Something special happened in Paris last weekend. During an event at the Paris Games Week convention, the creative minds behind Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came together! It was not even for a competition or announcement, but just for a shared celebration.
Both Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Guillaume Broche, the director behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, attended the event, where fans from both universes met in one unforgettable moment.
A Beautiful Collaboration Between Studios
During the event, Hamaguchi, Broche, and their teams came together and created a beautiful piece of art around both games:
- Expedition 33’s Art Director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe reimagined the Characters from Final Fantasy VII, Cloud and Aerith.
- Meanwhile, Final Fantasy legend Tetsuya Nomura created his own versions of Expedition 33’s protagonists, Maelle and Verso.
The two pieces symbolize the mutual respect between the two teams, and maybe even a growing bond between Japanese and French RPG creators! Maybe we can actually expect some amazing collaboration in the future!
Hamaguchi’s Message
After the event, Hamaguchi shared his thoughts on Twitter/X, explaining how he left deeply inspired by the French team:
He also called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 his personal Game of the Year, and that is a huge compliment from one of the biggest figures at Square Enix.
The Future of Clair Obscur
For Sandfall Interactive, this meeting carries an almost poetic sense of closure. The studio has often said that Final Fantasy was a major influence on Clair Obscur. Now, the inspiration has come full circle.
The team also recently confirmed it is already developing another game set in the Clair Obscur universe, not a direct sequel, but a standalone story, much like the structure of Final Fantasy’s own series.
A Moment of Shared Inspiration
The Paris event was not about marketing or announcements, it was a quiet reminder that creativity connects across borders.
In a world of sequels and competition, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 managed to do something rare: inspire even the legends who once inspired it.
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