Future Classic
Modern games you’ll still be playing in years to come
As JRPGs either feel pressured to modernise or double down on the archaic, Sandfall Interactive, a new France-based studio made up of young fresh talent, not only pays tribute to the genre but triumphs with its own distinct French identity and razor-sharp battles
Words by Alan Wen
info
» System: PC, PS5, Xbox Series S/X
» Year: 2025
» Publisher: Kepler Interactive
» Developer: Sandfall Interactive
» Key People: Guillaume Broche, Nicholas Maxson-Francombe, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen.
Go Deeper
» The story is inspired by the 2004 French novel, La Horde Du Contrevent, about a group journeying to uncover a mystery, also following other failed expeditions.
» For writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen (originally hired as a voice actress) and composer Lorien Testard, this was their first professional gig in games
» [PlayStation 5] Counters are powerful but you must parry every hit in a sequence for it to activate.
CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33
THE BACKGROUND
It would be fair to say that no one expected a game like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to turn up in Xbox’s Summer Showcase in 2024, or any other showcase. This year already had several other big-name JRPGs on the calendar, such as Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, which proudly follow the genre’s traditions of turn-based commands. More divisive was the previous year when Final Fantasy XVI pivoted to full-blown action with perfect dodges and larger-than-life boss battles that feel more like a PlatinumGames joint.