for it.