RPG fans melt down over "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33-like" claim
Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 is a remake of the 2007 Chinese RPG, and fans think the new version takes cues from Expedition 33
Published 2 hours ago
Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 is a remake of the 2007 Chinese RPG, and fans think the new version takes cues from Expedition 33
RPG fans melt down over game that's being compared to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Image: Up Software
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After winning so many awards and becoming the darling of the gaming industry, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was practically destined to influence future games. You'd think that more games taking cues from a well-regarded title would be a good thing. Instead, a remake of The Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 has been caught in the crossfire of online discourse.
Legend of Sword and Fairy is a long-running and iconic Chinese mythology RPG series that debuted in 1995. Now, over a decade later and a number of sequels and spinoffs, the fourth installment of the turn-based RPG series is being remade in Unreal Engine 5. A trailer for the remake is making the rounds online in Western media, in large part because some aspects of the game are reminiscent of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The fact it's a Chinese-language game has made it easy for some to belittle the RPG as nothing more than a clone.
"The original 2007 game looks like a Suikoden game and now the remake version look[s] like E33," reads one YouTube comment on a trailer upload. "Expedition 44?" another writes.
Arguably, there are notable similarities between the two games. Both are turn-based fantasy RPGs with flashy attacks and an apparent parrying system. But as Sandfall Interactive reminded people during one of its many acceptance speeches at The Game Awards, Clair Obscur is not a project that just popped out of thin air, fully formed. Clair Obscur owes a lot of what it does to Final Fantasy, which is known for its dramatic storylines, flamboyant spells, and enormous attack numbers. The Sword and Fairy series also predates Clair Obscur. If you look at gameplay of the original game that's being remade, it's evident that both Clair Obscur and Legend of Sword and Fairy 4 owe a lot to Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi. Most RPGs do! I can't be the only one who thinks the protagonist of the Sword and Fairy remake looks like Cloud Strife, right?