Clair Obscur Expedition 33 lore and concept is one of the most interesting narratives I’ve seen in video games. I think I speak for a lot of players when I say that I love the game. A lot of effort and love went into the game, which is reflected in the characters, storyline, and environment and atmosphere. It’s true that even at the start, the game already feels melancholy and gloomy. However, that makes it tug at your heart even more. We’ll be diving into Clair Obscur Expedition 33 lore and what the story is about.
Most of these will be based on my understanding of the story. This will contain major spoilers for the game, so I suggest that you click off while it’s early and come back later when you’ve finished Clair Obscur Expedition 33!
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Lore Explained
We’ll be diving into some of the most asked questions regarding Clair Obscur Expedition 33‘s lore, which includes Maelle’s true identity, who the Paintress and Curator are, more about the Dessendre family, and are the people in the painted world are actually real.
What is Maelle’s true identity?
Perhaps one of the most important pieces in the Clair Obscur Expedition 33 lore is Maelle. As we go through the game’s story, especially when Maelle finally reunites with Gustave and Lune in the mansion, we see another girl who seems to be the same form and height as her. However, you’d notice how she has white hair and her face is covered with a mask. When she does remove her mask, you can’t really hide the resemblance anymore.
I just thought how it can’t be a coincidence how they have so many similarities, that Maelle kept having “visions” or dreams that show Alicia, and that those from the first Expedition kept mentioning “her.” One may think that
Turns out, Maelle IS Alicia. She is Verso’s younger sister, and she is also a Paintress capable of bringing life in the painted world, bringing back people, like how she did with Lune and Sciel after the Gommage that wiped everyone.
Who are the Paintress and the Curator, really?
The Paintress is Alicia’s, Clea’s, and Verso’s mother, Aline, who was so stricken with grief after Verso died in a house fire that the Writers started that she lived in Verso’s canvas for many years. The thing with Verso was that, unlike his family, full of painters, he enjoyed music and playing the piano and guitar. So, he didn’t create a lot of paintings like his family, which makes this specific painting of his so special. When you dive Clair Obscur Expedition 33 lore, you’ll naturally be curious about the Dessendres.
Meanwhile, the Curator is Aline’s husband, Renoir. This is why the Curator was there to help Maelle after the intense “welcome” we got from Painted Renoir. He wanted to take Aline out of the canvas because of the toll that it had on her. This is the same thing with Maelle/Alicia, as he knows that if she also stays on the canvas, there’d be consequences for her physically and mentally.
Are the people in the Painted world even real?
I think this is the hardest question to answer in the world of Clair Obscur Expedition 33. We know that the people in Lumiere were part of the creations in Verso’s painted world. However, they appear to be sentient, capable of having their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. To me, this was further solidified when we got to know the people in the expedition: Lune, Sciel, and even the gestrals and Grandis, whom we met along the way.
Even the people in Lumiere have established a common goal of defeating the Paintress to stop the Gommage from happening. This is why the endings to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are harder to take in because we grew attached to the Painted people, and we also feel this world’s Verso’s pain and suffering. However, I also empathize with Maelle since she gets to actually live in this world. In the real world, she can’t even speak and holds a lot of guilt for Verso’s death.
There’s a lot to uncover in Clair Obscur Expedition 33, even months after it’s been released. Stay tuned here at thesleeplessgamer.com for more!
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