Despite becoming a global hit with over two million copies sold, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 flopped spectacularly in Japan—the birthplace of the JRPG genre. Created by the French indie studio Sandfall Interactive, the game launched on April 24, 2025, and quickly won over critics with its haunting Belle Époque setting, bold turn-based combat, and Unreal Engine 5 visuals. But in Japan, only 9,825 PlayStation 5 copies were sold between April 21 and May 4, and many gamers there branded it a “low-effort Final Fantasy knockoff.” The backlash highlights cultural divides, consumer expectations, and the difficulty of cracking the fiercely loyal Japanese RPG market.

The premise of the game is unsettling in the best way: in the city of Lumière, a divine being known as the Paintress awakens every year to wipe out everyone of a certain age, inscribing that cursed number on a massive monolith. When the number reaches 33, six individuals—all aged 33—form Expedition 33 and set out to end her reign of terror. The story explores grief, mortality, and existential dread across a 30-hour main campaign with another 30 hours of optional side quests.

Worldwide Triumph — Except in the East

The combat system fuses classic turn-based elements with real-time mechanics, including dodging, countering, and quick-time events—clearly inspired by titles like Persona and Final Fantasy. Visually, the game is a stunner, with Unreal Engine 5 delivering a painterly surrealism. Composer Lorien Testard’s score underscores the game’s emotional themes with elegance and depth.

Clair Obscur was a runaway success out of the gate: it sold a million copies within 72 hours, including 800,000 on Steam. By May 6, that number had doubled, beating out Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2.1 million) and Metaphor: ReFantazio (1 million). With a 92.52% positive Steam rating—higher than even Final Fantasy IX’s 92.2%—and a Metacritic score averaging 92, it ranks among the best-rated JRPGs in recent memory. French President Emmanuel Macron hailed it as a triumph of national creativity, and even Japanese developers publicly praised its ambition. Physical copies sold out in multiple regions, and Steam’s concurrent player numbers peaked in the second week, an achievement few games can claim.

Japan Didn’t Buy the Hype

But in Japan, the enthusiasm fizzled. On social media, Japanese gamers voiced skepticism—many said the game felt like an aesthetically pleasing but soulless echo of Final Fantasy. It’s not hard to see why. Clair Obscur shares that series’ penchant for stylized realism, melancholic storytelling, and grand world design. The city of Lumière—a fantastical, Belle Époque reimagining of Paris—recalls the grandeur of Midgar or Zanarkand. Yet instead of homage, many Japanese players saw these elements as imitation. The phrase “low-effort knockoff” popped up repeatedly, suggesting a sense that the game lacked cultural authenticity and originality.

Part of this stems from Japan’s notoriously insular RPG market, where legacy franchises like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Persona command decades of loyalty. These games resonate deeply with Japanese aesthetics, archetypes, and storytelling traditions. A French-developed title—even one as polished as this—has an uphill battle winning over this audience. The game’s Belle Époque aesthetic, while striking, might feel alien to fans raised on anime-style visuals. Its heavier, somber tone—often compared to Final Fantasy X’s tragedy or the surrealism of Annihilation—doesn’t align with the more hopeful escapism typical of JRPGs in Japan.

Culture Clashes and Industry Tensions

The combat system, although inventive, may have turned off traditionalists. Its hybrid design—which includes real-time aiming and QTE mechanics—strays from the purist turn-based formats that classic Final Fantasy fans adore. Some Japanese players now favor the fast-paced action-RPG direction of titles like Final Fantasy XVI and VII Rebirth. The user interface, often criticized for being clunkier than Persona’s refined menus, and camera shifts during cutscenes, further fuel dissatisfaction among players who value seamless polish.

Market habits are another factor. Japanese gamers tend to favor domestic publishers, with brand recognition playing a huge role in buying decisions. Even though Clair Obscur costs just $50—cheaper than many AAA titles—its indie status and lack of pedigree may have made players hesitant. The game’s availability across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC—plus its Game Pass debut—helped it thrive internationally, but had little impact in Japan, where PlayStation dominates and new names often go unnoticed. The 9,825-unit PS5 sales figure reflects either low marketing or the game being overshadowed by higher-profile launches like Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.

Some of the skepticism appears rooted in cultural expectations. Online comments contrast Clair Obscur’s “realistic” character models with the chibi or anime styles typical of Japanese RPGs. The English voice cast, including Charlie Cox and Jennifer English, along with its French-tinged score, may not resonate with players used to Japanese VA and J-pop tracks. The narrative’s existential themes and Western philosophical undertones may also feel less emotionally accessible than Final Fantasy’s more universal tone.

Calling the game a “knockoff” may also speak to broader industry frustrations. Some analysts believe Square Enix’s move toward action-heavy gameplay left a vacuum that Sandfall filled—ironically better than Square itself. This has reportedly caused tension among Japanese devs who fear being outshone by a foreign indie. While Clair Obscur clearly isn’t “low-effort,” cultural gatekeeping might explain the harsher reception in Japan. Outside of Japan, though, the game is being praised as the future of turn-based RPGs.

Not all is lost in Japan, though. A minority of players on X have voiced support, admiring the emotional weight of the narrative and the game’s boss encounters. Some even favorably compared it to Final Fantasy for its depth. Still, these voices are drowned out by louder cries of disappointment. Sandfall’s 30-person team pulled off a remarkable debut, but cracking Japan will require more than accolades—localized voiceovers, tailored marketing, and possibly a playable demo, which is reportedly in development, may help shift perceptions.

In the end, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a resounding international triumph, yet its rocky path in Japan underlines how hard it is to bridge cultural gaps in a genre so strongly rooted in one nation’s identity. If Sandfall can maintain its artistic voice while learning how to speak to the Japanese market, it could pave the way for a new era of Western-developed JRPGs. But for now, its victory remains bittersweet—everywhere but home base for the genre.

Source: 3djuegos