Even thoughClair Obscur: Expedition 33is far from the longest RPG out there, it’s still packed to the brim with optional side content and hidden details. The developers at Sandfall clearly had fun filling the Continent with Easter eggs for eagle-eyed players to notice if they’re paying attention.
Whether it’s references to other games, nods to the game’s French origins, or just minor details that only make sense with certain context, there’s plenty you can miss if you don’t know where to look. Out of all these details and references, which are the hardest to find, and what do they mean?
9Monoco’s Namesake
Are Gestral’s Pets?
Monoco is undeniably one of themost loveable party membersin Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and even though he’s the last to join, he makes a big impact. It’s clear that the Gestral was also a popular character with the developers, since his namesake comes from a place of love.
He’s named after Monoco, Sandfall’s office dog, who has the official title of Happiness Manager. Apparently, his favourite games are eating wood and chasing broomsticks. Even though Monoco doesn’t display any clearly dog-like traits, maybe his Nevron foot collecting could be compared to dogs playing with bones, or maybe that’s just a stretch…
8Dining Hall Puzzle
Flip The Switch
While you canfind hidden detailsin almost every area of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, if there’s one spot that has a higher concentration than any other, it’s the Manor. While a lot of these secrets will require entering from one of the many hidden doors around the Continent, the dining room secret can be uncovered during the first visit.
This open space in the middle of the house is filled with columns and ornate decorations, but if you look around closely you’ll find four switches that you may interact with. By doing this, you’ll open up a crawl space next to the fireplace leading to a mysterious area that shows light coming from the outdoors, a rarity for a house that seems to exist outside any linear spacial reality.
7Commitment To The Bit
RIP Gustave, You Would’ve Loved Gradient Skills
If you’ve made it through Clair Obscur’s first act, then you were likely shocked by the surprise death of Gustave in the act’s final moments. Part of the reason why this moment is so jarring, aside from the fact that Gustave is shown to be the protagonist up until this point, is how he’s treated like a character who would be present for the whole game.
As he’s not lacking in new outfits and hairstyles, there’s no reason to think that Gustave won’t be around until credits. One detail you might have forgotten after Verso joins in Act 2 is that Gustave had a wholeblocked-out section of his skill treejust like the other surviving party members, even though these skills are never unlocked thanks to his premature death. Details like this all serve to make Gustave’s death feel like a total gut-punch.
6French Class In Session
Filling In The Gaps For Non-Francophones
There is perhaps no other game that is as unapologetically French as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the developers at Sandfall were not shy about including heaps of references to French culture.
This can be seen in French phrases being retained in the English dub, like: mon ami (my friend), Lumiere (light), and most often Putain and Merde being stand-ins for swearing. It goes even further with more deep-cut details, like the class of enemies called Petanks directly referencing the French game of Pétanque.
5Piano Players
Tickle The Ivories
An aspect of Clair Obscur that immediately sticks out is the game’s dedication to having an absolutely outstanding and varied soundtrack, with every track adding up to an impressive eight and a half hours in spite of the game only taking about 30 hours to complete.
A small musical detail in the game is the handful of interactive pianos dotted around the world. You might have noticed that they play a note or two if you interact with them, but what’s less obvious is that each character will play a different tune if you mash the interact button.
4Super Verso 64
Straight To The Dog House
While most of the secrets in Clair Obscur are given hints that make them possible to find without any outside guidance, one that you can easily miss is one of the many secret rooms in the Manor. However, if you’re familiar with Mario’s first foray into the third dimension, then you might get some satisfaction from following old instincts.
A certain painting on the upper floor of the Manor can be jumped into and inside is a room filled with paintings of different dogs, with Monoco (the dog not the Gestral) featured front and center. Among the puppy portraits is a Revival Tint, so it’s worth going just for that, even if you’re more of a cat person.
3Papa Va T’en
Monolith Makeover
By the time you’re given free rein in Act 3, you’ll have access to Esquie’s flying abilities and will finally be able to reach pretty much everywhere you can see in the Continent. While you can head straight to the game’s finale, it’s just as fun to find all the hidden details that were previously inaccessible.
With all this exploring, it’s quite easy to miss that the Monolith, which previously featured the ominous 33 sigil from the Paintress, now reads a new message. Labeled “Papa Va T’en”, the phrase translates to “Papa Go Away”, a clear message from Maelle to Renoir.
2Sandfall Self-Insert
Well-Deserved Cameo
For all the effort developers put into the games they create, the least they deserve is a small appearance, and Clair Obscur obliges the staff at Sandfall with one of the best hidden secrets in the Manor.
The Gestral Village is one of the more sprawling areas in Clair Obscur, so it’s easy to miss the off-path entrance to the Manor. If you go through, you’ll find a kitchen, and if you explore thoroughly enough, you’ll open a secret passageway to let you into the basement beneath. Among the useful collectibles and consumables, one of the paintings features a photo of the main team at Sandfall.
1Well, The Years Start Comin' And They Don’t Stop Comin'
Iconic Intro
The prologue of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the most heart-wrenching sequences in the whole game, and it’s easy to get immediately absorbed into the world while you watch the Gommage take place.
The last thing you’re looking for is references to the 2001 eternal classic Shrek, but of course, you’ll find one if you know where to look. Perhaps the most iconic scene from the whole movie, the intro to Shrek and his swamp paired with Smash Mouth’s All Star, is directly referenced, with a perfect recreation of Shrek’s outhouse found on a rooftop in Lumiere.
