„There's so much more to explore” Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans discuss what they would want out of a sequel

Today, word got out that the team behind Game of the Year contender, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive, doesn’t see the immensely popular RPG as a one-off. According to an interview with content creator MrMattyPlays on YouTube (originally spotted by TheGamer), director Guillaume Broche said, “Clair Obscur is the franchise name. Expedition 33 is one of the stories that we want to tell in this franchise.” The director did not get into any further detail about what another story in this world would look like, but given Expedition 33’s recent release, it’s likely still in the very early planning stages, and fans won’t get their hands on it for years to come. However, this leaves plenty of room for speculation. What would Expedition 33 fans want to see in another game?

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans discuss what they would want out of a sequel

Expedition 33 draws inspiration from classic Japanese RPGs, also known as JRPGs. Some of the first thoughts on fans’ minds were whether the team at Sandfall would want to mirror a series like Final Fantasy, where each game introduces new characters and new worlds, while sticking to many similar concepts. Would a follow-up to Expedition 33 be a direct sequel? Would it take place in the same world? Or would it be something completely different, but with the same feel as the original? Of course, this probably goes without saying, but be wary of potential spoilers.

Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a direct sequel, the director, Broche, does mention in the interview that when he “writes sequels,” he prefers to forget previous work, spotted by Eurogamer. On the surface, this appears to be a fairly definitive answer. But Broche doesn’t explicitly say he doesn’t want to do a sequel, or that he prefers not to do sequels, just that when writing a sequel, he doesn’t want his creativity to be held back by what happened in the original. Either way, debate quickly ensued about what fans would want to see in the next game.

Users on non-E33 subreddits are somewhat split. Some fans like the idea of an anthology series like Final Fantasy or Persona, writing: “I hope they go the FF route. I loved the world of E33, but I don’t think it needs expanding… they could keep Gestrals and some enemies like FF keeps Moogles, chocobos, and their many enemies.” On the other hand, others are interested in a more direct sequel, or at least exploring more of the same world, writing: “Going into the war would be pretty interesting to me. Painters vs writers.”

On the Expedition 33 subreddit, fans were more open to exploring the wider world that the game introduced, with one user writing: “I am satisfied with the conclusion of this game, but there’s definitely so much more to explore in the universe they built…” There is certainly plenty more to explore within this world, but ultimately it will be up to the team at Sandfall to decide what story is worth telling.

Expedition 33 has undoubtedly put Sandfall on the map. No matter what game they come up with next, they have established a loyal fanbase that will be there to support them, as one user exclaims on Reddit: “I will play anything you make, Sandfall my beloved…” adding three heart emojis. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not an easy legacy to live up to, but if anyone can do it, it’s Sandfall.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

April 24, 2025

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