Author: Kat Candyfloss

I first saw this game advertised as an upcoming release on Xbox Game Pass in March I think and was curious about it so went ahead to read more. It looked like the sort of thing I’d enjoy with an interesting narrative premise, a creative art style and one of my favourite things in video games; turn-based combat. I pre-installed it so that I could try on its release on 24th April and for the last couple of weeks I have been immersed in and captured by this wonderful game. Usual spoiler warnings, because it’s me, but I’ll refrain from talking about the main story plot other than the premise of the game.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a beautiful art style throughout and is a true mix of light and dark in contrast, in narrative, in music and imagery. The story starts in Lumiere where you meet Gustave and his expeditioners who, in the last year of their lives, have decided to get together to journey to the Monolith to slay The Paintress who every year paints a number, and when she wakes, everyone of that age will die. The cycle repeats. You learn early in the game’s prologue that many expeditions have happened before to lay the trail for ‘those that come after’ knowing they might not make it back alive, but they have hope that one day, one expedition will succeed. You follow Gustave and his team along the continent on their journey through thematic dungeons with exceptional combat, music and a narrative that will pull on those heartstrings. The Monolith, which is frequently visible in the background throughout the game, providing that reminder that you really are up against everything.

I genuinely can not find a fault with Clair Obscur, it is everything I want to experience in a game. The writing is truly fantastic from the main plot itself to the subtle artistic references, the depth of each character and the lore of the world itself make it feel complete. After finishing the game’s main story, I felt fulfilled from the storytelling in a way where nothing was unexplained or left out and I still haven’t ventured much into the side content where I feel like there will be added context to learn.

The game completely deserves recognition of its own for being what it is but you can tell the creators have been inspired by outstanding RPGs. Literally feels like they have paved the way for Clair Obscur to shine, “…for those that come after” to quote something in the game itself. I am reminded throughout the game of Final Fantasy X which, as a teenager quite a few years ago, had such a huge effect on me. Before that game I had never played an RPG before so I didn’t know videogames could make me feel so much. I’ve always loved reading but being able to walk through a story and experience it in a more immersive way felt incredible to me and since then RPG’s have been what I have always preferred to play. Turn-based combat has also been preferable and why the older Final Fantasy games have remained some of my favourites.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has, for me, hit the balance between an emotionally driven story and engaging sidequests and combat. I have cried and laughed through many moments with these characters but most importantly I’ve had fun playing it and I’ve had conversations with others that have enjoyed the game just as much. Seeing it succeed is absolutely wonderful. I know it won’t be the ‘perfect’ game for everyone, that seems like honestly an impossible task, but it really does seem to get that balance right that has been missing in other, newer games, for a long time. It feels like the developers really wanted to create a passion project and just goes to show if you love what you’re working on it comes through. Also you can fight a Mime.

The game features many beautiful locations in the form of dungeons and plenty of exploration both in and out on the world map. However, due to some areas being locked by obstacles that you can’t overcome until you have progressed the main story, it doesn’t feel too large or overwhelming when you’re getting used to the game. Levelling characters comes from fighting hostile Nevrons and gaining experience. Combat can be personalised to each character from learning skills and equipping a mix of Pictos – additional attributes and bonus’ as well as spending Lumina points to get passive skills, buffs and do very big damage. Whilst learning to counter, dodge and parry is not exclusively necessary in combat, it does make combat more engaging, interesting and really satisfying when you counter. You can, for example, set party members up to gain health on a successful counter later in the game, or gain AP (which is spent on using skills during your character’s turn) on a successful dodge. This allows you to make some very fun builds for each character in your party.

Speaking of builds, which is something I am currently researching more now I am in endgame content and able to explore everything fully, each character has a unique way of playing which I find to be very fun. Maelle can swap stances for example, and each stance offers its own pros and cons. Offensive Stance, for example, does a lot more damage but ending your turn in that stance means you take a lot more damage. There is a real risk-reward system for each encounter and every player is viable for whatever encounter you have. The most common trait the characters share is building up their unique buff or stance to a big move for big damage. It makes it fun, engaging and kind of limitless with how strong you can build your party. I am really enjoying learning about this and exploring. So whilst levels certainly help, scaling your attributes with your weapon, learning the right skills and setting up Pictos can give you an edge against challenging enemies.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is worth playing whether you enjoy story based RPG’s or challenging and engaging combat because it has both and I really feel like it can offer something to the majority of people that like playing video games. The voice cast is also exceptional, and has done an amazing job at bringing these characters to life. The characters are relatable, have depth, are flawed but in a way that makes them feel human and real. These are people I can completely identify with from friends or even experiences in my own life. They have obvious strengths and weaknesses, insecurities and fears and that comes through because the writing has been done so well and because the actors that brought these characters to life did so in such a beautiful way. Spending time with them, getting to know them and experience exploring this wonderfully artistic world with them has been a joyful experience and a game I can see myself playing again over the years.

Not to mention, the creators behind Clair Obscur decided to make this game as affordable as possible for the player and priced it at around £45 which I think is perfectly reasonable for a game that has a solid amount of main story time, replayability with New Game Plus and a large amount of endgame side content. The 2 million+ purchases since its release (especially with a shadow-dropped remastered Elder Scrolls game) and strong reviews show me I’m not the only person that wanted something new. I will be very intrigued if they decide to create DLC and what the future holds for this developer.

This has been something I almost new was a certainty but didn’t want to admit it. Home education has been a back and fourth in my mind, and in conversations with my daughter for a really long time and the first week back after the January term started I finally made the decision and deregistered my daughter from her secondary school.

