The Writer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Had Never Played a Video Game Before Writing It
The lead writer of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, one of the biggest hits of the year, revealed that she had never played a video game before writing the script for the acclaimed French JRPG.
In an interview with Lits Play, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen explained that she grew up “in a very strict Chinese household,” and that video games were “very expensive” during her childhood. Instead, she found comfort in reading. “I went to the library and I read books,” she said.
From Books to Gaming
Before joining the studio, her closest experience with interactive storytelling came from tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. However, after joining the Sandfall Interactive team, she decided to “do her homework” and began playing video games with her husband. Her first experience was with the Borderlands series, and since then, she has become an avid gamer.
“Now we have two TVs, two PlayStations, we sit side by side. I am a trophy hunter, I have platinumed Elden Ring, God of War, God of War: Ragnarok,” she shared with a laugh.
Literary Inspiration for the Game’s World
The game’s director, Guillaume Broche, a known Final Fantasy fan, co-wrote the script with Svedberg-Yen, bringing his experience in the JRPG genre. Meanwhile, the writer drew inspiration from fantasy and science fiction literature, citing series like Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time and the magical systems in Brandon Sanderson’s works as key influences for the game’s world-building and storytelling.
