Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a role-playing game that has already become legendary, less than one year after its release. Sweeping multiple Game of the Year awards in recognition of its narrative and gameplay achievements, the game developed by French development studio Sandfall Interactive is set to have a lasting influence on the RPG genre as a whole, and it's safe to bet the first Clair Obscur-like game won't take too long to see the light of day.
These awards, however, may be nothing compared to the high cultural honor Sandfall Interactive has now received.
As reported on the game's official subreddit, Sandfall Interactive founders Guillaume Broche, Tom Guillermin e François Meurisse and the 25 other members of the development team were named today Knights of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Department of Culture (Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres), France's highest cultural honor, joining other legendary game developers such as Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Zelda series producer Eiji Aonuma, who were knighted in 2006 and 2023 respectively.
Speaking during the ceremony, French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati praised the incredible work Sandfall Interactive did with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, presenting an"exceptional decoration for an exceptional success" for a work that has "established itself as a major moment in the history of French video games," and a phenomenon that has "taken on the scale of a true tidal wave, bringing a shine to French video games as rarely seen before". A work which will remain part of the nation's "common heritage" now and forever.
Much like the community, we congratulate Sandfall Interactive for receiving this honor. An honor absolutely deserved, as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is truly an exceptional game that has earned all the praise and awards it has received, its art direction so good it has triggered a national antiquities investigation.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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