Session 1: Before Playing | 15-30 minutes
My first exposure to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was through highly upvoted Reddit posts where Redditors praised the game as “game of the year” or even “game of the decade”. Some commenters went so far as to claim it is one of the best games they have ever played. Typically, upon reading such positive reviews for a game belonging to a genre I enjoy would be enough to convince me to try it blindly. However, for the purposes of this assignment, I also visited the game’s Steam page to gather additional information.
The game received “Overwhelmingly Positive” reviews, is priced at $65 CAD, on par for a AAA game, and is developed by a studio I have not heard of. I watched the available trailers, which showcased a medieval fantasy setting with magic and monsters. The protagonist appears to have lost someone he loves and seeks to destroy something to stop a mysterious death cycle.
What will I like / dislike about it?
From the trailers, the gameplay is appealing to me in terms of both exploration and combat. It seems to blend features from several genres: the expansive, immersive world typical of a 3D western RPG (e.g. The Witcher); the tactical, turn-based party combat of a JRPG (e.g. Final Fantasy); and the real-time, skill-based combat mechanics seen in Souls-like games (e.g. Dark Souls), emphasizing timing and reaction in dodging, parrying and attacking.
The visuals are consistent with what one would expect from a modern AAA release, and the combat system looks familiar given my experience with JRPGs. However, the overwhelmingly positive reviews suggest it offers something beyond the conventional formula. As a single-player title, I anticipate a well-balanced combination of challenging and enjoyable gameplay, a compelling storyline, and high production values. The music, voice acting, and character animations appear impressive, and the design of both the environments and the monsters looks particularly imaginative. Some of the opening scenes reminded me of Bioshock 2 (suggesting possible multiverse elements) and the film Annihilation, with groups of people entering a mysterious realm from which none return.
What will I find interesting about it/boring or tedious about it?
I may find certain elements tedious if they hinder the game’s pacing or disrupt pacing, such as overly slow, “realistic” movements (as seen in Red Dead Redemption 2) or repetitive tasks like fetch quests. I would find generic, formulaic characters who lack development to be boring. Prolonged, unengaging dialogue would also weaken the storyline, especially if I am not invested in the characters. A lack of environmental interactivity could reduce immersion and make exploration feel like a chore rather than a reward. For instance, some games feature cities that are visually appealing on the surface, but their interiors are empty or entirely inaccessible.
What will I need to do in it?
I expect the gameplay will involve exploring various environments, solving puzzles, and battling increasingly difficult enemies. Uncovering the plot and becoming invested in the development of both the world and its characters will likely be central to the experience.
What will I need to learn within it?
To fully engage with the game, I will need to learn its core gameplay mechanics, understand its objectives, navigate the world efficiently, and manage the in-game resources. I will also need to grasp the storylines of the main characters and their motivations, as this will be crucial to becoming immersed in the narrative. Additionally, I will likely find myself comparing it to other games I’ve played to better understand its unique contributions to the genre.
What will it be like / similar to (other games I have played)?
The game appears to share characteristics with various games I’ve played before. Its turn-based, party-based combat is reminiscent of the Final Fantasy series, while the real-time elements remind me of the gameplay of Dark Souls or Assassin’s Creed. Thematically, the game’s focus on cycles of death brings to mind Final Fantasy X, which also explores a similar concept. FFX also revolves around a group of individuals willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of humankind.
Session Fieldnotes
I expect Clair Obscur to deliver a visually stunning, narratively rich experience with a unique blend of familiar combat mechanics and fantasy storytelling. These expectations are based on the game’s trailers, Steam reviews, and my comparisons to other RPGs I’ve played.
Session 2: Solo Playthrough | 45 to 60 minutes
a) Descriptive Notes
Haven’t heard of the developers; not sure if independent or a high-budget studio. They use the unreal engine which I’ve experienced in other games.
Title screen is just a name, with opera music and falling flower petals and a black background; seems melancholic.
