Sandfall Interactive probably didn’t expect the reception that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ultimately received. Universal acclaim, five million copies (and counting) sold, multiple Game of the Year awards (even after losing out on the Indie Game Awards) – suffice it to say that whatever the studio ends up doing next will have a lot to live up to.
Studio COO and production director François Meurisse is acutely aware of this, telling Edge magazine in issue 419 (transcription via GamesRadar) that he feels “a bit of pressure.” Nevertheless, “it’s not so important” for the developer.
“We’ll have time to get really focused into the next game. We have some great ideas we’re so excited to explore, and we don’t start from the same point. The team already has five more years of experience. So maybe we can do some great stuff.”
Lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen agreed, though she admitted to being “a bit of a people pleaser, so it’s always in the back of my mind that we have a lot of fans now, and they have certain expectations and certain feelings towards the game.” While she’d be “lying if I said that I didn’t think about that at all,” the studio is ultimately marching to the beat of its own drum.
“Creatively, we’ve always let our North Star be our own personal taste in terms of what we think is cool, what it is we enjoy and want to see. I’ve seen too many TV shows and books be swayed trying to please a lot of people, and in the process, you end up losing the heart of what’s there. So [we] feel like we need to trust our instincts and continue to trust the vision behind the studio.”
Of course, Sandfall Interactive has yet to reveal what its next project will be, whether it’s a sequel to Expedition 33 or something brand new. Creative director Guillaume Broche previously said that the studio would continue making “stories that move people” and games that are “really honest and true.” And despite the overwhelming success of Clair Obscur, you shouldn’t expect the studio to suddenly balloon in size (at least for now).
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. You can check out our review here, and our thoughts on its big free “Thank You” update, which adds a new area, Endless Tower bosses, and much more.