Beautiful Clair Obscur Expedition 33 fanart reimagines the game in HD-2D
Clair Obscur fans have been enamored with the game since its launch, and that adoration takes many forms, including wonderful fanart.
Published 4 hours ago
French artist Arunco recreates 2025's biggest RPG in classic style
Surprising no one, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 looks phenomenal in HD-2D
Image: Arunco
Imagining a game as beautiful as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting even prettier is a tall task, but there’s one thing that does the job: turning it into HD-2D pixel art, the striking art style popularized by Square Enix games like Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.
Typically, mega-fans of popular games turn to cosplay and fanart to express their ardor, and Clair Obscur’s fans have indeed gone all in showing off their convention-ready cosplays and fanart skills. But seeing Clair Obscur’s cast reimagined in HD-2D particularly caught our eye.
From French artist Arunco, the artwork blew up on Twitter at the end of June. As Clair Obscur’s combat is reminiscent of classic JRPGs, the style feels appropriate for the turn-based game. Arunco, a big fan of pixel art and retro games, noted over email with Polygon that he was inspired to make it as, “I also haven’t seen any fanart of the game like that.” While the pixel art is a departure from his usual style, he thought it’d “be funny to imagine what the game game could look like if it was released on an old console.”
Arcuno is a 27-year-old illustrator who’s “been a fan of anime and video games since forever” (relatable). He started drawing in high school, and later took a five-year course at a “Japanese manga/art school” in France.
He “pulled a lot of inspiration from Octopath Traveler” for his Clair Obscur HD-2D piece — understandably, as Octopath Traveler and its sequel ushered in the distinct art style. “It struck me how beautiful pixel art games could be with [today’s] technology,” he said. He called the style a “unique way to update old RPG games without losing the charm that makes them retro” and added that he can’t wait for a Chrono Trigger remake in that style, if it were to ever happen.
Image: Arunco