Opening environment looks like Paris in an alternate universe set in the 20th century. Game starts with a cutscene of two characters speaking with a British accent. The subject of their conversation and tone are very positive, playful and relaxed. The colours of the environment are vibrant. The female character, Maelle, is talking about setting up the male character, Gustave, up for a date with joking and teasing. The names of the characters are shown in the displayed dialogue. The objective is to give flowers to a woman who appears to be the male character’s love interest.
The cutscene ends screen displays “prologue”, which is likely to provide more background to the storyline and also a tutorial for gameplay mechanics. At this point, I am in control of Gustave.
The controls are the typical WASD with shift to sprint just like other RPGs. There is a tooltip that says “press E to interact”. The distant environment is very pretty with many objects floating in the sky. I reach a big gap and Maelle prompts me to use my grapple hook to jump across.
A bit more walking and then there’s a combat tutorial.
Skills consume action points (AP), something I’m familiar with other RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2. Combat is turn-based with some real time interactions like parrying or dodging enemy attacks, similar to FFX2. The combat ends when I follow the tutorial and perform the correct actions.
We walk to an area where there’s a celebration happening to the left in a town square. It seems like a reprieve or distraction because the right side is depressing as it appears to be a city in ruins. It’s a stark contrast. One side is colourful and the trees are alive, the other side buildings are crumbling, grey and foggy.
Eventually, Gustave finds the girl he wants to deliver his flowers to (Sophie) and a cutscene begins. Cutscenes usually indicate the progression of the main storyline or some important event since the player is forced to focus on it. Their dialogue reveals more of the story but I don’t really understand the background yet. Gustave seems to be able to control time, or something about a different world. Reminds me of quantum mechanics and multiverse theory. Melancholic music plays, indicating bittersweetness.
Cutscene ends and now I’m playing as Sophie. She can sprint just as fast as Gustave even though she’s wearing a skirt. I can instantly switch between characters now but there doesn’t seem to be any difference other than the appearance of the avatar. The next objective is to go to the “grommage”. There are a lot of French-sounding words being used.
Walking through the town, there are many NPCs to interact with. I talk to Cyril and he mentions that the expeditions have been constant failures. The game is called Expedition 33 so it makes me wonder if they are currently preparing to go on the 33rd one. Interacting with a statue, tells you that people are gathered to reunite one last time…before the expedition? NPCs have conflicted views about the expedition with one side in support, claiming they will save the people while the other saying the expeditioners are escaping and leaving people to die. They speak of a cycle which could mean different expeditions. I really enjoy how the mystery slowly reveals itself without boring the player with a long exposition of some kind.
Another fighting tutorial with a sandbag to try different skills. Unlimited amount of time to try different things and impossible to lose. I get a bit lost when the fight ends because it’s a whole other interface but the path ends up being fairly linear. I’m running around exploring as much of the town as I can looking for ppl to interact so i can understand more of the story. Seems like when you’re on the right path, more dialogue automatically pops up from one of the characters in the party so its kind of like a hint. I think the antagonist is the Paintress. There are ppl who want to kill her and others who have sided with her and worship her.
The animations, facial expressions and voice acting are all really good, even down to eye movements. The characters are really expressive. The dialogue topics, the facial expressions, the music all set a sad tone like the world is ending with only the slightest glimmer of hope.
The music suddenly becomes tense and the colours suddenly change to shades of red and brown. I’m guessing something bad is about to happen. Across the ocean water you can see the number 34 on a huge stone pillar, which probably has something to do with Expedition 34? The Paintress has woken up. She is a giant female with long silver hair. The number counts down from 34 to 33, probably because Expedition 34 failed to kill the Paintress. People start turning into red flower petals and fade away like the Avengers scene, except Gustave and Maelle, who are alive because they are part of Expedition 33 apparently. Sophie disappears last and Gustave cries.
Turns out a long time ago there was an event called the Fracture that caused all of this. At the docks that are some NPCs to speak to before leaving for the expedition. There was no character customization until this point and now there’s an option to change hairstyle and try different outfits. The game tells you about certain triggers that will advance the game and not let you return. So as they sail off, that ends the prologue and there’s the first time I see a loading screen.
Very dark and ominous landing in an unknown place. They see shipwrecks of the previous expeditions. Someone immediately dies and now they are swearing a lot, dropping F bombs. The tone has completely changed. Act 1 begins and is titled “Gustave”.
Party is attacked by mysterious monsters. First one looks like they were human. Second one looks like a floating pair of pants. Seems like most of the expeditioners died. When I’m back in control, Gustave wakes up at a pleasant looking place called Spring Meadows with nature, grass, sunlight, trees…
When I gained control of the character, I immediately try to go back to where I came from, which is a waterfall, and I found some money. The game rewards you for exploring. As an experienced RPG player, that’s something I expected. I always try to exhaust all options before taking the path towards the main objective. I guess the game also does this to encourage players to explore and appreciate the visuals.
The path is relatively linear, they don’t try to use anything clever to show the boundaries, it’s just an invisible wall.
There are tips giving hints and tutorials. E.g. “shift” to run and some other tips in combat but I’ve been running since the beginning of the game, but this is the first time its been explicitly instructed. Gustave has lost hope in the expedition and contemplates suicide; very mature themes. He went from being very confident about the expedition to almost wanting to killing himself (losing hope). They find a survivor and she joins the party, allowing me to control her in combat. This character is a caster and uses magic.
Game doesn’t have a map. Can’t jump into the water, kind of disappointing.
Sound effects during combats are very satisfying especially when you’re doing a perfect parry for example. I challenged a powerful enemy and died. Returned to last saved point, seems to have no other consequences. One path is blocked by the powerful enemy, even though you can try repeatedly to defeat him, theoretically possible since the game is based on reaction and skill, but with the current level and stats I would have to try many times and it would take a long time. So even though there is no hard barrier preventing the player from going down that path, the game discourages it.
b) Analytic Notes
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 presents multiple layers of challenges that require both strategic decision-making and real-time reflexes. The player is tasked with navigating a hostile world while unravelling the mystery behind the expeditions and why they are continuously sent to their deaths despite making no apparent progress. The primary challenges I encountered involved managing the difficulty of combat: strategically selecting optimal actions and executing precise timing for dodges and parries. Another significant challenge was making narrative decisions without fully understanding their context, which left the long-term consequences of my choices unclear.
In the first hour of gameplay, there do not appear to be problematic representations of gender, class, or race. The town’s population seems relatively homogeneous, likely reflecting a stylized version of medieval Paris. Women are not sexualized, and I noticed potential for LGBTQ storylines when parties with multiple characters are involved, similar to those found in contemporary RPGs like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2. Violence is depicted as necessary both in confronting the Paintress to break the cycle of death and in defeating the enemies that obstruct the expedition’s path.
From a learning perspective, the game introduces its systems in a scaffolded and accessible manner. The initial combat tutorials are forgiving, providing unlimited health and ample time for experimentation, which encourages a trial-and-error approach. Repetition across various combat scenarios further reinforces the mechanics. The use of rich narrative storytelling as a learning tool aligns with the First Peoples Principles of Learning, particularly the principle that learning is embedded in memory, history, and story. The game effectively captured my interest through its ominous imagery such as the giant pillar marked “34” that can be seen from the shores of the town, and the intriguing mysteries hinted at in early dialogue.
A defining feature of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the way its music and visual aesthetics are intricately woven into the narrative. What truly stands out is how the game fosters emotional investment through a deeply immersive world, while simultaneously requiring precision and strategic planning. This elevates the experience beyond a simple visual spectacle into a meaningful and impactful interactive journey.
