u/I_write_scary_stuff

Wow... I have no way to describe the way "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" affected me. This game is high art, high storytelling. It deserved every single Game of the Year award it got. Getting the platinum for this game took a long time, but every second was worth it.

I've loved many stories from many games I've played, but only a handful have affected me deeply to the point that they become one of the greatest stories I've ever experienced and they seem to have a theme in common:

- Silent Hill 2: A psychological story of guilt, denial, rationalization, and the complexities of grief. And how only truth heals grief.

- Shadow of the Colossus: A story about how loss can turn humans selfish to the point of destroying beautiful, majestic, irreplaceable things to get back what they lost.

And now, Expedition 33: A story about how grief and mourning can have us look for ways to escape our pain, often in self-destructive ways. How not letting go can even hurt those we love. Additionally, it's a story about the incredible power of art, creation, and artistic expression.

It's the kind of story that makes me wish it would never end. I loved this world. The art direction in this game is breathtaking, coupled with some of the most beautiful and emotional music I've ever heard. The acting is top tier, and you fall in love with each and every character. You can FEEL the love that went into every area of this world, sometimes just marvelling at every location not because of the technical aspects, but because of sheer creativity and artistic freedom.

I am so happy that I played this game (I originally wasn't planning to) because this is the kind of experience that will stay with me forever.

At some point after learning about the canvas, and based on the conversations up to that moment, I thought, "Wait, was Monoco a pet?"

Then he said the thing about how he loved playing with Verso, Clea, and Alicia, and I was like, "Yeah, he was most likely a pet. Was he like a pet monkey? A dog?" I remembered a small picture of a dog in Verso's room, but it was too small, so I thought "a dog", but to me it was only a theory at that point.

Then I finally jumped through the painting in the manor and this painting made me the happiest boy in the world.

Pretty sure everybody already knows this, but reading Monoco on that collar felt super validating!

He's the goodest boy!