By any measure, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a resounding success. It sold 3.3 million copies in 33 days (because of course) and is a front-runner to be awarded Game of the Year. But one person isn’t playing it: Charlie Cox, the voice behind expeditioner Gustave.
“Apparently, the game is awesome — I’m not a gamer, I have no idea. I haven’t played it,” the Daredevil: Born Again star said during a panel at Washington State Summer Con. He said he was in the studio for “four hours maybe,” and is quite surprised by how massively popular those four hours of work have become. Gustave has become a fan favorite — all the expeditioners have, really — and Cox is already dishing out his autograph for Gustave memorabilia. While he may not have been in the recording booth for long, Cox’s work in the game is vital to its story (perhaps Clair Obscur’s best element) and its success; it’s through his point of view that players first learn of the game’s world, conflict, and characters.
With its success comes a heaping of praise and congratulations for the game, its cast, and the developers behind it, Sandfall Interactive. However, Cox isn’t quite comfortable yet with the praise that gets directed his way. “People keep saying how amazing it is and congratulations, and I feel like a total fraud,” he said, referring to the short amount of time he spent working on the game. “But I’m so thrilled for the company, I’m so thrilled it did really well.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is out now for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. Alongside Cox, it features a cast of heavy hitters including Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3), Ben Starr (Final Fantasy 16), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings).