From Inspiration to Competition: A Tale of Two Belle Époque Games
In the world of game development, inspiration can come from many places. But what happens when a game with a strikingly similar artistic vision releases to critical and commercial acclaim while your own project is still in development? For Guillaume Broche, CEO and director of Sandfall Interactive, that was the reality when Round8 Studios' Lies of P launched in 2023.
In a fascinating recent interview, Broche admitted that seeing the polished final product of Lies of P—a game that, like his own Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, draws heavily from the French Belle Époque era—was a moment of both panic and motivation that forced his team to significantly raise their ambitions.
A Shared Vision for a Golden Age
The Belle Époque, a period of French history known for its optimism, cultural flourishing, and distinctive art nouveau architecture, is a rare setting in video games. Both Sandfall and Round8 saw its potential for a rich, visually stunning world. However, when Lies of P arrived and swiftly sold over 3 million copies, the similarity became a catalyst for introspection at Sandfall.
Broche, speaking alongside Lies of P director Choi Ji-won in an interview on the official Lies of P YouTube channel, recounted his initial reaction.
“We had the same way of thinking, like Belle Époque is kind of unique, it’s not explored that much in games,” Broche stated. “And when I played Lies of P, I was like ‘Wow, ok, this looks absolutely stunning, so we have to up our game first.’”
“People Will Think We Copied!”: The Hotel Krat Revelation
The moment of truth came when Broche explored one of Lies of P’s central locations: the ornate and haunting Hotel Krat. It was here that the parallels became almost uncanny.
“The thing that struck me the most was Hotel Krat. Because we also have a manor in Expedition 33, and when I arrived in Hotel Krat, I was like, ‘This is exactly what we have in our game!’” Broche revealed.
The similarities didn't end there. Both games featured phonographs as key environmental storytellers. At the time of Lies of P’s release, the manor was still planned as the main hub for Expedition 33.
“When Lies of P came out, the manor, at this point in development, was still the hub of the game. We didn’t have the camp yet. And Hotel Krat is the hub of Lies of P, and we also had a record player, and there’s a record player in Hotel Krat, and I was like ‘People will think we have copied!’” Broche recounted with a laugh.
A Catalyst for Polish and Ambition
Rather than being discouraged, Broche and his team used Lies of P as a benchmark. The director admitted to sinking “hundreds of hours” into the game, studying its art direction and environmental design. This deep dive served as a form of validation as well as a challenge.
“I was really happy to see that it looked great, and that people responded very positively to Lies of P and the art style and everything, and it kind of validated that we were going on the right path,” he said. The success of Lies of P proved that audiences were hungry for this unique aesthetic, pushing Sandfall to ensure their own execution would meet the new standard that had been set.
This friendly rivalry culminated in a mutual admiration between the two studios. Choi Ji-won, in turn, praised the boldness of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s vision, particularly its direct incorporation of iconic, albeit ruined, Parisian landmarks.
“I felt that we should’ve been more daring,” Choi stated. “When I saw how Sandfall audaciously used iconic French landmarks, a ruined Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Place de la Concorde, I felt a sense of lingering regret, thinking, ‘We should’ve been bolder.’”
A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats
The story of Lies of P and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a compelling example of how healthy competition and mutual respect can drive creativity forward in the industry. Instead of shying away from the comparison, Sandfall Interactive embraced it, using a competitor’s success as fuel to refine and improve their own ambitious RPG.
For fans eagerly awaiting Expedition 33, this behind-the-scenes insight suggests that the game will be arriving with a level of polish and artistic confidence honed by one of the most surprising hits of 2023. The Belle Époque may be a bygone era, but it’s clearly inspiring a new golden age of game design.
Are you inspired to experience the game that started it all? You can find Lies of P, the critically acclaimed soulslike, available for purchase here: Get Lies of P on Amazon.
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