Summary
There’s just no stoppingClair Obscur: Expedition 33, as it’s performed beyond everyone’s expectations. Fromselling a million copies on day-one, thebest-rated game of 2025to date, and even becoming thehighest-rated user-scored game on Metacritic ever, Sandfall Interactive has outdone itself. EvenFrench President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the team.
While the gripping story and stunning visuals play a big part in the appeal of the game, the highlight is undoubtedly the combat. It’s a unique blend that mixes turn-based combat, real-time dodging and parrying, and flashy animations. Such a unique approach is sure to have been inspired from somewhere, and game directorGuillaume Broche’s personal YouTube channelmay give us a hint.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Combat May Be Inspired By DMC 5
It’s evident that he’s a big fan of stylistic combat, as the animations in Clair Obscur have revealed. As for the dodging and parrying, the fact that he favours Dante’s Royal Guard style might give us a clue as to why he decided to incorporate it into his game. Of course, there’s a fundamental difference between the real-time combat of DMC 5 and the turn-based combat in Clair Obscur, but we can see where the inspiration comes from.
We’ve seen early footage of what Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was initially supposed to be. And, while the visuals and setting are vastly different from the final product, it’s evident that Broche knew what he wanted the combat to be right from inception. Could DMC 5 really have inspired one of the most popular games of the year? Broche hasn’t publicly said so, but his old YouTube page definitely makes it seem that way.
