Final Fantasy and Sekiro-inspired RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is almost here, and with a blend of turn-based combat with real-time elements, as well as an intriguing story, there's a lot to be excited about. It also has a stacked cast, including Ben Starr and Jennifer English, who've been given the chance to build something "from the ground up" after their previous roles in Final Fantasy 16 and Baldur's Gate 3.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ in an interview, Starr and English discuss each other's characters – Verso and Maelle, respectively – with Maelle described as the "beating heart and emotional core" of the game, who Starr thinks offers "such a refreshing take on the female lead." Verso, on the other hand, is so "mysterious and important" that English says "we can't talk about him." Very intriguing.
Given that the two actors have become so synonymous with their roles in extremely popular, previously-established franchises – with Starr, ahem, starring as protagonist Clive in Final Fantasy 16, and English taking on the role of Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3 – I was curious if they felt more freedom or more pressure when it came to bringing their talents to something totally new. "I think the most exciting part is we get to build it from the ground up," Starr tells me. "This is a dream for any actor, to get to create and originate a character.
"I had so many people ask me after Final Fantasy came out, 'What character would you like to have played?'" he continues. "And there are characters from previous franchises I would love to have been a part of, but the reason I want to be a part of them is because they're so iconically crafted by people who built them from the ground up.
"So really, the answer is, 'I want to build a character who was iconic from the ground up.' And we literally get to do that here. We get to create characters. They're going to inspire artwork, they're going to inspire fan fiction, they're going to inspire so many different artists to create their own art off the thing that we're creating, and that is so cool. And that comes along very, very rarely."
English adds that both of the actors "wanted to be careful about what we chose next" after their breakout roles, noting: "It would have been very easy for us to kind of do anything really, and I think we both just wanted to do something very special."
She continues: "What was so wonderful is the writing was [...] so brilliant that we can kind of just bring ourselves to it. We didn't have to put a silly voice on, or change ourselves too much, because we just had to bring our humanity to it. And yeah, these kind of games don't come around very often."
Starr notes that the team "kind of welcomed and embraced the imperfections of our performances," retaining things that might not necessarily "sound good." More importantly, however, the result is that it "sounds real." He adds: "Hopefully that's what will come across, is these characters don't feel like they are manufactured in a lab. They feel like they are human beings who have serious flaws."
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 24 April 2025.
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