Guillaume Broche Called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Successor to 2007's Lost Odyssey

As is known, Sandfall Interactive, the studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the best video game of 2026, is already working on their new project. Although details about it remain unknown for now, the studio head, Guillaume Broche, recently stated that he isn't afraid about the potential failure of its future title, as the development team is once again focused on doing what they love.

Even more than a year after its release, discussions about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are still relevant, as the game is still very popular. In a recent interview with Jeux Vidéo Club, Guillaume Broche revealed that the developers drew inspiration from Lost Odyssey—the cult Xbox 360 exclusive made by Mistwalker and Feelplus studios, with Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy franchise, as its writer. Broche shared that Lost Odyssey is one of the best video games he has ever played and that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a kind of spiritual successor to the iconic Japanese JRPG, as you can check out his comments below:

“It really was an exceptional game. It's a bit of an old-school game, very linear. There were random battles too, just like in the old Final Fantasy games. Everyone said, 'What is this game from another era?'... So it got torn apart even though the game is exceptional.

The story is amazing. It's the last game that made me cry. The villain isn't that great. That's the only downside for me. But overall, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Final Fantasy. It's one of those games that really left a mark on me - not just because it was fun, but emotionally. Every now and then, I think back on it, I listen to the music and immerse myself in it all over again. It's truly one of the most powerful, emotional experiences of my life as a gamer.

Something that really stood out to me was that it was one of the last somewhat ambitious turn-based games with realistic graphics. Since then, we've had a lot of turn-based games - there are still plenty, like Octopath Traveler, Persona, even Yakuza - but turn-based games with dramatic, ambitious stories and realistic graphics haven't been around since Lost Odyssey. It was the last one.

It holds a special place in my heart because, for me, Clair Obscur is sort of the successor to that in a way - it was my favorite kind of game, and nobody was making them anymore. So I said to myself, "Let's go." It's one of the best games in the world.”

In the same interview, Guillaume Broche was asked whether he is looking forward to GTA 6 —the most anticipated and potentially the best video game of 2026. He responded as follows:

“It’s not my kind of game. With GTA, I only have fun for 30 minutes. I start playing, use all the cheat codes to get the helicopters, kill everyone, the cops kick my ass, and I stop playing.

I don’t know, I just don’t connect with that; I’m bored. I may be the only person in the world who feels this way… Technically, I’m very curious to see what they’re going to do with GTA 6, but only because your budget is crazy, since I know it’s not a game that’s going to excite me.”

As for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, this April the game celebrated its first anniversary, and the developers revealed that it has sold 8 million copies, which is a very impressive achievement. Moreover, insider NateTheHate shared that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is expected to release for Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.

Do you agree with the statement of Guillaume Broche that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the spiritual successor of Lost Odyssey? Share your thoughts in the comments below!