I had the pleasure of reviewing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for GameRant ahead of its release last year, and I gave it a 10/10 that I still stand by to this day. In fact, within just an hour of playing it, I knew that Sandfall Interactive had something truly special on its hands, and that it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the industry caught on. Sure enough, Clair Obscur went on to take the gaming world by storm, eventually winning Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, along with numerous other awards. But as much as I love the original game and everything Sandfall accomplished with it, I recently came across something that made me want to experience the entire adventure all over again, only this time with a completely different visual style.
What I’m referring to is a beautiful pixel art demake of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that was shared on social media last year, and I genuinely wish it were something I could play rather than just look at. Now, I certainly wouldn’t want to change the original game’s presentation, because its stunning visuals and art direction are a massive part of what makes it so memorable. However, seeing Clair Obscur reimagined as a classic pixel art JRPG has me wondering just how well the entire game could translate into that style. And considering how popular retro-inspired games have become in recent years, I actually think a pixel art version of Expedition 33 could be incredibly successful, especially if it managed to preserve everything that made the original experience so special.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Pixel Art Demake Is Something I Wish I Could Play
The artwork in question comes from Elio Ubaldi, who reimagined Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a retro JRPG, drawing inspiration from Breath of Fire 4 and the character portraits of Final Fantasy Tactics. As Ubaldi explained in an X post showcasing his work, he wanted to capture the feeling of a classic JRPG while giving Clair Obscur‘s characters and world a completely different presentation. And I have to say, I think he absolutely nailed it. The character sprites, colors, and portraits are gorgeous, and what impressed me most was just how naturally everything seemed to fit together. If someone had shown me this artwork without telling me it was fan-made, I probably would have assumed I was looking at an actual game.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
What’s especially interesting about the idea of a pixel art Clair Obscur is that retro-inspired RPGs have been enjoying quite a resurgence in recent years. Games like Sea of Stars and Octopath Traveler have already proven that there is still a substantial audience for that style, and I don’t think it’s difficult to understand why. Pixel art has a charm that more realistic graphics don’t necessarily have, and when it’s done well, it can be just as beautiful as anything produced with modern 3D technology. Just look at how Square Enix has continued to embrace its HD-2D style, or how many indie RPGs have found success by drawing inspiration from games that released decades ago. I wouldn’t necessarily want a pixel art Clair Obscur to imitate any one of those games, but Ubaldi’s design has me convinced that it could stand alongside them without looking out of place.
-
Image via Sandfall Interactive -
Image via Sandfall Interactive -
Source: Sandfall Interactive
But I actually think the strongest argument for a pixel art Clair Obscur comes from the original game itself. While its presentation is undeniably one of its greatest strengths, what made the experience so unforgettable for me was its narrative, worldbuilding, characters, and combat. From the moment I started playing it, I was deeply invested, and I don’t think any of that would necessarily have been lost if Sandfall had chosen to make the game in pixel art instead. Some of my favorite RPGs of all time were released long before developers had access to the technology used to create something like Expedition 33, and their stories were no less impactful because of it. In fact, there’s something about pixel art that leaves more to the imagination, and I’d be interested to see how some of Clair Obscur‘s more emotional moments would come across in that style.
The artwork in question comes from Elio Ubaldi, who reimagined Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a retro JRPG, drawing inspiration from Breath of Fire 4 and the character portraits of Final Fantasy Tactics.
The combat is another part of the game that I think would be particularly interesting to see recreated in pixel art, especially considering how much inspiration Clair Obscur already takes from classic turn-based RPGs. Obviously, its real-time dodging, parrying, and attack inputs would need to be carefully adapted to work with sprite-based animations, but I don’t see why the core mechanics couldn’t remain intact. I can already imagine some of the game’s more elaborate attacks being recreated with the sort of beautiful pixel animations that made older RPGs so satisfying to play. And while I certainly wouldn’t expect a demake to capture every detail of the original combat, I also don’t think it would need to. If anything, I’d be excited to see how different the same encounters could feel with that kind of presentation, especially if the combat remained as challenging and rewarding as it was in the original game.
A Pixel Art Clair Obscur Would Be Right at Home on Nintendo Switch 2
Another reason I’d love to see a pixel art Clair Obscur is that I think it would be an excellent fit for the Nintendo Switch 2. Sandfall Interactive has already expressed interest in bringing the original game to Nintendo’s console, but in a July 2026 interview with Automaton, co-founder and CTO Tom Guillermin explained that doing so would be a major technical challenge. Creative director Guillaume Broche also acknowledged that several Unreal Engine 5 features aren’t supported on the Switch 2, making a potential port even more complicated. I certainly wouldn’t suggest that Sandfall should completely remake Clair Obscur in pixel art just to get it running on Nintendo’s hardware, but I do think a separate version designed around that style could be much less demanding than the original. Of course, that would involve developing an entirely different game rather than simply porting the existing one, but I’d love to see the result, especially on a handheld.
And honestly, I think that’s where I would want to play a pixel art Clair Obscur more than anywhere else. There’s something about playing retro-inspired RPGs on a handheld that just feels right to me, and the thought of being able to revisit Expedition 33 in that style, whether on the Switch 2 or another handheld, is incredibly appealing. I don’t expect Sandfall to suddenly announce an official demake, and I certainly don’t think the original game needs to be replaced or improved upon. But seeing Ubaldi’s artwork has made me realize just how much I’d love to experience Clair Obscur from a different perspective, even if the story itself remained exactly the same. I already gave the original game a perfect score, and I don’t think I could praise it much more than I have. Still, if someone ever decided to bring this pixel art version to life, I would gladly go through the entire adventure again.
- Released
-
April 24, 2025
- ESRB
-
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
-
Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
-
Kepler Interactive