The game borrows many parts of other game mechanics or storylines and combines them into its own unique game. For example, the idea of repeated failed expeditions into the unknown reminds me of the movie Annihilation, where expeditions venture into The Shimmer never to return. The Shimmer expands and threatens to swallow surrounding areas which also puts expeditioners on a countdown. A similar theme of perpetual cycles in the plotline is also seen in Final Fantasy X, where Summoners and their teams sacrifice themselves to repeatedly to defeat the antagonist, Sin. In terms of gameplay and mechanics, elements of the familiar turn-based JRPG combat system can be seen with party members having their unique attributes and skills. Woven into the turn-based system is also a real-time element requiring the player to react to an enemy’s moves, similar to Dark Souls games.
The game draws inspiration from a range of established mechanics and narratives, blending them into a distinctive and cohesive experience. For instance, the concept of repeated, failed expeditions into an unknown and hostile environment reminds me of the film Annihilation, in which expedition teams venture into the mysterious phenomenon known as The Shimmer, never to return. Like the expanding threat of The Shimmer, which creates a sense of urgency and impending collapse, the game similarly places expeditioners on a countdown against an existential threat. The theme of cyclical sacrifice is also echoed in Final Fantasy X, where Summoners and their guardians willingly give their lives in a recurring effort to defeat Sin, a manifestation of collective suffering.
From a gameplay perspective, the turn-based JRPG combat system is clearly present, with each party member possessing distinct attributes and abilities. However, this traditional format is innovatively combined with real-time elements that require players to respond to enemy attacks with precise timing, like in the Dark Souls series. This hybrid system adds layers of depth and engagement, merging the strategic planning of turn-based combat with the reactive intensity of real-time gameplay.
c) Affective Notes
Although the first hour of gameplay primarily consisted of dialogue, I remained engaged and did not feel bored. The rich worldbuilding and intriguing narrative elements held my attention throughout. However, I did feel a slight sense of impatience, as I was eager to test my skills in actual combat scenarios rather than sparring with NPCs or sandbags. The tutorial segments demonstrated a variety of compelling mechanics and abilities, which heightened my anticipation for more dynamic gameplay.
I experienced a strong sense of sympathy toward the characters Gustave and Maelle when the “34” ticked down to “33” and everyone around them suddenly faded away, instilling a sense of grief and isolation. Gustave’s situation was especially moving, as he is only able to see his love interest, Sophie, once a year during the Grommage. The game reveals that this is a regular occurrence after every failed expedition, which meant that the characters knew from the start they had few precious moments with their loved ones before they faded away for another year. That emotional weight was further compounded by the revelation that members of Expedition 33 must now shoulder the burden of saving what remains of the population, placing personal loss against the backdrop of a greater, tragic cycle.
These affective moments were not just emotionally resonant—they also deepened my investment in the game’s world and narrative, making the challenges ahead feel more meaningful and personal.
I also felt some irritation when some of the townspeople sided with the Paintress and worshipped her. This does not align with my personal beliefs in giving into hopeless and to rather put faith in some higher power. It reminded me of all the horrible things in history humankind has done in the name of religion and faith.
Although the first hour of gameplay primarily consisted of dialogue, I remained engaged and did not feel bored. The rich worldbuilding and intriguing narrative elements consistently held my attention. However, I experienced a slight sense of impatience, as I was eager to test my skills in actual combat scenarios rather than sparring with NPCs or sandbags. The combat tutorials teased at a variety of fun mechanics and abilities, which increased my anticipation for more dynamic and challenging encounters.
I felt a strong sense of sympathy for the characters Gustave and Maelle when everyone around them suddenly faded away after the failed Expedition 34. It was a powerful scene that made me sympathize with the grief and isolation they must have felt, and their motivation to end the cycle. Gustave’s situation was especially moving as he is only able to see his partner, Sophie, once a year during the Grommage. The game reveals that this “erasure” occurs after every failed expedition, revealing that the characters were aware from the start of the game that they only had few precious moments with their loved ones before they vanish again for another year. This was compounded by the realization that members of Expedition 33 must now shoulder the immense burden of saving what remains of the population, setting aside personal loss and sacrificing themselves for the good of humankind. These affective moments deepened my investment in the game’s world and narrative, making the journey ahead feel more urgent and personally meaningful.