This blog probably wouldn’t have started, or not how it did, had I not been a parent. Much of my early days writing involved my daughter and learning how to parent. I was 21 when I became a parent for the first time and it was incredibly daunting but she was, and remains a light in my life. Without going in to things too much, the last few years have been hard. She has experienced some difficult things and her mental health has suffered for it, not to mention being (probably) neurodivergent and a hormonal teenager trying to understand herself and find her place in the world. Teenage years are hard, confusing and another stage where I feel like, as a parent, I’m treading water far too deep and I’m tired.

I’ve written about emotionally based school avoidance and how stressful it is. It’s stressful because I know I have to work within the law to ensure she has access to full time education but school avoidance is incredibly tough to manage. It is not the same as just wanting a day off every so often, it is a daily fight to try and convince your child to go somewhere that makes them feel unsafe, vulnerable, anxious, unheard and overwhelmed. It’s horrible and exhausting. To then have the school or agencies involved consistently telling you that you’re a failure, not good enough, threatened with fines but really not willing to make any accommodations, support an EHCP properly, help with diagnosis for mental health and neurodivergences, give consistent pastoral support, refer for alternative provision or really follow up with any suggestion to try and ease home and school life and fight for your child’s right to an education leaves you an utter shell of yourself. It is not a sustainable way of life and no wonder so many parents are considering or have made the decision to go ahead with home education for their children.

My one experience of Home education was during the pandemic, which really was not home education it was a panic of crisis schooling and the decision was made for me, not because it was for the best. It was an out of my hands situation and I am sure everyone did the best they could to facilitate it. It was stressful and I was determined from that point on that I wouldn’t be capable of providing sufficient home education. However, that was a long time ago, and a lot has changed since then. My perspective on what really matters has changed, my confidence has grown thanks to my own diagnosis of AuDHD and therapy. My daughter has always struggled from the demands of school and is high masking so whilst at school she was a ‘completely different person’ the meltdowns out of school never stopped. I thought, in my lack of understanding, her tantrums on the way home from school would be something she would grow out of, and whilst they changed, they never stopped. A result of unhealthy masking in a system that is not made for neurodivergent children. Throw in a few years of utter chaos and a pandemic and then expect that not to have a lasting and detrimental effect on mental health, I believe, is what has lead to this huge rise in EBSA.

I have spent the last week or so fully reading up and researching guidelines and what is expected of me and the local authority. I have an extensive list of resources, of ideas to try and work on but most importantly I have had an open discussion with my daughter about boundaries and expectations. I think the biggest thing that convinced me it was possible was that we can remove the pressure of school. Right now, we don’t need to think about GCSE’s and future plans, although we will have that discussion and I know what to do and how to ensure she gets to do any GCSE’s or exams should she want to. However, she can do those whenever she wants, she doesn’t have to do them right now, and she doesn’t have to do them in subjects she has no interest in or desire to pursue in her future. Post-16 education can be done at home or we can look at ways she can enter and engage with college. Education never stops, there are no time limits on education. As long as I provide her with a full time education suitable to her age, ability and aptitude then we have a lot of freedom of how that looks.

Whilst any change requires a transition period to make those changes, home education begins when you deregister. You can’t just wait until they feel like it and have to be proactive in ensuring there is a broad range of things to do. I thought this had to cost a lot of money and this was something that was really holding me back, but it doesn’t. There are an abundance of free resources available, free trials, free lessons and content to learn from. There will be some trial and error, learning together and finding out what my daughters strengths are when it comes to learning but we are and will continue to work on that.

We already have things in the home that can be used to facilitate learning. We already have the internet and devices to access online resources and apps. We already have a huge range of graphic novels, fiction and non fiction books. I have a stack of recipe cards from previous Hello Fresh boxes and cookbooks that can be used. We have games, puzzles, toys, stationary and sketchbooks. Not to mention, I have ADHD, I have a cupboard full of hobby ideas that have long since retired to said cupboard. I have a violin, a guitar, a keyboard, a DSLR camera, a subscription to Canva and lightroom, many craft kits and journals and notebooks I’ve not used yet. If anything, it might actually help declutter some of these things that have just been lying around.

As for SEN provision, well, I guess I am a SEN adult, as I have learning disabilities and I have researched these extensively. I know a lot about ADHD and ASD which means I know how to facilitate learning that allows for these traits to flourish instead of hinder. If the conversation goes from leap to leap, if we need to move or fidget or have noise to help focus and concentrate, then we can. There will never be a punishment for a neurodivergent need. My daughters traits may differ than some, but it makes me more qualified to help her find her learning style than someone that has no understanding of neurodivergences, but more importantly, no wish to help accommodate neurodivergence in their method of teaching. I am not a teacher, I am a parent, and more than anything I care about my child being happy and confident in who they are.

I expect the previous school my daughter attended (who to be honest are probably relieved to not have her as the burden they have made me feel like she is to them) to focus on my non-compliance to take her to have a nose piercing removed. They will focus on my daughters unwillingness to adhere to their policy for school uniform. They will ignore the drastic failures, misery and anxiety they have caused by not listening to her. I still feel a little anxious despite removing the demand, I still feel like I have to do what the school wants instead in place of what my daughter needs and I am still anxious that they will attempt unnecessary contact. The non-acknowledgement of deregistration isn’t unheard of, or a problem really, but I have been in fight mode for so long I am not quite able to regulate from it.

However, for the last few days my daughter has been relaxed. I know every day will have its challenges but I hope with the demand removed from school, education and learning will no longer be completely inaccessible to her. After all, a school is not fulfilling their obligation of full time education when they are putting students in isolation all the time. Thankfully, that never has to happen again.