Not just about JRPG
Everywhere he goes, Hamaguchi is asked about his opinion regarding Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33which draws on the argument of JRPGs like ancient Final Fantasy. And for the director, there are many lessons to be learned from this success, as he affirms at VGC. But saying that the game is a success simply because it borrows the codes of the JRPG is an error according to him :
“ Speaking of Chiaroscuro, I think it’s easy to focus too much on the mechanics. Obviously, he’s been a big part of the gaming industry this year, so that’s a vital point to make. It follows in the tradition of JRPGs, it’s a turn-based game, but it adds all kinds of more action-oriented mechanics, like precise guarding, parrying, etc. It’s definitely an element that makes it a good game, but I don’t think we should focus too much on that alone. I think the reason it’s such a good game, so well made, and so well received is because it strikes a great balance between all the other aspects. »
For Naoki Hamaguchi, if Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33 is so popular, it’s because it forms a whole, a very well balanced whole which can only be reduced to mechanics :
“ I think the reason it’s such a good game is because everything is so well balanced and every aspect is so well done. As a game creator, and as someone who cares about how people enjoy games, I don’t want people to focus on the fact that “Oh, it’s a JRPG, it uses these mechanics, that’s why it’s popular.” » I think it’s not a matter of saying that if you make a JRPG type game, you integrate these mechanics and everything will sell. This is not the case. This is because it is such a complete product. I would be really happy if people appreciated and respected this game for these things, rather than just because it uses this kind of approach to JRPG. »
The sum of the game’s qualities is indeed greater, even if the discourse around the title has focused a lot on its turn-based combat. After all, the important thing is to have created a good game rather than a good JRPG system, even if a good turn-based system can be a good sales argument for part of the public.
Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33 is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series. To learn more about the game, be sure to check out our complete guide.