Has there ever been a more helpful and lovable video game character than Esquie fromClair Obscur: Expedition 33? Or more accurately, has there ever been one who is so wonderfully full of Whee, Whoo, and wine? No, there never has, but that doesn’t mean there won’t or shouldn’t be one again.
While cycling through mymemories of endearing Esquie quotesand tender moments, Esquie’s slow, calming voice and methodical cadence echo in my head like a drum. Beneath that outer layer of his relaxed personality and earnest observations, Esquie provides more than meets the eye, including game mechanics.
Contains story spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
A Secret Keeper More Than A Wine Keeper
Despite what you might have heard from Esquie himself, there are a few secrets he keeps from you, other than the gallons of wine sloshing around inside his stomach. Esquie’s hidden abilities, including swimming, diving, and flying, are hugely important mechanics that let you ride him to any part of the Continent you may see.
Getting across the Continent is a requirement to finish the story, but at no point does Expedition 33 make you feel like you’re just unlocking a means of travel. Instead, the whole situation is set up as a scavenger hunt for Esquie’s beloved rocks: Florrie, Dorrie, Urrie, and Soarrie. It may not seem like a big deal, but establishing core mechanics through Esquie completely changes how we feel about this otherwise ordinary fetch quest.
Ask me to search endlessly for three random rocks so I can swim, break obstacles, and fly through the air? No, thanks, I’ll pass. Ask me to help Esquie find his beloved pet rocks so he can help us cross water and fly through the air on his back? Sign me up.
At the core, you’re still performing the same task, but when everything you do is for Esquie, that makes itfeelcompletely different, like helping an old friend. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is about exploring deep emotional connections, and Esquie makes sure we feel every emotion as intensely as possible.
Just Let Me Cry In Esquie’s Arms
Beyond his role as a mode of transportation and perfectly timed comedic relief, Esquie is full of wisdom to go with his wine. Whether he’s describing the delicate balance between joy and grief using ‘Whoo’ and ‘Whee’ or comparing love to owning a rock, Esquie has a way with words. Even if you don’t entirely understand those words at times, you can feel the wealth of experience behind every one of Esquie’s startlingly astute observations.
As with much of the game, Esquie’s matter-of-fact interjections hit me even harder when I realized how casually he mentions the most heartbreaking topics, like during his conversation with Sciel about swimming and how he saved her from drowning.
Esquie never considers that Sciel’s actions were intentional; he just thought she was bad at swimming. Never change, Esquie.
Esquie directs our attention and focus, like an invisible hand from the developers that shows us what’s important, and seeds key story details throughout our adventure so they can bloom into complex moments later on.
As a non-human, Esquie’s uniquely objective perspective on human emotions, pain, love, loss, and existence makes him the perfect therapist for Verso while he vents his feelings and fills us in on bits of lore. Many of their conversations were roughly half exposition, half pep talk, which was greatly appreciated – those talks kept me from breaking down in tears.
While combining mechanics, lore, story, and comedic one-liners sounds like an impressive resume, Esquie’s greatest purpose is being your loyal, loving companion in a story where friendship and family mean everything.
Even though any new RPG would appreciate a clever method of disguising fetch quests or driving its story forward, more than anything, what you need most on an emotional, 40-hour journey is a friend.
