Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 voice actor on why turn-based RPGs still matter

As we highlighted in our list of the 5 Best JRPGs to Play After Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive’s breakout hit doesn’t just draw inspiration from classic JRPGs — it revitalizes the genre with bold style, confidence, and clear reverence. That said, it’s not solely responsible for putting turn-based RPGs back in the spotlight. The genre’s still very much alive, even if it isn’t quite as front-and-center as it used to be. And if you’ve written these games off, now’s a great time to give them another look.

That’s a sentiment which Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s very own Verso voice actor Ben Starr (who also voiced Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI and Arthur in Warframe 1999) shares.

“I’m so lucky that I’m in a videogame right now that is celebrating a combat system that is alive and well,” Starr said on a recent episode of the Destin podcast. “It hasn’t brought [turn-based battles] back, but I’m glad that people are discovering it again through that.”

Verso, voiced by Ben Starr, faces down an enemy in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33/Sandfall Interactive

Starr praised several other turn-based RPGs that he believes fans of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 should check out if they enjoyed their time with the game.

“If you’re loving Expedition 33 right now, go and play Chained Echoes. That is a beautiful, beautiful RPG with a stunning 2D art style,” Starr said of the indie hit that was developed almost entirely by one creator and pays homage to classic 16-bit pixel art RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI. “It’s really, really beautiful. Obviously Octopath Traveler 2. Love it.”

Although turn-based RPGs aren’t the genre-defining staples they were in the ’90s—with many modern titles favoring real-time action combat—games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Persona, and Baldur’s Gate prove that the format can still achieve massive success and critical acclaim when executed thoughtfully and without feeling derivative.

Starr thinks that if turn-based RPGs have immediately turned you off as a gamer in the past that you should give them another try.

Chained Echoes is a throwback to the 16-bit era, turn-based battles and all/Deck13 Spotlight

“If you’re discovering turn based combat for the first time, and understanding the intricacies of turn based combat and how it can create complex combat scenarios, there is a really rich well of games out there, that are out recently, that can exist,” he added.

He continued, “I understand that a lot people are put off by certain art styles, but you’re sticking with Expedition 33 because it’s an amazing turn based combat system. And believe me there’s some amazing turn-based combat systems, and one of them is Chained Echoes. It’s brilliant. And once you learn the ropes it’s fascinating. It has an amazing story to tell that’s just as heart-wrenching. And the same with Octopath Traveler 2.”

Do you agree with Ben Starr, the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 voice actor on why turn-based RPGs still matter? Do you prefer classic turn-based RPGs, fast-paced real-time action, or hybrids that blend both—like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33? Share your thoughts in the comments below.