The following contains major story spoilers forClair Obscur: Expedition 33.
Not all fantasy games rely on grand prophecies or world-ending catastrophes to create emotional weight; some of the most powerful stories in the genre are rooted in something far more personal: family.Clair Obscur: Expedition 33andGod of Warmay come from different corners of the gaming world—one a French surrealist RPG, the other an action series steeped in Norse mythology—but both use their fantastical settings to frame grounded, deeply human family conflicts.
Each game presents a tale of complicated parental relationships, grief, and identity. These themes unfold not through exposition-heavy lore but through actions, choices, and conversations between characters who feel heartbreakingly real. InClair Obscur: Expedition 33, the player follows Maelle and the rest of the Dessendre family as they endure the literal and metaphorical unraveling of their world after a traumatic loss.God of Warfocuses on Kratos and his son Atreus navigating a dangerous world, and each other, after Atreus' mother’s death.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Shows Grief’s Weight
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33explores the emotional and psychological cost of loss in a way few RPGs attempt. The Dessendre family doesn’t just endure a tragic event; they’re shaped, fractured, and sometimes undone by it.Maelle’s role inClair Obscur: Expedition 33especially exemplifies how grief can morph into obsession, guilt, or stubborn denial, especially by the end. Her choices are not about saving the world in the traditional sense, but about the inability to move on. That emotional authenticity is reflected in how the game presents its branching endings, and Sandfall lets players sit with the consequences of their choices, much like real life.
What’s most notable is how the game never tries to undercut its emotional beats with irony or over-explanation. WhenClair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Alineclings to her own version of events, it’s heartbreaking because players know how much she’s lost and how she’s suffered for it. The surreal visuals may suggest fantasy, but every emotional conflict in the game could easily be found in a family living room. It’s this grounded realism that has resonated with over two million players, proving that personal stakes can be just as compelling as epic ones.
God of War Builds Real Conflict from Mythology
WhenGod of Warrebooted in 2018, it moved away from revenge-fueled spectacle and leaned into a more intimatestory of Kratos' fatherhood. Once a symbol of unchecked violence, Kratos became a man attempting to raise his son with restraint and wisdom—qualities he himself lacked for much of his life. Meanwhile, Atreus is more than a child following in his father’s footsteps; he’s someone wrestling with the knowledge of what he is and what he might become. The father-son dynamic becomes the true driving force of the narrative, not just a subplot.
AsGod of War Ragnarokexpands the scope, it also deepens the exploration of broken familial ties. Odin’s manipulative parenting, especially in his interactions withGod of War’s Thor and Baldur, offers a darker mirror to Kratos’ struggle. Odin isn’t just a villain, he’s a cautionary tale about what happens when power and control override care and honesty. The game doesn’t preach about fatherhood, but it builds its world and character arcs around the consequences of generational trauma.
In interviews (especially with one viaTime),God of War’s Cory Barlog has cited his own experiences as a parent as a major influence on the reboot’s tone and themes, anchoring myth in everyday truths.
By balancing violent encounters with quiet, emotionally charged moments (likeGod of War’s Atreus and Kratossharing a fireside talk or struggling to understand each other’s motives), the series achieves a kind of narrative texture few action games attempt. It proves that gods and monsters are great, but the real drama happens when family members try to reach one another across the emotional void.
Future Games Should Learn From Clair Obscur and God of War
While there are currently no announcements for a follow-up,Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s milestone successsuggests that more emotionally grounded narratives in fantastical worlds would be welcome. Whether it’s a direct sequel or a spiritual successor, the groundwork has been laid for this approach to become a creative signature for Sandfall. Should it continue in this direction, Sandfall may even benefit from following the trajectory ofGod of War, which showed how expanding scope doesn’t have to mean sacrificing intimacy; it can instead offer new angles on family conflict.
A potential futureClair Obscurgame could further explore generational relationships, much likeGod of War Ragnarokdid by bringing in multiple parent-child dynamics.
