You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here
There are multiple possible endings for Clair Obscur Expedition 33, and, while some gamers argue over which finale is canon, the game’s lead writer has explained why “there is no correct canon ending”. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is one of the best games this year, and it is a strong contender to win numerous game of the year awards while also seeking an historic Grammy nomination for its beautiful soundtrack. The game’s story is a harrowing tale, and fans will be either pleased or miffed to learn that there is no canonical ending.
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 writer explains why “there is no correct canon ending”
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 lead writer, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, recently sat down for an hour-long interview with YouTube channel, Lits Play. The full interview is worth watching in its entirety as it’s a fascinating insight into the game’s story as well as its influences and the challenges involved in creating a narrative for the video game medium.
Regarding the challenge of creating an ending, one of the benefits of video games compared to books and movies is that developers can include multiple finales dependent on player choice. During the interview, Svedberg-Yen said, “I tell everybody there is no correct ending. There is no canon ending. There is no official Sandfall ending”.
As for why there’s no canon ending, it’s because they are both “there for a reason,” and “Neither is perfect [because] both of them are heartbreaking in their own ways”. As for how they are heartbreaking, Svedberg-Yen explained, “Both of them have parts that make you feel glad, parts that you feel like I want a happy ending for these characters, but they both also have their own cost and it is a reflection of reality [as] a lot of times some people’s happiness does come with its costs [as] things are very rarely perfect”.
Svedberg-Yen further elaborated, “we didn’t want to tell a story that was just good versus evil… the antagonist and the protagonist, they are all actually good people and they actually really deeply care about each other, and at the heart of it, it’s the fact that because they care, there’s conflict”.
Lastly, the lead writer said, “one of the beauties of this being an interactive medium… [players] through their own life experiences, their own perspectives, they engage with the story and the world that’s around them. They interpret the facts as they are given and the relationships, and then the player can decide for themselves what is the right ending”.
To sum up Svedberg-Yen’s explanation, the reason there’s no canon ending is because Clair Obscur Expedition 33 isn’t a simple tale of good versus evil, and Sandfall wanted players to choose the finale based on their experience with the game. Neither ending is perfect, meaning there’s no definitive good or bad, and this maintains the ambiguity wanted by the developers.
This certainly suggests there won’t be a sequel with any of Expedition 33’s characters, but Sandfall has confirmed that Expedition 33 is “not the end of the franchise,” implying they see it as a universe with many unique stories to tell, similar to Final Fantasy.
In other Clair Obscur Expedition 33 news, former PlayStation boss has hailed it as paving the way for a AA gaming rebirth, meanwhile, other developers believe the game’s success is a strong signal to publishers that gamers don’t want live-service slop.
About the Author
