Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Puts the Ball Back in Final Fantasy's Court

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proves turn-based RPGs still have a place, offering a fresh blend of strategy and action that modern games rarely attempt.

[gold_drake]

please

square won't let final fantasy go back to turn based.

they even said so in interviews that they dont want to repeat things and always oush for new things.

like imagine the remake 7 games be like expedition 33. fuck, i cant even imagine it ha

[Levii_92]

And amen to that. Not because turn based combat is bad or anything like that (even though prefer real time over turn based) any day, Expedition 33 proves it can still kick ass and work great in todays gaming world. I say amen to that because i’m a sort of person that always prefer variety and developers doing something new and not to rest on thier laurels. Especially when said developers (Square Enix) were doing that thing for almost thirty years.. i don’t want them to go back to the past and they don’t need to. And also they don’t need to cater to the small minority that are hoplessly stuck in the past wanting their obtuse niche thing to come back while everyone else is more than fine with FF being real time combat *cough* fixed camera RE fans *cough*.

So yeah both Expedition and Rebirth have top tier combat and are the best of what the genre has to offer.

[victorMaje]

Rookie take.
Got nothing to do with being stuck in the past. It’s a combat gameplay type preference. E33 proves Square could’ve evolved turn based for FF & still gotten success, but they didn’t think of it, & went for the easier & more commercial option.

Personally I think if FFXVI or 7/R had E33s turn based combat it would’ve been a masterstroke for the games.

[AsunaYuukiTheFlash]

It would have been better if that was the case. Turn Based is better than mindless action games.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I honestly find it easier to gimp action games than I do turn based.

[Miraak82]

I think everyone has lost sight of what we really lost , it's not the turned based aspect but the partied system (FF7 re:series gets this right while being action) , 11,14, 15 and 16 was like playing KH where you couldn't play anyone but the main character .

I love being able to play as a whole cast of characters with unique play styles while customizing and altering teams compositions . It's like the main thing I want from 17 .

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I also miss having control over a whole party, the current gameplay just makes it feels like a western RPG in some aspects.

[gold_drake]

what bothers me personally about square is, they saw how well dragon quest 11 sold (7mio) and didnt just go "oh so people really like turn based fighting system" but instead were like "oh final fantasy? nah, ACTION"

its madness how purposely they lost their way and their fans in the progress haha.

not all games need to be turned based, thats true, but they definitely shat on final fantasys legacy and went a completely different way

[neutralgamer1992]

Why FF needs to go back when by going real time fans like me bought the game into millions? There are enough turn base games so why people keep asking SE to go back. Here is a fact but very unpopular opinion

Compared to turn base games real time combat is more appealing and those games tend to sell more. That's why publishers that use to make games using TBC have moved away from that. Also another reason is tech back in the day couldn't handle all the cool real time combat movement but now with platforms much more powerful developers can make the combat in real time and achieve the cool factor

there is evidence suggesting that real-time combat games tend to have a broader appeal and often sell better than turn-based combat games, particularly in the mainstream and action-oriented markets. Here are some key points supported by industry trends and data:

1. Sales Data Trends

Franchises with real-time combat like Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Elden Ring, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild consistently top sales charts. For example:

Elden Ring (real-time action RPG) sold over 20 million copies in its first year.

Final Fantasy XV (real-time) outsold its turn-based predecessors by a significant margin.

Turn-based franchises, such as Fire Emblem or Persona, though critically acclaimed, tend to have niche audiences and more modest sales (e.g., Persona 5 sold ~9 million units over several years).

2. Wider Appeal

Real-time combat is often perceived as more intuitive, dynamic, and exciting, especially for players who prefer fast-paced gameplay.

Real-time games tend to attract casual gamers who may not enjoy the slower, strategic pacing of turn-based systems.

3. Shift in Design Philosophy

Many traditionally turn-based franchises have shifted to real-time or hybrid combat systems to reach wider audiences (e.g., Final Fantasy VII Remake, Dragon Age: Origins → Inquisition, Yakuza: Like a Dragon experimenting in reverse).

Developers often cite market demand and player engagement metrics as reasons for the shift.

4. Genre Differences

Turn-based combat is still strong in genres like strategy, tactics, or traditional JRPGs, but these genres tend to cater to more dedicated or niche audiences.

Real-time combat dominates action, shooter, open-world, and mainstream RPG genres.

Summary

While turn-based combat has loyal fans and can be critically successful, real-time combat games generally sell better and appeal to a broader audience, especially in today's more action-oriented gaming landscape

[gold_drake]

persona 5 would disagree with you.

i agree with you on the broader audience, but 16s sales and the remake sales show a difference picture, for the final fantasy franchise.

which is all we are talking about.

[neutralgamer1992]

Gold

My comment mentioned persona 5. Selling 9 million over multiple years isn't better than selling 5 million in first 30 days. Initial 60-90 days is when companies sell their games at full price to receive the maximum profits

As far as square Enix goes they were unhappy with tomb raider reboot selling 7.5 million. So their standard must be something crazy high. My point stands as a company you will appeal to a much wider audience if your game isn't TBC

[Pedantic91]

Well you successfully baited me into giving you a click so congrats on that, migth as well see what it's about.

" Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 revolutionized turn-based RPGs with immersive real-time mechanics. "

In what way? Legend of Dragoon kind of way? maybe Shadow Hearts-esque? or maybe some other turn based game with a timing mechanic?

"The game's success challenges the notion that turn-based games are outdated or unpopular"

Not really? We're talking about the company that spent nearly little over 2 decades doing just that along with a myriad of experimental games mixing both old and new idea, and they STILL do it for their other franchise whose name is strangely missing in the article.

"its ability to incorporate real-time mechanics into the formula, and to do so in a balanced way"

Incorporating a parrying mechanic, that requires actual timing form the player is not what i would call balanced. Wanna guess what the most popular mod for this game is? Easier dodge and parry, making it even closer to a classic turn-based by reducing what made it (not so)unique.

"Now, it's Final Fantasy 17's turn to prove Final Fantasy still one of the best RPG franchises out there."

I won't disagree that FFXVI was divisive, but i do believe FF7 remake and Rebirth has a pretty good base for what FFXVII should look towards, maybe even take a peak at Falcom and their latest title for some inspiration. As for the "longtime fans not ready to say goodbye to turn based combat", id argue they said goodbye after FFXIII and i don't think it's because turn based wasn't as attractive but rather age and a newer generation taking place.

[GhostScholar]

Even the hardcore final fantasy fans didn’t like the departure from turn based. It’s great you did but you’re definitely not the core final fantasy fans. You’re just a contrarian trying to find a way to invalidate Clair Obscur because you’re a typical troll who lives with mommy and daddy at 30.

[MrNinosan]

I'm part of the Hard Core Final Fantasy fans, and imo the best fighting system from the franchise is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth followed by FFX-2.

I love turn based, but haven't missed it at all and I have adapt playstyle with wach Final Fantasy, just the way Square have.

I still love turn based, when done right, like Infinte Wealth and Expedition 33, but I wouldn't like that for Rebirth or future Final Fantasy games.

[MDTunkown]

Balatro showed no gameplay is outdated and with enough polish you can make an interesting game.

[RhinoGamer88]

Square laughs at your arrogance. Japan only cares about the sacred creator(s) vision...not fans of their games.

[PapaBop]

E33 could end up selling more copies than FF7r, Rebirth and 16 combined and Square still wouldn't even consider going back to turn based. In their eyes, turn based is niche, nothing will change that perception I don't think. I don't mind what they're doing with FF combat these days but I really do hope E33 inspires more developers to take chances and come up with new inspired turn based combat systems.

[GhostScholar]

Clair Obscur does final
Fantasy better than final fantasy. That’s a generational caliber game. Best jrpg in years. Seas of stars also did classic final fantasy better than square.

[Samonuske]

Expedition 33 is fantastic, but the only thing this goes to show that people are too obsessed Final Fantasy as a franchise being turn based. When in fact over the last decade we’ve had multiple turn based successes that have shown that we can get that fix from anywhere. Unless you only play Final Fantasy games, then it’s just on you missing out on some brilliant turn based games.

[TheColbertinator]

Not really. Square Enix isn't looking for the audience of CO33.

No, the audience they want is the audience that prefers Call of Duty or Fortnite or Marvel Rivals. Endless cash cows that they can milk and manipulate through barely acceptable content. Prestige and quality is pointless to them. All they want is cold profit and exponential stock growth. So they want action based FF games to take them there since investors, shareholders and focus groups are the only people they listen to anymore.

[victorMaje]

Great game. The more I play the more I feel this is what the new FFs turn based combat should’ve evolved to, it’s *chef’s kiss*

[dmonee]

The fact that its only $50 is what intrigued me. Its better then most $70 games. That should be the story. How did they manage to make a game like this with a small team, some outsourced talent, and only charge the $50?

[Docmortem]

Hope Square takes notes for its turn-based-games. E33 got rid of everything annoying about Square games. Grown up story. Less annoying tropes. Conversations that make sense and are meaningful. No grind. No filler. No overstaying its welcome.

[CrimsonWing69]

This game is good, but wtf, why are we acting like it’s the only turn-based JarPG to come out? I’ve been playing Persona 3 Reload, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and SMT V and I’ll be real, I think they’re better than this. This game is starting to get overrated, now.

And I can only speak for myself, but I would choose FF7 Remake and Rebirth over this game, any day of the week.

[babadivad]

They won't learn the lesson.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Modern FF games have other issues besides gameplay, for me, it's a range of factors, like not feeling like RPGs anymore, lack of lived in and interesting towns and locales, lack of mini games, interesting side quests and legendary weapons, lack of good stories and characters...

This is why modern FF is so unappealing to me, even Kingdom Hearts is having this issue (moreso KH3 than any other game).

[jznrpg]

In my opinion devs should make the games they want. If they start listening to fans it will end up a mess because you can not please everyone.

[Jigga69]

Well Final Fantasy VII and Clair Obscur are my favorite games of all time. No others game impressed me as much.