In a plot twist no one saw coming (except, well, everyone), a tiny French indie studio just bodied the AAA industry. While gaming giants are still trying to figure out how to make a live-service game that doesn’t feel like homework, a group of ex-Ubisoft devs quietly launched a banger: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
The result? Critical acclaim. Viral buzz. Even Emmanuel Macron fanboying like it, it’s his favorite art school project. The French President called it a “shining example of French audacity and creativity.” That’s right – not a baguette, not a film – a turn-based RPG.
From Ubisoft to “Ubisoft… But Better”
Sandfall Interactive was founded in 2020 by developers who apparently had one too many “open-world fatigue” meetings. Their vision? Make the kind of stylish, emotional, high-fidelity RPG Ubisoft probably pitched once in 2016 before deciding to just add another map tower.
Inspired by Final Fantasy and Persona, they built the game using Unreal Engine 5 and tossed in real-time mechanics with turn-based combat like a chef who’s actually tasting their own food.
The Premise? Artsy. Dark. Genius.
In Expedition 33, a mysterious woman called the Paintress literally erases people from existence once they hit a certain age. Ubisoft would’ve added microtransactions to age faster.
Players love it. Critics love it. And Metacritic? Sitting at a smug 92%. That’s Game of the Year energy – and it sold a million copies in 3 days. All without a single “season pass” in sight. Refreshing.
Ubisoft, You Good?
Meanwhile at Ubisoft HQ, someone,s probably muttering, “Wait… wasn’t that intern from Sandfall on the Far Cry 6 team?”
Let’s be honest – Ubisoft,s recent track record includes open-world games that feel like déjà vu and stories as deep as a puddle in Watch Dogs. Expedition 33, on the other hand, shows what happens when you let creatives cook instead of putting them on a six-year live-service diet.
TL;DR:
- Ex-Ubisoft devs make a game Ubisoft never could
- It’s stunning, smart, and sells like crazy
- Even the French President is playing it (probably)
- Moral of the story? Sometimes the best games come from the people who left your studio.
