How Clair Obscur Integrates Soulslike Elements into Its Gameplay Loop

Sure, here’s a reimagined version:

—

So, yeah, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 finally dropped, and honestly, it’s like a burst of color into the RPG world. I’ve been thinking a lot about this—mostly when I should have been doing other things, like laundry. Anyway, its graphics? Stunning. I mean, it’s like they took a paintbrush and just went wild. And the story? It totally sucks you in.

What’s interesting—and I didn’t expect this—is how it blends so many influences. You’ve got these nods to JRPGs, seriously. Think of it like a buffet of gaming styles. Something about the battle style kept poking at my brain; suddenly, I’m thinking of the Persona games. I’m not even sure how I made that connection—must be the coffee but, whatever. You’ll see hints of Final Fantasy 13 too. It dances the line between exploration and combat, leaning heavily into the latter. Yet, the storytelling seems inspired by something like Attack on Titan. No clue why that popped into my head.

But get this—a less obvious inspo source is the Soulslike games. It’s so obvious once you notice it. Here’s how I see it: they’ve got these Expedition Flags. You basically use them like you would a Bonfire in Dark Souls. They’re like pit stops where you can take a breather, level up, or just, you know, chill. Only catch? Enemies spring back to life. Fun times.

If you’re used to RPGs, you’ll notice the difference. They’ve stripped down the whole item collection gig. It’s like, healing stuff? Refreshes at Expedition Flags—none of that tedious gathering. It feels easier to breathe. And for someone who tends to get overwhelmed with endless bag space—I mean, really—this approach is refreshing.

Now about these checkpoints. They’re all over the place, letting you fast travel and upgrade at any whim. Imagine stepping out of a hectic fight and, bam, there’s your Flag saying, “Hey, wanna rest?”

Okay, about soulslike influences making us all cranky—I know, I know. Some people think it’s overhyped, but after playing Clair Obscur, I gotta say, it’s hard not to see why it’s everywhere. It’s like how nobody realized buttons could be used like that before Dark Souls. Crazy how things catch on.

Dark Souls and its pals, they’ve turned into this looming shadow over games, huh? We’re knee-deep in mechanics we didn’t even see coming; now they’re just… there. Clair Obscur does it so smoothly, it feels normal now.

I guess what I’m saying—or trying to—is that sticking soulslike mechanics in games isn’t lazy. It’s smart. It’s like they’ve become the new normal. And you know, there’s comfort in that normalcy, like a worn-out hoodie. Clair Obscur might throw us around with all its characteristics, but that’s what keeps it exciting, right?