I also experienced irritation during scenes where townspeople expressed allegiance to the Paintress and chose to worship her. This perspective conflicted with my personal values, as it felt like an expression of surrender rather than resistance. Placing blind faith in a higher power without logic reminded me of the atrocities committed in the name of religion in human history. I saw similarities in real life of different conflicts caused by differing religious and political beliefs.
Session Fieldnotes
A crucial skill I developed while learning Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the ability to anticipate the timing of parries and dodges by closely observing enemy animations and learning to recognize the attack patterns suggested by the names of their moves. This involved visual pattern recognition and linguistic interpretation of text and was essential for completing combat tutorials, especially as real-time reflexes are layered onto the turn-based combat system.
www.ign.com
Session 3: Video observation | 45 to 60 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCBNMzHQM-Q
Youtuber MoistCr1tikal (penguinz0)
MoistCr1tikal is a popular YouTuber with over 17 million subscribers. Even though this stream is over eight hours long, it has over a million views, so there were probably tens of thousands watching live. Some of his attention is on the stream chat, where he sometimes gets extra info and commentary from viewers. His job is also to entertain, so his commentary includes jokes and reflects a casual style, much like my own initial notes before refining them for this assignment. I searched for his Clair Obscur video right away because I am a long-time subscriber. His playthroughs feel genuine, without edits to attract advertisers or start drama.
a) Descriptive Notes
As the game loads, Cr1tikal says he’s expecting a lot based on previews from a game fest and the trailers. He notes that $45 USD is not full-price and suggests the lower price is probably because it’s the studio’s first game. This surprised me, since I had assumed it was priced like a typical AAA title.
During the opening cutscene, he asks if “gommage” is a real word. A viewer replies, “yes, it means to erase.”
He complains about the blur effect behind the subtitles and spends several minutes trying to fix it. It really bothers him, but I barely noticed it during my own playthrough.
He predicts that Sophie is “super dead” after Gustave gives her the flower. He already has a good sense of the story. He seems to know that everyone is going to die.
He says “the world is so pretty” multiple times, clearly impressed by the visuals.
When exploring the town, he asks, “So many people to talk to. Are these all characters or NPCs?” I also felt overwhelmed by how many people I could talk to.
“Yeah, it does feel Bioshock Infinite-y,” he says, responding to a viewer. He’s comparing the aesthetic, which I also did in my own notes, especially the early 20th-century look and multiverse themes.
His first combat encounter was not perfect, but clearly experienced, similar to mine. He knows what to expect in this genre.
An important difference in our playstyle is that Cr1tikal follows the main objective, talking only to a few characters along the way whereas I went out of my way to explore everything and even retracing steps to exhaust all possibilities in fear of missing out on resources. This is proven again when he heads to the harbour immediately, ignoring the warning that there’s no return. This is likely because he’s a streamer and wants to move the game forward for entertainment. He also skips dialogue quickly after reading it, while I let characters finish speaking to hear the voice acting and emotion.
He says, “the music is so good.” He looks mesmerized by the visuals and music and his facial expressions show that he’s immersed in the story. “Cannot believe this is this studio’s first game. Even this intro is fucking unreal.”
He starts predicting story elements based on how the Paintress moves and her expressions. “She is controlled by something too. She looks sad.” Something I did not notice during my playthrough. I wonder if he could have noticed the same thing if he did not have the extra background he got from his previews. He confirms my suspicions when he says “whatever number the Paintress paints, people over the age of that number die.” I didn’t remember this detail from the trailer I watched.
He gets annoyed at NPCs who don’t support the expedition. “I don’t understand this perspective,” he says. “Why not just try and fight?” He clearly disagrees with their logic, similar to how I disagreed with the religious fanatics in my playthrough.
During a combat sequence, he says “gotta get my timing down… she is all over the place with the timing” referring to parrying or dodging, demonstrating that he is a player who tries his best and values success.
At the harbour carnival, he checks out a few stalls at random and moves on, which again demonstrates that he is keen to move forward with the main storyline. In contrast, I talked to everyone and tried to collect all the tokens to spend at the stalls.
