# Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director prefers JPRGs to the likes of Skyrim, Fallout, and Baldur’s Gate because their linear narratives allow for “a stronger story” and “more memorable characters”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/clair-obscur-expedition-33-director-prefers-jprgs-to-the-likes-of-skyrim-fallout-and-baldurs-gate-because-their-linear-narratives-allow-for-a-stronger-story-and-more-memorable-characters/
- Published: 2026-07-29T11:04:56+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-29T12:34:37+00:00
- Original publisher: GamesRadar+
- Original article: https://www.gamesradar.com/games/rpg/clair-obscur-expedition-33-director-prefers-jprgs-to-the-likes-of-skyrim-fallout-and-baldurs-gate-because-their-linear-narratives-allow-for-a-stronger-story-and-more-memorable-characters/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Clair Obscur director favours JRPGs' linear stories over Western open-world RPGs
- He says linear narratives create stronger stories and characters
- Comments contrast Skyrim, Fallout and Baldur's Gate with JRPG design

## Summary

Guillaume Broche, director of the acclaimed RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, has said he prefers the linear structure of Japanese role-playing games to the open-world design of Western titles such as Skyrim, Fallout and Baldur's Gate. He argues that a more constrained, linear narrative allows developers to craft a stronger story and more memorable characters, since players experience events in a fixed order rather than shaping their own path through a sprawling world.

Broche's comments reflect the design philosophy behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which draws heavily on classic JRPG conventions despite being made by a French studio, Sandfall Interactive. He contrasted this approach with the freedom-focused, systemic storytelling typical of Western RPGs, suggesting that the trade-off in player agency can be worthwhile if it produces a tighter, more emotionally resonant narrative arc.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.