Imagining a game as beautiful as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 getting even prettier is a tall task, but there’s one thing that does the job: turning it into HD-2D pixel art, the striking art style popularized by Square Enix games like Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.
Typically, mega-fans of popular games turn to cosplay and fanart to express their ardor, and Clair Obscur’s fans have indeed gone all in showing off their convention-ready cosplays and fanart skills. But seeing Clair Obscur’s cast reimagined in HD-2D particularly caught our eye.
From French artist Arunco, the artwork blew up on Twitter at the end of June. As Clair Obscur’s combat is reminiscent of classic JRPGs, the style feels appropriate for the turn-based game. Arunco, a big fan of pixel art and retro games, noted over email with Polygon that he was inspired to make it as, “I also haven’t seen any fanart of the game like that.” While the pixel art is a departure from his usual style, he thought it’d “be funny to imagine what the game game could look like if it was released on an old console.”
Arcuno is a 27-year-old illustrator who’s “been a fan of anime and video games since forever” (relatable). He started drawing in high school, and later took a five-year course at a “Japanese manga/art school” in France.
He “pulled a lot of inspiration from Octopath Traveler” for his Clair Obscur HD-2D piece — understandably, as Octopath Traveler and its sequel ushered in the distinct art style. “It struck me how beautiful pixel art games could be with [today’s] technology,” he said. He called the style a “unique way to update old RPG games without losing the charm that makes them retro” and added that he can’t wait for a Chrono Trigger remake in that style, if it were to ever happen.
Translating beautifully rendered 3D models to pixel art was no easy feat. Adding recognizable detail in a confined space proved a challenge for Arunco. “I had to fit the characters’ whole face in an about 12×12 pixel box, so I obviously couldn’t make them as detailed as I wanted,” he said. “But at the same time, [I] had to make sure every character looked unique and recognizable by placing the right pixel of color at the right spot.”
[Ed. note: The rest of this post includes spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.]
They’re certainly recognizable, and fans who’ve made some headway into the game will notice Arunco’s art features a team of six expeditioners, including one who doesn’t make it quite as far as their compatriots. “I couldn’t let him be the only one left out,” Arunco said of including the Charlie Cox-voiced Gustave in the illustration. “It would have been a shame to not include all the characters on the artwork.”
Like so many who’ve played Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gustave ranks as one of Arunco’s favorite expeditioners, though “all the characters feel very unique and interesting.” Maelle stood out for him as well, and he “did not expect” either of the twists of fate that met both Gustave and Maelle.
Image: Arunco
Arunco said he doesn’t “draw that much in [the HD-2D] style since it’s not what I’m aiming for professionally,” but might dabble with a few more retro-inspired Clair Obscur pieces. Arunco mentioned wanting to recreate the climactic boss fight against The Paintress, for instance. “At first I didn’t plan to make another one,” he said. “I also did not expect my post to have that much reach.”
Arunco’s artwork shows that whether it was made today or in the 1990s, Clair Obscur would have looked killer no matter what. Despite how well the HD-2D style fits the French RPG, the expressiveness of its characters needs 3D modeling to fully come across — Lune’s death stare during Verso’s ending wouldn’t be the same without it. Sandfall’s designs, both with its characters and gorgeous locations as the expeditioners march toward the monolith, fit Clair Obscur perfectly, something Arunco acknowledges.
“If it [was] released as a pixel art RPG, I would have played it anyway,” he said. “But now I think the game having a realistic look really helps to immerse yourself in it and make it more emotional.”