When an expeditioner dies in a cutscene, he yells, “no!” showing real emotional investment.
He cares a lot about character customization. He really hated the haircut one NPC gave him and immediately changed it once he had control again.
When he finds a save point with a rest option, he says, “cool that these [potions] regenerate… like bonfires I guess,” referring to Dark Souls which has a similar mechanic for saving and healing.
He adapts to combat faster than I did, probably because he has more experience with games like Dark Souls, which are known for difficult timing and reflex-based combat. He also gets tips from viewers when he talks to himself or asks questions.
He seems less overwhelmed by the mechanics. When levelling up, he quickly starts synergizing character attributes with “pictos,” which are like powerups. He scans new skills and immediately sorts them into categories like “AOEs, party buffs, direct damage, and heals,” planning ahead for what will be most useful for his team.
b) Analytic Notes
When comparing Cr1tikal’s play style to my own, it is important to recognize that he is both a player and a performer. As a streamer and entertainer, he plays games not only for personal enjoyment but also to engage his audience. For many streamers, this dual role significantly alters how they play. However, I believe this influence is minimal in Cr1tikal’s case. He has built a large following based on his laid-back, authentic persona and rarely “performs” in the traditional sense. His commentary feels genuine, and his reactions are often understated rather than exaggerated for entertainment.
Throughout the playthrough, Cr1tikal received live messages from his chat that enriched his experience by providing additional context or clarification. For example, when he asked whether the word gommage was real, a viewer immediately responded with its definition. These interactions can enhance gameplay by deepening understanding or filling in gaps. At the same time, they can be detrimental by spoiling major plot points or removing the natural sense of discovery that makes solo gameplay compelling. His quick progression through the prologue may partly reflect prior knowledge gained from trailers or chat hints.
A second key difference lies in how we navigated the game world. Cr1tikal prioritized the main story path, interacting only with characters and environments directly in his way. He moved quickly, skipping optional dialogue and side content. In contrast, I explored thoroughly, often retracing steps to ensure I didn’t miss important items or story elements. From a streaming perspective, prolonged exploration and backtracking may be less engaging for viewers, which likely influenced his more streamlined approach.
Cr1tikal also paid greater attention to the game’s aesthetics and presentation. He was immediately bothered by the subtitle blur and expressed strong opinions about his character’s hairstyle. He frequently commented on how beautiful the world looked and how immersive the music was. While I appreciated these elements, they weren’t as central to my focus as they clearly were to his.
Mechanically, Cr1tikal demonstrated a high level of familiarity and confidence. When leveling up, he immediately sorted skills into categories like AoEs, buffs, healing, and damage. He synergized them with pictos (similar to power-ups) to enhance performance and moved efficiently through the game’s menus. In contrast, I overlooked the pictos system for quite some time, simply because I didn’t realize its strategic potential. His background with Dark Souls and other demanding RPGs gave him a significant edge in understanding and adapting to Clair Obscur’s systems.
Watching him also highlighted how much he brought in from outside the game. He made narrative predictions and picked up on subtle visual cues such as the Paintress’s facial expressions or the symbolic function of the number she paints that I completely missed. His ability to read character behaviour and mood showed me how much of Clair Obscur’s storytelling is visual and non-verbal, and how easy it is to miss these details when focused on gameplay alone.
Despite his mechanical focus, Cr1tikal showed clear emotional investment. When a character died, he shouted “no!” in a way that seemed entirely authentic. This moment reminded me that even highly skilled players can still be deeply affected by narrative developments, not just the gameplay.
Regarding themes of gender, race, or class, Cr1tikal didn’t comment much directly. However, he expressed frustration with characters who opposed the expedition, revealing a strong belief in agency and resistance. While the game’s stylized violence went largely unquestioned, watching his playthrough made me more aware of how normalized that level of violence is in fantasy RPGs.
