Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Tragic Early Twist Started as Joke from Another Game

I love it when no one is safe in a game, movie, or series, but I understand those who get angry when the protagonist's plot armor fails them, leaving them dead. In Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, that's what happens with Gustave, whom you lovingly level up and prepare for the hardships of the world to then lose him before Act 2.

Apparently, this little stunt started as a joke and was taken from another game. The game's director Guillaume Broche told Behind the Voice that the killing Gustave idea came from an older project, We Lost. When he was brainstorming with lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, she joked, "What if we kill him? What if we kill the main character?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Broche said. "Let's do it." So here we have this twist much earlier than anticipated. Hi, The Last of Us, by the way.

"I think it's very important for the themes of the game," Broche explained. "That we invite the player to feel loss, and there's nothing that transmits this message more than just killing off the main character."

To Broche, it works because it feels like you've lost something, someone whom you worked on improving and who you had plans for. This sudden loss works on both sentimental and practical levels.

What do you think about such decisions? Join our 80 Level Talent platform and our new Discord server, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, TikTok, and Threads, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.