If you're looking for an exciting yet emotional role-playing game, Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is possibly the best fit. However, players will encounter many deaths in the game, including one of the central characters in the beginning. Was it a bad decision for the developers to let a main character die?
As players navigate through the main story, they're bound to get attached to the characters they play. We get to experience playing as Sophie and tragically have to say goodbye before we fully get to know her. However, playing as Gustave is a whole other story, as we have one Act dedicated to him, and it doesn't end well.
We know Gustave as the engineer who dedicated his life to protecting his home, Lumiere. He also served as a parent and brother to Maelle alongside his sister, Emma. He seemed like a pretty optimistic guy as we played as him and Sophie during Clair Obscur's prologue. He's also funny, incorporating dark humor even in the beginning as he joked with Maelle about the Gommage.
As we moved through Act I, dedicated to Gustave, it was understandable that he was stricken by grief over the loss of his comrades. However, Lune was able to get him back on his feet. This was solidified by knowing that Maelle may be alive and safe. The journey and interaction with the Expedition 33 members, Esquie, Gestrals, and more, made the players feel more connected to Gustave.
There were possible hints that we'd lose Gustave. In one scene, he was speaking with Maelle and wanted her to run if death approached. He wanted her to promise she'd run if they met Renoir again. Then he says, "I'm running as soon as I see a strand of white hair. Trust me." Everything seems like it's going well, and at some point, we can't deny the feeling of impending doom looming over us.
At some point, we'll have to face Renoir again and remember that Clair Obscur is a game that tackles death and grief. This was the case as the end of Act I approached. Players invested a lot of time getting to know Gustave, his story and motivations, his skills, and the Overcharge mechanic, so it may seem like a bad decision for Sandfall Interactive to kill him off. Many players expressed disappointment that he died, as they expected him to be the main protagonist.
Many of the character deaths were heavy, but I believe that they served their purpose in moving the story forward. A good story doesn't always have to have a happy ending. As with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's narrative, "When one falls, we continue."
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