Two developer teams inspire each other with ideas. Final Fantasy and Expedition 33 come together – what will this lead to?
If you were to ask people who has released the best RPGs in recent years, you would probably hear names like Sandfall (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33), Larian (Baldur’s Gate 3), or Square Enix (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth). If these developers come together, it can only mean good things – even if it’s just for the exchange of ideas.
Who visited whom? The developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 visited the studio of Square Enix to talk with some of the leaders. From Sandfall Interactive, the Game Director Guillaume Broche and Producer Francois Meurisse were present, while from Square Enix, the chief developers of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Naoki Hamaguchi) and the Director of Visions of Mana, Ryosuke Yoshida, were present.
Are they developing a game together? No, that’s not the case. The meeting was merely a “creatively enriching exchange of visions and ideas”.
For the developers of Expedition 33, this trip is likely also a small dream come true. After all, they drew a lot of inspiration from Final Fantasy (such as part 10) for Clair Obscur and oriented themselves accordingly. Moreover, despite the current gaming trend, they opted for a turn-based combat system. Exactly what fans have wanted from the Final Fantasy series for years.
That developers visit each other happens quite often. In the gaming industry, such meetings are usually exactly that: an exchange of ideas and concepts so that both sides can learn from each other and possibly develop fresh ideas in exchange with others in the industry.
Finding their own inspiration – a dream for many
This is how the community discusses it: The meeting is also being discussed in the communities of the games, such as in the Games subreddit. Most celebrate the fact that this meeting took place and believe that it must have been fantastic for the Sandfall team:
I can hardly imagine the range of positive emotions someone must feel, who first plays someone’s game, gets inspired to create their own game, and then gets to meet those people in person. That must feel incredible.
-Delicious-Steak2629
If we get a “Final Fantasy XVII” that returns to its roots and opts for a turn-based combat system in the next few years, it is quite conceivable that we owe it to the success of Expedition 33 and this visit.
Whether Final Fantasy will have a turn-based future, Square Enix has already responded to that.
