‘Expedition 33’ Stars Explain the Biggest Differences Between Their Fan-Favorite RPG Heroes [Exclusive]
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Actors Jennifer English and Ben Starr, best known for voicing Shadowheart in Baldur's Gate 3 and Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI respectively, teamed up in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which won Game of the Year and saw English take the Best Performance prize. Speaking at a Fan Expo Canada Q&A, the pair discussed how their new characters, Maelle and Verso, differ from their earlier signature roles, offering fans insight into the acting choices behind two of gaming's most acclaimed recent performances.
Maelle is a member of the doomed expedition sent to defeat the Paintress, while Verso is a mysterious, ageless figure the group encounters after crossing paths with Renoir; both become central to the story following Gustav's death. Asked to compare Starr's characters, he described Clive and Verso as opposite extremes: Clive is isolated and struggles to ask for help, while Verso manipulates others for it, with both shaped by family abandonment. Starr also noted a structural contrast, since players experience Final Fantasy XVI directly through Clive's perspective, whereas Verso remains deliberately withholding, and said he would love to see the two characters sit down and talk.
- Expedition 33 stars compared their roles to past Baldur's Gate 3 and FFXVI parts
- Ben Starr contrasted Clive's isolation with Verso's manipulative, guarded nature
- Comments came from a Fan Expo Canada Q&A session
Full account
Jennifer English and Ben Starr, two of the most prominent performers associated with recent role-playing games, discussed how their characters in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 compare with earlier fan favourites during a Fan Expo Canada question-and-answer session. English plays Maelle in Sandfall Interactive’s successful debut RPG, while Starr voices Verso. The discussion was moderated by Collider’s Maggie Lovitt and followed Expedition 33’s strong critical and awards-season reception.
The comparison invited Starr to place Verso alongside Clive Rosfield, the protagonist he played in Final Fantasy XVI. He described them as characters shaped by abandonment but responding to it in sharply different ways: Clive struggles to seek support, whereas Verso is more willing to use other people to meet his own ends. Starr also suggested their family histories and relationships with powerful siblings could give them unexpected common ground, despite their contrasting temperaments and roles within their respective stories.
English was asked to make a similar comparison between Maelle and Shadowheart, her widely recognised Baldur’s Gate 3 character. The framing of the panel treated Maelle and Verso as notably different from the actors’ previous leading roles, even though all four characters have become central to the games’ emotional appeal. In Expedition 33, Maelle begins as part of the mission to confront the Paintress and stop the annual Gommage, while Verso enters the group’s journey as an enigmatic figure with knowledge and motives of his own.
The exchange took place against the backdrop of Expedition 33’s rise from a smaller studio release to one of 2025’s defining games. Its story later places Maelle and Verso at the heart of events after Gustave’s death, culminating in a consequential choice between them. Separately, Starr urged audiences not to place pressure on Sandfall Interactive over its next project, noting that the studio remains a relatively small team and that major games require time to make. He did not confirm whether the developer is preparing downloadable content, another Clair Obscur game or a wholly new project.
Where outlets differ
Source 1 concentrates on the character-comparison question, especially Starr’s contrast between Clive and Verso and the wider narrative importance of Maelle and Verso. Source 2 instead focuses on Expedition 33’s commercial and awards success, Sandfall Interactive’s size, and Starr’s cautious comments about the studio’s future. Source 2 supplies broader context on the game’s premise and post-launch update, while Source 1 gives more detail on the actors’ earlier roles and the Fan Expo panel’s character-focused prompt.
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