Ultimately, observing his playthrough helped me notice things I had previously overlooked. While my own experience was rooted more in emotion, dialogue, and narrative detail, his was guided by efficiency, pacing, and strategic awareness. Despite these differences, we were both equally immersed in the narrative of Clair Obscur through different lenses.
c) Affective Notes
During the scene when Gustave contemplated suicide, I recall feeling the weight of a significant change in his character. During the gommage, he was full of confidence and optimism. Now, having witnessed the horrors of the expedition firsthand, he is overwhelmed with grief and fear. It reminded me of portrayals in WWII films, where young men enlist full of hope, only to have their attitudes shift dramatically upon reaching the beaches of Normandy.
I feel that Cr1tikal and I share similar personality traits and ways of expressing emotion. We are both emotionally subdued and tend not to overreact. Our humour, tone, and even vocal delivery are often dry, deadpan, and somewhat monotonous. Because of this, our reactions may appear muted, but they can still reflect a deep level of engagement. His affective style felt familiar and authentic to me, and I found myself relating to his understated emotional responses.
Cr1tikal’s affective responses throughout the playthrough were subtle and surprisingly sincere. One of the few times he expressed strong affect was when an expeditioner died during a cutscene and he reacted with an immediate and heartfelt “no!” This did not feel like a performative outburst for his audience. Instead, it felt raw and genuine. It surprised me not because I doubted that he cared, but because his play style up to that point had been so composed and analytical. This moment revealed an emotional investment that went beyond gameplay mechanics and strategy.
He also showed repeated appreciation for the game’s visual and auditory design. He described the world as “so pretty” multiple times, and his tone carried a sense of admiration. The music captivated him and his expressions suggested that he was genuinely moved by the atmosphere. These moments added another layer of affective engagement. They reminded me that emotional responses do not always come from dramatic events. Sometimes, they are drawn out by subtle, immersive world-building.
Even small annoyances, like the subtitle blur or the unwanted haircut given to his character, evoked emotional responses such as frustration, irritation, and humour. These lighter reactions showed that he was paying close attention to all aspects of the game, even if his expressions were low-key.
In contrast, my own affective responses were more focused on curiosity, reflection, and emotional connection to the characters. I let the dialogue play out fully so I could appreciate the voice acting, and I made a point of speaking to every NPC. This was not just for gameplay benefits, but because I felt drawn to the world and wanted to understand its people and their perspectives. My emotional responses may have been less outwardly visible, but they were present and shaped more by contemplation than immediate reaction.
Session Fieldnotes
Cr1tikal’s playthrough revealed how prior gaming experience and real-time viewer input can lead to faster adaptation, more strategic decision-making, and nuanced narrative interpretation. His emotionally subdued yet authentic reactions highlighted a deep engagement that mirrored my own, despite our different play styles.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Game Analysis
My experience with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, both through solo gameplay and by observing a more experienced player (MoistCr1tikal), illustrates how digital games function as immersive learning environments. The game exemplifies what Gee and Gee (2017) call “good games”, where learning is not static instruction but an ongoing process of experimentation, reflection, and action. According to them, “When playing, we are having a conversation with the game by forming a goal, acting and probing, receiving a response from the world, reflecting, and then acting again.”
Fullerton (2019) defines strong game design as the integration of formal elements like objectives, feedback, rules, and narrative into a coherent system. Clair Obscur incorporates excellent examples of each formal element which contributed meaningfully to the whole. For instance, the objectives were always clear, even without a quest log or map markers, and story progression emerged through the environment, dialogue, and music. These elements supported an intuitive understanding of where to go and what to do next. Clear objectives allowed two styles of gameplay to emerge as we see from Cr1tikal and my playthrough: one that is focused on completing objectives and one that is focused on exploration. As Fullerton writes, “What emerges in play is something that cannot be predicted from examining each of the elements separately.” This emergent quality made my experience feel cohesive and personal, shaped as much by mood and timing as by explicit goals.
