You’re playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The world is beautiful, surreal, and honestly, a bit terrifying. The Paintress is erasing years off the calendar, and everyone is basically waiting to die. Then you hear her. Sciel. She’s calm. She’s cheerful. She’s the person you’d want with you at the end of the world.
Who is the voice behind that serene resilience?
Shala Nyx is the actor who brings Sciel to life. If you’ve spent any time in Lumière lately, you know that her performance isn't just "good"—it's the emotional glue holding the whole expedition together. It’s a performance that balances a dark past with a strangely optimistic present.
Who is Shala Nyx?
Shala Nyx isn't exactly a newcomer to the industry, but Expedition 33 feels like a massive breakout moment for her. You’ve probably heard her before without even realizing it. She’s been in huge titles like Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. She even popped up in Netflix's The Old Guard.
The cool thing about Nyx? She treats her roles like real people, not just "video game characters."
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When she talked about Sciel in a recent Behind The Voice interview, she mentioned that the script felt like a screenplay. It wasn't just lines of dialogue. It was a "Bible" of character history. She connected with Sciel’s "wonder and gratitude" almost instantly.
Why Sciel’s Voice Matters
Sciel is a warrior, but she’s also a teacher. She’s the one who masks her trauma with a smile. Nyx captures that "forced but genuine" cheer perfectly. It’s a weird contradiction that makes the character feel more human than most RPG protagonists.
- The Tone: Soft but authoritative.
- The Vibe: That one older sister who knows everything is going to go wrong but makes you soup anyway.
- The Range: One minute she's making a joke, the next she's dropping lore about her tragic past in a way that actually makes you stop and listen.
The chemistry between Shala Nyx and the rest of the cast is also pretty wild. Think about it. She’s acting alongside Charlie Cox (Gustave), Ben Starr (Verso), and Jennifer English (Maelle). That’s a heavyweight lineup. Yet, Sciel never feels like a side character.
The Audition That Changed Everything
Nyx actually mentioned that her audition process was a bit unusual.
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She never went on an audition that was written so much like a film. Usually, games are all about "grunt here," "scream there," or "give me 50 versions of 'Hello'." For Expedition 33, Sandfall Interactive gave her a narrative depth that helped her build Sciel from the ground up.
She saw the 3D artistry of the character and felt an immediate bond.
"I could sort of tell in the first scene... this is going to be really special," she said during a podcast appearance. Honestly, she was right. The fans are obsessed. People on Reddit are already calling her the "true heart" of the group.
Comparing Sciel to Other Roles
If you compare Sciel to Nyx's work in Cyberpunk, the difference is night and day. In Phantom Liberty, there's a grit and a sharpness that reflects Night City. But as Sciel? She finds a way to sound "airy" and "grounded" at the same time. It’s a technical feat that most actors can’t pull off without sounding like a Hallmark card.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Sciel
A lot of players think Sciel is just the "healer" or the "cheerful one."
That’s a mistake.
If you pay attention to the subtext in Nyx's performance—especially during the more emotional late-game scenes—you realize Sciel is actually one of the most damaged members of the team. Her cheerfulness isn't just a personality trait; it's a survival mechanism. Shala Nyx plays it with just enough "cracks" in the voice to let the player know something is simmering underneath.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you’re a fan of Shala Nyx’s work in Expedition 33, here is how you can support her and find more of her work:
- Check out the "Behind The Voice" Podcast: Nyx goes into deep detail about her audition and her favorite scenes. It’s a 30-minute goldmine for lore nerds.
- Play her other games: Specifically Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. It shows her incredible range compared to the serene Sciel.
- Follow her on socials: She’s active on Instagram (@shalanyx) and often shares behind-the-scenes snippets of her recording sessions.
- Listen to her audiobooks: She’s mentioned in interviews that she once played 31 different characters in a single audiobook. That's insane. It’s a great way to see how she manipulates her vocal cords.
Sciel isn't just a collection of pixels and stats. She’s a character that feels lived-in, largely thanks to Shala Nyx’s ability to find light in a very, very dark world.