Watching the English voice cast behind fantasy adventure Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 try to pronounce the French word for "s---" is a sight to behold. "My mouth doesn't make these noises," British actor Ben Starr, known for his gaming role in Final Fantasy XVI, remarks as he struggles to say "merde" during a May 2024 recording session in London. Jennifer English (Baldur's Gate III) and Rich Keeble (Amazon's Good Omens) find themselves in the same boat. "How do you say that second one?" Keeble asks. That would be "putain," which means "whore." Game director Guillaume Broche, the only French person in the room, delights in the comedy, calling this moment "the best part of the voice acting" process. No one can say the semi-bleak premise of the new turn-based RPG isn't without a sense of humor. Entertainment Weekly can exclusively reveal a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, highlighting the voice talent bringing the characters to life — and cussing in French. "This is one of the most beautiful projects I've ever worked on," English says (shown in the video above). "Get ready for something absolutely beautiful and special and magical.... I think it's gonna really, really wow people. And it should. It's fantastic." The game, developed by France-based indie studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, sets players in a Belle Époque- and Art Deco-inspired world. A being known as the Paintress awakens once a year to paint a number upon her monolith, causing everyone of that age to turn into smoke. The number she paints ticks down with each passing year, but the day before the Paintress is expected to paint the number 33, a group of Expeditioners embark on a quest to slay the entity and end her death cycle. Charlie Cox (Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again) voices Gustave, an engineer in the city of Lumière who dedicates his final year of living to killing the Paintress and safeguarding Lumière's future children. English voices Maelle, an orphan who bounced around foster homes before Gustave took her in. "She's an amazing character," English says in the behind-the-scenes look. "She's so vibrant and so full of life and sass, but she's not without complexity or pain. So it's been such a joy to play her. I think she's one of the most brilliant characters I've ever played, actually." Kirsty Rider (Netflix's The Sandman) voices Lune, whom the actress describes as "an ambitious, driven woman" and "very badass." The daughter of prominent researchers, Lune inherits her parents' mission to unravel the secrets of the Paintress. "She's quite determined with it, she won't let anything distract her. It's all about getting to that goal," Rider says. "She's also quite sarcastic and funny...and is not afraid to put the men around her in their place. I think there are times when maybe there are people around her who are going through quite devastating circumstances and she can be quite rigid. But I understand it. I understand the drive. She's such an action hero. She's so active and her powers are so cool." Sciel is a farmer-turned-teacher, voiced by Shala Nyx (Netflix's The Old Guard). "I really valued her optimistic nature despite what she had been through," Nyx teases. "She'd come through so much grief and she uses that as her power. And I found that really relatable." Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more. Keeble voices Monoco, who's a Gestral, a group of friendly beings who enjoy battle and see competition as a form of meditation. One of the few Gestrals that can speak the human language, "he shows off some of his personality quite early on," Keeble promises. "He's got a bit of pride and competitiveness. Just trying to show off, I suppose. It was written quite clearly that there was obviously some humor in there." French actor Maxence Cazorla (Ineffable) both voices the character of Esquie and executes performance-capture for the game. "The Esquie is kind of a myth," he explains. "He's a mythical creature. Nobody really knows if he exists or not. So when the Expeditioners finally meet him and he joins the group, it's kind of a big deal. He becomes their travel companion and their emotional support, as well." Cazorla also notes Esquie takes everything quite literally. "There are scenes that are quite heavy, and just by Esquie being there, it does lighten the mood," he continues. "And he is very powerful, as well. Oh! And he can't keep a secret. It's impossible. If you tell him something, everyone will know." Not highlighted in the behind-the-scenes sneak peek but still included are Andy Serkis (20th Century Studios' Planet of the Apes films) as Renoir, who's described as "relentlessly driven and myopic in his quest to save his family." As for the character Verso, he's described simply as an outsider of unknown origins. Starr can't quite say much more. In a comical behind-the-scenes moment, he looks over to Broche for confirmation, who silently glares at him from behind the rim of his coffee mug. "Next question," Starr jokes. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available to pre-order now. The game will drop on April 24 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (available day one with Xbox Game Pass), and PC via Steam and Epic Game Store. Watch EW's exclusive sneak peek above.