The developer of upcoming surrealist RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has confirmed how long the game will be after questions were raised about its initial launch price. One of my most anticipated upcoming games, ever since I took an extended look at its world and combat at Gamescom, the fantasy adventure is shaping up to be another strong turn-based contender after the success of the Persona-adjacent Metaphor ReFantazio. Now, developer Sandfall Interactive confirms the game’s estimated length in response to an Amazon listing.
Discussions sprang up when people noticed that retailer Amazon is listing the PlayStation 5 version of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for $49.99 (£38.44), compared to most new releases for the console that are typically priced at around $69.99. While price certainly isn’t always indicative of playtime, the lower cost of entry combined with the impressive production values of the upcoming turn-based RPG has led to questions about whether it’s a smaller-scale experience.
“We’ve seen a few questions regarding the price and expected playtime of Expedition 33,” Sandfall Interactive says in response to the discussion. The developer confirms that “pricing you see from your local retailers is accurate,” but says the decision was made to encourage more people to give the game a chance. “We are a small team with an indie spirit, and we’re creating something we believe is truly special. We aren’t a triple-A studio, this is our first game, and we want as many people discovering our world as possible.
“To be clear: we poured all of our hearts and souls into this game,” the post continues. “When you play Expedition 33, you can expect 30-plus hours of main game, and as much side content for our completionist expeditioners. We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the game. See you in the spring.”
That roughly 30-60 hour estimate lines up with what creative director Guillame Broche told me during my Expedition 33 preview at Gamescom, where he explained that it would depend somewhat on playstyle but that most players wouldn’t hit the 100-hour mark, unlike, for example, a playthrough of Persona 5.
Opting for a slightly lower price to encourage more players to try the game is a bold play, and I hope it works out; I was very impressed by my early glimpse of the world Sandfall has created. In particular, the combat is supremely flashy and impressive to watch, and includes a parry system that allows you to completely negate all incoming damage and unleash powerful counterattacks if your timing is on point.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to launch in 2025. The PC price is yet to be announced, but it will also launch via Game Pass on day one for subscribers to the Microsoft service. You can wishlist it on Steam now if you want to be notified when it arrives.
In the meantime, you can keep yourself busy with the best story games to play in 2024, or perhaps the best RPGs on PC right now.
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