A true phenomenon of 2025, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 benefited greatly from the inexperience of some of its creators, which turned into a strength for the studio.
On April 24, Chiaroscuro Expedition 33 will already celebrate its first anniversary. And the least we can say is that almost a year after its release, the Sandfall Interactive title continues to be talked about. Because after shining brightly during the end-of-year ceremonies, he was entitled to a big free updatewhich did not fail to rekindle discussions around the game. From both the players and the media, who then took this opportunity to go deeper behind the scenes of the creation of the game in the company of Sandfall.
When Clair Obscur benefits from the inexperience of its creators
And for good reason, if Clair Obscur Expedition 33 fascinates the industry so much, even beyond the intrinsic quality of its adventure, it is because it has a somewhat unusual production framework. Yes, at a time when certain companies only swear by AAA or AAAA, the small Montpellier studio was able to show that it was entirely possible to create a real phenomenon with fewer resources and a reduced team. A team which, moreover, includes multiple beginner developers in its ranks.
And for Michel Nora, head designer of Clair Obscur Expedition 33, what could then be considered a disadvantage ultimately turned out to be a real asset for the studio. « [Les jeunes employés] had no idea how a studio should be run or even how a game should be made” explained the Sandfall developer to Edge Magazine. “And they brought new ideas that proved very valuable for the rest of the project. So it turned out to be a good decision.”.
However, Nora recognizes that working with beginners was not always a deliberate choice for Sandfall, who had to make do with the means at hand. “This was also done somewhat by force” he acknowledges on this subject, before adding: “It’s almost impossible to hire accomplished developers if you don’t have the financial means, which wasn’t the case in the beginning”. And that’s also what helps make Clair Obscur Expedition 33 a great game. The studio’s ability to transform a weakness into a strength.
The studio really wanted to start from scratch
Moreover, François Meurisse did not hesitate to expand on the issue, specifying that this had also allowed Sandfall to progress in the development of the game with a completely new perspective. Something that is generally not possible with veteran developers, who inevitably keep certain habits from their previous experiences. « [Nous essayions] to create something new, and even new skills, from scratch” thus recalls the producer of Clair Obscur Expedition 33.
“I would say we did twice as much work, because it was the first time we had done things on this scale. [Mais nous avons] had the opportunity to research and implement the best ways of doing things” explains Meurisse. “I also collaborated and exchanged a lot with other teams in France, particularly in Montpellier, where many other independent studios are based. I find this industry great, because it promotes collaboration between companies rather than competition”.
A sharing of experience which will therefore have more than paid off for Sandfall which, thanks to a game like Clair Obscur Expedition 33, has proven to us that the absence of experience can also be good. But does this mean that the studio now intends to take advantage of this success to drastically move upmarket? Not necessarily if we are to believe previous interviews, where Guillaume Broche notably confided that he did not want expand the team too much to continue working in a select committee.
Source : Edge Magazine (via GamesRadar+)
