Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is achieving remarkable success. With over a million copies sold, it is proving that turn-based role-playing games are far from losing interest among the public. Now, if you think the game is unique, you are very mistaken. That particular blend of turn-based gameplay and action gameplay is something that JRPGs have been doing for years. And we are going to demonstrate this with X games that have done it just as well as Expedition 33 itself.
The Legend of Dragoon
If there is a classic JRPG that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws from, it is The Legend of Dragoon. The tone is equally dark and apocalyptic, and moreover, its combat system is just as unique. To deal more damage with each attack, we must perform combos by following specific button patterns on screen at the right moment. This makes it a beloved classic from the original PlayStation, not far from what that French game you mentioned does.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Speaking of hitting at the right moment, that’s exactly what we had to do in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. All our attacks dealt more damage if we pressed the button at the exact moment we hit the enemy, and the damage we received from our enemies was reduced if we pressed it at the exact moment they hit us. Basically what Expedition 33 does, just with less existential angst and more turtle races.
The Last Remnant
The Last Remnant is surely the most complex and least played game on this list. It is also likely the best in terms of pure mechanical design. With a morality system that defines all actions, a list of when each of the characters we can manipulate will act based on our actions, and the ability to increase the damage of our attacks by pressing the right button at the right moment, we haven’t even touched on how all this affects skills and equipment. But you should play The Last Remnant.
Earthbound
Probably the most famous JRPG for the peculiarity of its combat system, also the most imitated. Each battle in Earthbound has its own song, and if we want to maximize the damage we deal, we must press the attack button to the rhythm of the song. If we don’t, we won’t perform combos, and the battle will be much longer and more brutal. This adds to the originality of an exceptional game that is a cult title for very good reasons.
Lost Odyssey
One of the most special JRPGs on the Xbox 360 is also one that shares a lot with Clair OBscur: Expedition 33. Both have a dark and melancholic tone and both feature a dynamic turn-based combat system. In the case of Lost Odyssey, we had to overlap rings to maximize the damage of our attacks, forcing us to stay alert to make our attacks as powerful as possible. This shows that there is much to draw from in this regard.
Resonance of Fate
If we haven’t been blunt when talking about The Last Remnant, it’s because Resonance of Fate exists. A turn-based JRPG where the position of each character in combat, how we move, and the actions we take during movement will radically change every turn of combat. Not to mention the absurd level of equipment customization or the specialization of the skills. Because Expedition 33 not only hasn’t invented anything, but it also isn’t even remotely the most complex game of its kind.