Watching Cr1tikal’s playthrough offered a different but equally valid experience. He progressed quickly, skipped optional dialogue, and moved directly through main objectives. Our different styles highlighted the game’s adaptability, as both approaches were supported by the game’s systems. Neither of us encountered any bugs, unclear objectives, or confusing mechanics. The design allowed us to remain immersed from start to finish, reflecting Fullerton’s (2019) emphasis on polish and internal logic across systems.
Despite Cr1tikal’s faster playstyle, he remained engaged with the story and responded emotionally to key moments. He showed awe at the visuals, commented on the music, and reacted sincerely to character deaths. His approach emphasized mechanical efficiency, but his affective engagement was just as real as mine. Although Clair Obscur is a single-player game, his playthrough was not truly solo. His stream included live commentary and real-time input from viewers. Gee and Gee (2017) explain that a player’s understanding of a game is shaped in part by interactions with others. In this case, his audience provided guidance, definitions, and speculation, helping shape how he interpreted the game world. His understanding was distributed across his own expertise and the insights of his viewers.
Cr1tikal has genuine reactions and emotional responses to game events even though his delivery is subdued, such as during the death of a expeditioner. I had similar moments, especially during Gustave’s psychological unraveling shortly after the expedition begins. Within an hour, both of us were invested in the plotline and the characters, which is a testament to the game’s compelling narrative. Gee and Gee (2017) emphasize that affect is essential to learning. How we feel about a situation shapes how we approach it. For example, Cr1tikal expressed frustration with characters who disapproved of the expeditions as he preferred action with even a tiny chance of making a positive change over waiting for certain death. I also expressed my own frustration with characters who gave up resisting the Paintress and turned to worshipping her, as I have my own biases against religious fanatics and blind faith. Our responses to these characters illustrate how emotional responses guide how we construct meaning in games.
Cr1tikal adapted quickly to game mechanics such as the pictos system. He also synergized skills effectively by drawing on experience from previous games in the same genre. In comparison, I overlooked pictos until later and took longer to optimize my character. Cr1tikal drew on prior experience with challenging RPGs, reflecting Gee and Gee’s sentiment that learning in games often draws from previous experiences that are felt rather than memorized (2017).
One of the most powerful aspects of the game is how it encourages non-verbal interpretation. Cr1tikal predicted narrative twists based on subtle animation and design cues, such as the Paintress’s body language and expressions. I missed those during my playthrough but recognized their significance while watching him. The storytelling relied not only on words but also on visual symbolism, facial expression, and tone. This form of implicit communication invited interpretation, not just observation.
The game’s broader themes also prompted ethical reflection. The Paintress’s power of gommage, which allows her to erase individuals from existence, raised questions about the inevitability of death and the fragility of mortality. While the game does not make overt statements about race, class, or gender, it presents a world that avoids reinforcing harmful stereotypes. The player’s party includes a balanced mix of male and female characters, as well as characters who are gender-ambiguous or non-binary. Notably, female characters are portrayed with agency and strength and are not sexualized or confined to stereotypical roles such as priestesses or witches. The game world itself appears classless, with societal structures seemingly dissolved in the face of existential crisis. Survival becomes the unifying concern across the population, overriding social stratification. There are no explicit racial tensions presented, though most characters appear to be white, with some visible representation of other ethnicities, including a playable character with East Asian features. Overall, the game manages to strike a thoughtful balance in its representation of diversity. It incorporates a range of genders and ethnicities in a way that feels organic to the world, without resorting to overt or performative gestures toward diversity and inclusion.
The shared emotional and mechanical fluidity of our experiences made me reflect on accessibility. While Cr1tikal and I found the game rewarding and manageable, I wondered how a complete newcomer would fare. Would the complexity of the systems or the real-time combat be overwhelming? Would they miss narrative cues or emotional beats? Although the game is polished and intuitive, its depth might challenge those without prior genre experience.
References
Fullerton, T. (2019). Game design workshop: A playcentric approach to creating innovative games. Taylor & Francis (CRS Press)/ Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6.
Gee, E., & Gee, J. P. (2017). Games as distributed teaching and learning systems. Teachers College Record, 119(11).