Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has never been subtle about its influences. The turn-based RPG from developer Sandall Interactive, which took home Game of the Year and a number of other prizes at the 2025 Game Awards, is a clear love letter to the many amazing RPGs that have come before it. That inspiration and love for the genre's classics are only more evident in Clair Obscur's recently released free Thank You Update.
The update, announced on stage at The Game Awards during one of the many acceptance speeches the Clair Obscur team gave, adds a brand-new level called "Verso's Drafts". It's a sprawling, whimsical level full of more color and life than maybe any environment in the base game. While there is a loose story here, this is mostly just a playground in which to collect new weapons and take down challenging bosses.
The Clair Obscur update seemingly contains references to Persona 5, FFXIV and Xenoblade.Cinéma absolu.#Expedition33 pic.twitter.com/ISp1RdeMIdDecember 12, 2025
It's in those fights, however, that fans have noticed a few cheeky nods to the games that inspired Clair Obscur. Little bits of text pop up on screen when certain enemies attack that feel very familiar to RPG fans. Persona 5's earworm of "You'll never see it coming", Final Fantasy 14's "A test of your reflexes," from villain Zenos, and Shulk's meme-worthy "I'm really feeling it" from Xenoblade Chronicles all appear. This is very clearly Sandfall Interactive having some fun.
This isn't the first time this has happened, though, as Clair Obscur's base game was also packed full of similar send-ups of RPG games past. That included skills and enemy attacks named "Shadow Bringer" and "Stormblood", both names of Final Fantasy 14 expansions. The homages to the games that came before it are part of what makes Clair Obscur great. Sandfall wanted to make a love letter to the titans of the genre, and in doing so made something that can stand alongside them.
