Gears of War: E-Day mocked the main quote from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Real recognition in the games industry isn't measured in sales or trophies. It comes when other developers start hiding references to your game in theirs.
The highest form of recognition arrives when that reference turns up in a soldier's toilet. Or maybe that's what the staff really think of the game.
That's exactly what happened to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Players found an Easter egg in a bathroom in Gears of War: E-Day from The Coalition. Marcus Fenix swaps out a roll of toilet paper and says with a straight face, "For those who come after."
Fans of the French RPG recognized the expedition motto right away. In the Sandfall Interactive game, the mysterious Paintress writes a number on her monolith every year, and everyone of that age vanishes during the Gommage. Each new expedition sets out to destroy the Paintress and leaves messages for those who follow.
Some fans still took it as E-Day mocking their favorite game. Others were quick to point out that Gears of War has never been known for refined manners. Gears of War 3, for example, hid a giant golden chicken that breathes fire. A series about chainsaw rifles is not exactly the place to expect a graceful bow.
E-Day is far from the first game to tuck in a nod to the expeditions. The list is long, considering how little time has passed since the release of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33:
Hollow Knight: Silksong. Playing the Needolin near one of the Weaver graves can bring up the line "For those who come after..."
Teamfight Tactics. The "Expedition" augment triggers after you lose 33 gold worth of units, and its icon resembles the save-point flags
Saros. The "Expeditioner" trophy is awarded for completing 33 cycles
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy. A vendor at a festival sells an Esquie mask, among other wares
Control Resonant. The expedition motto is hidden in one of the documents
Escape Simulator 2, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Crime Scene Cleaner. These feature a Christmas-themed Esquie plush, a room with a Gestral, and a space decorated with the expedition flag, roses, and black and white cats, respectively
The slickest reference showed up in GTA 6 promo material, well before the Rockstar game even released. In one trailer, a character sits in a VR headset, and a poster on the wall behind him uses the Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 color scheme with the text "Tenebrae Lux."
In Latin, it translates roughly to "darkness, light," a direct calque of the French "clair obscur" that gave the game its name. The character is also literally immersed in a virtual world, which could be read as a nod to the story as well.
