Topic: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 -OT-

Very surprised to see no thread for this game yet. I've played the game for six hours now and I'm just lost for words. This is the most modern take on a turn-based RPG yet. It feels like a typical RPG from the 90s, such as Final Fantasy. It's turn-based, it has an overworld map, you have party members, you get new equipment and all that. Everything you come to expect is here but fused with modern mechanics.

In the turn-based Final Fantasy games, you can't avoid attacks. In Clair Obscur, you can either avoid them or parry them during turn-based fights. Getting hit and receiving damage is not a big deal, but if you're good then you can avoid damage altogether.

One thing I'd like to make clear is that this is a turn-based RPG with Souls-like elements. The dodging/parrying mechanics, a steep initial difficulty curve, checkpoints where you can rest, which will also respawn all enemies, elixirs that will heal you and are refilled when resting at checkpoints, leveling up nets you points which you can put towards different stats and so on.

But it's still a forgiving game. Like I mentioned, it's initially very challenging, especially when it comes to dodging/parrying attacks. But once you level up and use your stat points towards health as well as defence, then the game becomes much more manageable. Not to mention you'll get even better at dodging/parrying and you'll find really good items as well as equipment which will make battles more doable. The amount of experience points you receive is also quite generous, so I haven't felt a need to grind thus far at all.

This is when the game starts to truly shine, on top of the phenomenal story, engrossing lore, exceptional soundtrack, varied locales and creative character designs. It's been a very long time since a turn-based RPG has made me this engaged in it. It's like I'm a kid when I'm playing this game, I'm just enthralled by everything that I'm seeing and hearing. You have no idea what to expect, everything is just so new and interesting. You absolutely HAVE to play this game. It's a strong contender as my GOTY already.

I actually talked about making one but then I just completely forgot as I've been too engrossed in this game. It's absolutely fantastic. I have about 35 hours of playtime already and I've been loving every second.

I don't know how I've done it but I've turned Maelle into just an absolutely unhinged demon!! Her damage output currently is insane and she's shredding everything! I'm loving how absolutely awesome each party members' skills are and every boss battle I've encountered in this game has been brilliant. The OST is simply wonderful as well.

Massively loving this and it's definitely a strong contender for my personal GOTY.

Playing on PC, not PS5. But following on from my post in the Xbox thread, a mod has been released on PC now which expands the parry window, and it really was the final missing piece for me in utterly falling in love with this.

I'm still kinda confused as to why more reviews didn't stress how much of a Soulslike this is, and how little accessibility considerations have been taken to soften this for a wider audience. You just need to take one look at the sub to see how many people were taken off guard by this, and are not happy about it. I hope they (being the devs) eventually do something officially, but until then this mod is an excellent solution for those of us on PC.

And it is a shame too, because I don't think anyone should feel gated out of such a special experience. The presentation, the performances, the music, the writing, I want as many people to experience and love this as possible.

@Kairuuu That's awesome mate. I feel like most RPGs these days try too hard to balance characters instead of going all out on creating characters that'll grow to become absolute beasts. I mean, if you as a player are going to invest a lot of time on your party members, you should be greatly rewarded for it.

@Pizzamorg You can make parries easier by lowering the difficulty level. But I'm guessing you want the difficulty level to be the same but with a longer parrying window? In that case, I agree there should be more customisation options like that, especially for a game like this.

I'm also playing the game through Game Pass but on Xbox. If it weren't for the service, I probably would've missed out on this game initially as I rarely buy games these days. I'm really glad I gave it a try.

The problem with the lowest difficulty @LtSarge is the parry window is still absolutely tiny, and has no visual / audio cues, it is just that the incoming damage is significantly reduced, to lower the feeling of "punishment" around missing the parry. To me, this is the worst solution, as you still have all the frustration of missing the parry over and over again, but now because you are never in any real danger either, the combat feels really tedious. I want there to be danger, risk, but a parry I feel like I could reasonably hit. That is basically what this mod allows, the parry window is not automatic, I still have to learn patterns but once I have got the patterns down, I can now reasonably land the parries within the context of my reflexes, and it allows me to play on one of the higher difficulties to enjoy the intensity of taking a big mouthful of damage if I make a mistake. Feels like such a basic thing to include (especially as there is an option to remove the perfect input thing from the attacking portion) but for now mods it is.

@LtSarge Yeah, it's been a really fun experience so far. The customisation and the combinations of skills and pictos/lumina you can use gets really good when you have a bunch of them available and it's been a blast experimenting with them and just trying to figure out what works.

I've only just finished act 1 and holy mother of God! This game has just gone up a few notches.

@ApostateMage It gets even better! The cutscenes and a few standout boss fights have had my jaw on the floor a fair number of times now!

On a personal note, I simply can't put this game down. I have started to encounter a few bugs however; one in particular had me soft locked in a cave after a boss fight because a giant monster spawned partway inside a wall and blocked my exit. Luckily I had an autosave that was back far enough otherwise I'd have had to start over from the very beginning. I've still been having a fantastic time with it though. I can't wait to see what's in store for the remainder of the game.

@Kairuuu You must always follow the most important of the RPG Commandments: Thou Shalt Always Save Before Every Cave. Games (and gamers) always f*** up in caves in some way, and having a sweet, sweet save right before is always a good safeguard for areas where there is only one entrance/exit and a tonne of gameplay within that eats the autosaves.

