Clair Obscur: Expedition 33has performed absolutely incredibly, far exceeding the expectations of both its developer and its now burgeoning fanbase, who are still discussing it months after its release. It is impressive for a once seemingly obscure JRPG-inspired turn-based game with a French setting to do extremely well in the currently oversaturated gaming market. Fortunately, its success will mean that its developer, Sandfall Interactive, will get to continue making incredible games just likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
However, especially consideringExpedition 33is one of2025’s highest-rated games, many understandably want a sequel to it. MoreClair Obscur: Expedition 33, at least on paper, seems like a good thing, especially if it means we get to spend more time with everyone’s favorite wine-carrying mode of transport, Esquie. However,I find myself feeling a lot less wheee and a lot more whooo aboutClair Obscur: Expedition 33getting a sequel, especially as it is frankly far too perfect to need one.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Doesn’t Need A Sequel
It Is A Complete Narrative
I can absolutely understand the desire for aClair Obscur: Expedition 33sequel, especially as there are plenty ofconfusing story momentsthat would benefit from additional worldbuilding and character moments.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’sworld is also oozing with charm and a unique magic that a lot of JRPGs, especially, have just lost. I’ve not been so immersed in a world as enthralling as this in quite some time, and so, I, too, absolutely would love to return in some capacity. However, making a sequel would ruin, at least in my opinion, the perfect experience already available.
Not every game needs a sequel, especially those that wrap up so perfectly, likeClair Obscur: Expedition 33. The experience is so wonderfully curated to give you all the answers you need and leave enough questions for the community to ponder over that don’t need explicit answers. The plethora ofamazingClair Obscurside content, which may seem optional, actually delves into all of the many facets of its world and its characters in such a way that completionists will leave satisfied, and those who missed it can read a Reddit thread to be caught up.
There is also the fact that much ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33’ssuccess is thanks to the novelty of its many innovations, all of which would lose their magic touch were they taken out of retirement for a sequel.
Sandfall Interactive has said there’s room fornewExpedition 33story content, but I’m not convinced there’s enough here to warrant an entire sequel. There is also the fact that much ofClair Obscur: Expedition 33’ssuccess is thanks to the novelty of its many innovations, all of which would lose their magic touch were they taken out of retirement for a sequel. As much as I love its combat model,I’m not sure, within this specific framework, Sandfall Interactive has anything new to show players.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Ending Is Perfect
It Wraps Everything Up Beautifully
Crucially, though, and this is the real reason I’m certainClair Obscur: Expedition 33doesn’t need a sequel, the game’s ending is utterly perfect. Without spoiling anything,Clair Obscur’smultiple endingsboth wrap up every story beat and character arc in a succinct and breathtakingly heartbreaking way. To do a follow-up game that focuses on these characters again, or even the factions of which they are a member,would be a disservice to the experience and narrative Sandfall Interactive delivered withClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Of course, the first game will always exist and be just as brilliant with or without a sequel. However,Sandfall Interactive would have to figure out how to bring these characters or the world back for a sequel. It would need to navigate wrenching them from the grief and loss they came to terms with throughout the experience, and ultimately force them to embark on another adventure. Considering both of the game’s endings heavily imply that it would not be a good idea, it seems like a waste of time.
Obviously, I don’t know how Sandfall Interactive’s narrative team feels or is thinking, but to me, it feels like they said everything they wanted to with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. It is a beautiful, heartfelt, and accurate portrayal of grief and the extent we’ll go to bury it. There’s not much room or even a need to explore it further in a sequel. Are we going to suffer through the sufferings of another group of characters in this miserable world? I loved doing it the first time, but it would feel like treading water to do it a second time.
That is whyClair ObscurDLC,which focuses on the events preceding the game, perhaps even revolving around those aforementioned warring factions, would make more sense. It would give Sandfall Interactive the space to build upon its engrossing world more, deliver a smaller slice of content to players hungry for more, and leave the legacy of the game’s core narrative untarnished.It would also take substantially less development time than a full-blown sequel, which would enable Sandfall Interactive to explore other genres and stories.
Sandfall Interactive Should Explore Other Genres
It So Masterfully Innovated On The JRPG Genre
Naturally, there are potentialideas for aClair Obscursequel, some of which could be interesting, and I’m sure Sandfall Interactive would do them justice. However,I would much rather see the developer tackle another genre or worldin an attempt to infuse it with the same level of creativity and experimental ambition it gave to the JRPG genre. Importantly, this is coming from someone who loves JRPGs more than anything, and would much rather every game released from now until my death were a JRPG.
However,Sandfall Interactive is clearly incredibly talented and capable of thinking outside of the box. While it didn’t necessarily save turn-based combat as many have implied, it absolutely made it more mechanically complex and certainly more stylish, thus making it more palatable to those who didn’t grow up with the originalFinal FantasyandDragon Quest games. Turn-based games had stagnated a little, with few entries in the genre doing much to differentiate themselves, and Sandfall Interactive changed that with Expedition 33.
So, it would be interesting to see how it would approach an FPS or an open-world RPG likeSkyrim. It has proven itself more than adept at creating fascinating worlds, at improving simplistic combat models, and delivering mature stories, all of which would benefit the aforementioned genres and more. So, before we get the inevitable sequel toClair Obscur: Expedition 33- the first game made too much money not to make one, after all - I hope Sandfall Interactive takes the time to explore other experiences, and lets the adventures of the 33rd Expedition sit with fans for some time.
