Death: the final farewell…the last destination, and an immutable truth that everyone must come to terms with sooner than later.


Some of us with much healthier mindsets on the matter than others

The grim reality involving the specter of time relentlessly haunting me, is a reality I’ve had to acknowledge and accept as a part of my everyday. I suspect one of the reasons so many of us are so often discomforted by the idea of wasted time and even possibly, why FOMO plagues the masses, relates on a low-key level, to the notion that not only is time non-refundable, but every minute that passes is just one more minute off of the overall countdown of our own demise. Western attitudes on death, or at least, speaking to what I know, American perspectives on our mortality, are quite usually predicated upon an anxiety that begets denial, most in the US contributing to an overall zeitgeist that suggest death is best put out of one’s mind. This refusal to accept reality, or at least dismiss the idea of its all consuming encroachment upon us, does not surprise me: Americans have never been the blue ribbon winners of anything within the realm of the elegant and the refined, essential aspects in traversing demanding terrain with a modest humility, and certainly what one needs in embracing and wielding the courage to forsake cowardice in the face of the eternal, in such a powerful confrontation with the finality of consciousness itself.

I bring all of this to the forefront at the current moment, due to two unintentionally commenced projects that coincide in complimentary ways; I started reading a new book “Philosophical Thinking About Death and Dying”, by Vincent Barry, and have also commenced Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (E33), a wonderfully morose double feature, both coming packed to the brim with introspection on the great beyond. I’m guessing both will tie in nicely to one another, with E33 also being the last game I start and finish this year. Even though I knew little about E33 before I landed on it being my next game to conquer, I was at least aware it was an RPG with a strong focus on narrative, though I also got the sense that the subject material aired on the heavier side of emotional content, which intrigued me so, as not enough games investigate the depths of the human spirit. When combined with the fact that E33 seems to have won the lions share of game of the year awards, maintains an excellent aggregate overall review score, and seems almost unanimously lauded by the gaming community at large, it seemed almost mad to not engage with the title before the year was through, so my way forward seemed clear, however darkened a path it may be.

I think one of my only cautious consternations of sorts in starting E33, was that it was in fact an RPG, and therefore, not going to be a shorter experience to blast through, which is a pertinent quality in my world, as I have such a limited amount of time at my disposal, opting to plow through any number of faster experiences is usually my favored go to, in creating not only an eclectic gaming resume, but a myriad of varied articles to match. However, based on the games pedigree, the fact I hadn’t played an RPG in quite a long time, and enjoying a fresh creative challenge, I landed on treating myself to E33, to give myself a chance at marveling at its melancholy machinations.

I think one of the inherent challenges with writing about the title, will involve me having to focus on story vibes instead of explicit beats, as to avoid spoiling any overall narrative elements for potentially curious readers of my work, whilst also simultaneously still finding ways in dissecting characters as spoiler free as possible. This is all within the pretense that the characters and story will be the biggest focuses that E33 will have to offer, instead of serving up a wide ranging and varied source of game play design elements I will need to contend with; the very same hypotheticals which usually keep me so busy in my business of deconstructing the metaphysics of the experience, as most RPGs are usually a bit lighter where the mechanics of play are involved.

At least, with what I’ve seen thus far from what E33 has to offer, there is at least the idea of a more active turn based battle system at play, as one can utilize both parries and dodges as fights play out, with one being able to utilize well timed button presses to execute with a dodge or a parry, in response to attacks, with both Perfect dodges and parries rewarding you handsomely with a combat edge, while those unable to keep up with these precarious engagements paying dearly as a result. Not that other RPGs haven’t done such a thing before, but it’s definitely on the more uncommon side, and a welcome caveat to the encounters, as far too many RPGs do not lean more heavily on skill, and instead opt for the slow burn involving the numbers game, which usually has me rolling my eyes as I sit patiently with restless leg syndrome, going through the motions, gaining levels left in right, as I appeal to the “number go up” syndrome that plagues the most insanely inane depths of design and bored gameplay systems available.

I’m guessing E33 is more or less a complete package, and this is why so many appreciate the quality inherent in the title, but one quick posit I would surmise about E33’s qualities thus far, is that while (at least at first glance) it doesn’t do much new per se, it remixes a bunch of nostalgically driven ideas, and wraps them up in a fabulously new aesthetic package, with graphics and an artsyle that makes everything just pop out with character. The shiny new veneer of modern day graphical luster helps to dress up the old school way of doing things, and there is almost something refreshing about such a simplistically straight forward approach to delivering the experience.

My first play session, clocking in at about an hour and a half, covered what seemed like the designated “tutorial area”, as the title card of the game popped up, not long before I called it quits, feeling as if I had enough to write about…though it was a good sign of things to come, as I definitely wanted to press on and see what lie ahead. E33 has a compelling magnetism about it, in ensnaring the player with a gorgeous sense of somber romance, and digs its emotional claws deep into both your heart and mind, effortlessly dragging you down the primrose path of curious melancholy to the inevitable fate that awaits the Expedition. I quite enjoy the contrast of the hopeful despair that runs so deeply throughout the entire essence that dwells within spirit of the game, and have no doubts E33 will pull no punches in refusing to yield when I launch into the emotional thick of it later on down the road.

Finishing off this year with a game so flirtatiously fixated upon death seems a fitting end to 2025, and I look forward to the macabre majesty that awaits me on my morbid path to an inevitable demise, one that domineeringly casts a menacingly foreboding shadow, blanketing the grave landscape of Expedition 33.

-Pashford