Good to see it didn't totally ruin your progress though. Bad that I'm getting severe FoMO reading these damn RPG threads again 😭 damn you, as well @ApostateMage Pizzles Be Yanked. Tim Roth's be praised and so on.

I blame myself for not doing my research, but when I started playing this game, which I've been insanely excited about for a long time, and discovered that it contains one of my most hated game mechanics, I almost quit and deleted it.
The mechanic I'm referring to is the "you can only rest at certain spots and enemies respawn when you do" thing. Add to that a lack of manual saves and we have a game system I typically loathe and avoid like the plague.
I remembered, though, that the same was the case in Jedi: Fallen Order, and I managed to get through that without throwing my controller through the screen (and I actually enjoyed it), so I persevered.
Luckily, the combat is insanely fun and doesn't feel unfair (yet), so I may actually make it through.
The autosaves/checkpointing seems generous as well, so the lack of manual saving may end up not being a big deal either.
We'll see.
Loving the story and characters so far, but it's very early game for me still; I've only just picked up the first party member and arrived at the downed enemy (I forget their name). Will maybe pick it back up tonight.

@Ravix If there ever was a category for best game phrases of the year then 'Yanking my pizzle' would win it hands down this year.

@Ravix Yeah, I was panicking a little that I'd have to start over. I did, however, read online afterwards that supposedly exiting and reloading the game fixes the issue, so I think I'll give that a try later.

It really has been a fantastic game so far and it, rightfully so, is getting the praise it deserves. Well worth picking it up at some point if you have any interest in it!

@FuriousMachine I can definitely see where you're coming from. The lack of a manual save alongside an autosave is a slight annoyance. As for enemies respawning after resting, I don't mind it personally as I think it's a good way to help balance the game and help you level up. I'm sure you have your reasons for disagreeing though!

I hope you stick with it - without forcing yourself to play it, of course. The story gets much better as the game goes on. Keep me posted on your progress. I'd love to read more of your thoughts as you continue with it!

@Kairuuu I'm still quite a ways off from dropping it; while the mechanics I mentioned are a pet peeve of mine, it also comes down to how the game around it plays and how much frustration said mechanic imparts. Like I said, it was never a big issue in Jedi: Fallen Order, as it didn't lead to a loop/repeat of the same encounter over and over again because of not being high enough level.
The worst is if it goes like this: Checkpoint/heal -> trek -> encounter -> trek -> difficult encounter that invariable wounds -> trek -> boss fight. If I'm required to do that loop over and over again until I level up or give up then I will always give up. Life's too short
(I tried the demo for The First Berserker: Khazan and that was a non-starter for me).
Hopefully, this game won't do that. It also helps that I greatly enjoy the combat, so that lessens any issues I might have with repeating encounters. Will be playing more tonight

@FuriousMachine Yeah, I definitely feel that frustration of having to do the perilous run past a bunch of enemies to reach a boss!

I'm not sure if you can do it yet, but you'll get the ability to bypass that issue because you'll be able to full heal the entire party outside of resting/combat by using an elixir. You can do this by pressing and holding triangle. Doing this should hopefully alleviate a couple issues with that. In saying that, I forget to use it half the time. 😅

@Kairuuu Is there a way to overlevel or farm XP by running through sections over and over? And if so is it really a necessary or helpful strategy?

I have been known to find good farming spots in Souls games and spend extra time there collecting souls so as to make difficult boss encounters easier later on. (aka the Souls “easy mode”) The presence of a difficulty slider in this game probably nullifies the need for grinding levels, but I was just wondering if it was something that could be done effectively here.

@Kairuuu Yeah, I've got that ability, so it will likely mitigate a lot. That's one of the big positives with this game: it has a lot of small things that mitigates potential annoyances

@Th3solution Yeah, it's definitely possible. When you rest at a flag, all enemies, bar bosses, respawn as they would in your typical souls game, so farming is something you can do if you feel you need to.

I've been exploring quite a lot and been gaining levels naturally to the point where I am starting to have one or two characters feel ridiculously strong. That may be just down to my current level/stats, the current build I have or a mix of both. I've also been swapping out characters and switching up the party every now and then so that their levels stay relatively close to one another and I've still not felt the need to 'farm' or run through an area multiple times. It's definitely doable though if you wish to do that. I'm also playing on the game's equivalent of Normal difficulty if that's any indication as well, though an Expert NG+ run is very tempting. I don't wanna get ahead of myself though.

@FuriousMachine It's really convenient when you remember to use it. I have laughed at myself a few times now where I've forgotten to use it and strolled up to boss only to realise the entire party has barely any health.

@Kairuuu I expect that to be a regular occurrence with me as well

I just reached the point where I’ve unlocked my 5th party member, and I’m blown away by this game in every facet. The game continue to surprise me in so many ways, and for once I can say this game is nostalgic yet original all in one. The characters are incredibly well written and voice acted, with unique combat styles that are vastly different than your other party members. I love how the combat keeps you engaged - something very difficult in a turn based setting. And the fact that you can share abilities once you unlock them is a game changer. The builds for this game is magnificently endless. I think I’m about to reach the end of Act 1 and there was a certain story moment that had me gripped to my seat.

Played for about 4 hours so far and I'm really impressed. Loving the art direction. The combat is fun. Parrying an enemies barrage of attacks and then countering is satisfying. I'm currently playing Oblivion Remastered atm, but once I'm done with that, it's straight back to Clair Obscura!