Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: Ben Starr and Jennifer English interview | BBC News

Key Concepts:

• Sandfall (game): An RPG set in a distorted, early 20th-century Paris.
• Lumiere: The island city where everyone lives in the game.
• Paintress: A powerful entity that repaints a monolith, causing people of corresponding ages to disappear.
• Team Size & Resourcefulness: Small team of around 30 people based in the south of France.
• Engine 5, Metahuman, Procedural Generation, Mocap: Technologies used to achieve high-quality graphics with a small team.
• Game Pricing: Affordable pricing strategy to reach a wider audience.
• Voice Acting & Character Recognition: Actors recognized for previous roles (e.g., Shadow Heart, Clive).
• Dream Roles: Desire to explore diverse roles beyond established characters.

1. Game Concept and Story

• Sandfall is an RPG set in a distorted version of Paris during the "Belle Époque" (early 20th century).
• The game takes place in Lumiere, an island city where everyone lives.
• The world faces an apocalyptic event involving a giant monolith with a number that decreases annually.
• The Paintress, a powerful entity at the monolith's base, repaints the number each year, causing people of corresponding ages to disappear.
• The player is part of an expedition to destroy the Paintress and stop the disappearances.

2. Team and Development

• Sandfall is developed by a small team of around 30 people based in the south of France.
• The team has achieved high-quality graphics and production values despite its size.
• Technological advancements like Unreal Engine 5, Metahuman, procedural generation, and mocap have been crucial.
• The team consists mainly of junior members who are highly invested and talented.
• Team members wear multiple hats, contributing to various aspects of development outside their primary roles.
  • Example: Jen initially a writer, took on localization tasks.

3. Game Pricing and Accessibility

• Sandfall is priced affordably (around £40 for the standard edition in the UK) and is available on Game Pass.
• The pricing reflects the game's status as a first title from a small, new studio.
• The goal is to make the game accessible to as many players as possible.
• Being on Game Pass is a strategic decision to maximize the game's reach and impact.

4. Voice Acting and Character Recognition

• Ben, one of the interviewees, does some singing in the game.
• The interviewees discuss the phenomenon of players recognizing voice actors from previous roles.
  • Example: Players recognized the voices of Clive and Shadow Heart in the game's trailers.
• The actors express a desire to be recognized for their individual performances and personalities beyond specific roles.

5. Dream Roles and Live-Action Adaptations

• One of the interviewees expresses a desire to play Zelda in a live-action adaptation.
• The other interviewee wants to play a dark, gritty, and psychotic version of Jimbo in a live-action film.

6. Notable Quotes and Statements

• "Of course Lori and I will die we're going to take down the painters just the three of us i didn't take you for a coward." - Ben, recounting his enthusiastic (and slightly inebriated) agreement to participate in the game's music.
• "It builds up like this like someone needs like we need something and someone goes 'Yeah.' And someone's like 'All right.' And somebody steps up and does it and I think that's true for the entire team and so that's how we stretch our resources" - Laurian, describing the team's collaborative and resourceful approach.
• "We wanted as many people to discover the game as possible which is also why we are on game pass." - Laurian, explaining the decision to make the game accessible.
• "I love being outside of my comfort zone and I also think it's all it feels right for what it is that we're trying to achieve with the song." - Ben, on his experience singing in the game.

7. Technical Terms and Concepts

• RPG (Role-Playing Game): A genre of video game where players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting.
• Unreal Engine 5: A powerful game engine used for creating high-fidelity graphics and realistic environments.
• Metahuman: A tool for creating realistic digital humans.
• Procedural Generation: A technique for automatically generating content, such as environments or textures.
• Mocap (Motion Capture): A technology used to record the movements of actors and transfer them to digital characters.

8. Synthesis/Conclusion

Sandfall is an ambitious RPG project developed by a small but highly talented and resourceful team. The game's unique setting, compelling story, and affordable pricing strategy aim to make it accessible to a wide audience. The team's use of advanced technologies and collaborative spirit have allowed them to achieve impressive production values despite their limited resources. The involvement of recognized voice actors and the exploration of diverse character roles add further appeal to the game.