One of the video games I’m most trying ahead to proper now in 2025 is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a unique-looking new darkish fantasy RPG being created by Sandfall Interactive. This is not only as a result of it affords a gameplay expertise near that of a traditional Final Fantasy or, in fight, a Persona recreation, of which I’m an enormous fan, nor that the sport sports activities a really distinctive twisted Belle Époque aesthetic. But additionally as a result of it’s utilizing Unreal Engine 5, and meaning its graphics look implausible, with notably delicate lighting results and extremely detailed textures. Check out the trailer beneath to get a style.
Watch On
So, having not too long ago sat down with the brand new RPG’s inventive director, Guillaume Broche, for a hands-off demonstration of the sport, I made a decision to ask him in regards to the studio’s use of Unreal Engine 5 and what it dropped at the desk for the dev staff.
“The manufacturing truly began six years in the past on Unreal Engine 4, and we‘ve upgraded with each model that got here out, and proper now we’re on Unreal Engine 5. We are massive followers of Unreal Engine 5, as a result of, proper now, as now we have instructed you, we’re a really small staff in comparison with the sport we’re making. We are a staff of about 30 individuals. We are betting quite a bit on new know-how to have the ability to obtain that, and I actually consider that 5 – 6 years in the past it will have been not possible for a staff of our measurement to make this.
“But now with the ecosystem of tech that exists, like with Unreal Engine 5, which saves us loads of time on every thing, like animation, rendering, and every thing. For instance, the MetaHumans (Unreal Engine 5’s framework instruments for creating excessive constancy digital people) that we’re utilizing for the character’s face – in fact, it’s 100 per cent customised, however we begin from the rig to do all of the facial work and every thing. So it’s undoubtedly an enormous assist to assist us obtain that. For us, it’s a key basis for the studio to actually search for the newest know-how that the opposite studios have.”
What’s fascinating to me about Broche’s feedback right here is that Unreal Engine on the whole, however clearly Unreal Engine 5 particularly, appears to be most helpful for devs by way of the backend automations and streamlining that makes placing a recreation collectively and testing it simpler for small groups. I imply, if you happen to confirmed me the trailer or gameplay footage of Expedition 33 and instructed me it was the product of an enormous studio I would not bat an eyelid, so spectacular and slick are its visuals and animations. So the truth that this expansive and visually spectacular RPG is being developed by simply 30 individuals does appear to point out the ability of Unreal Engine 5.
Yes, positive, from what I’ve seen of the sport thus far, it is not an expansive open world, however the character fashions, environments and the way they’re each lit actually is spectacular, including to the cinematic expertise and aptitude of the sport, which is already elevated due to its distinctive Belle Époque aesthetic. So, yeah, I’m excited to see extra for positive, with Expedition 33 launching someday in 2025, and this is hoping my RTX 3090 Ti system is up the job of operating this recreation because it deserves to be ran.
