Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 ≼| OT |≽ La Belle Fantaisie

So I only played it a bit but its already so fun. Its very much a mix of the FF X CTB and Persona 5/Metaphor combat System, but definitely deeper than Persona even after the first hour of playtime (and yes I am playing Metaphor right now and I am over 40 hours into that game)

The story set up is really cool, the characters are already likable and really well voice acted. The facial animation can be a bit awkward at times, but never gets really really bad, just something you have to live with when making a game on a smaller budget with only 30 people. The voice acting makes more than up for it and was money well spend.

A little gameplay spoiler about the exploration in the first dungeony area:
I really like how they put optional minibosses in the very first explorable area that are actually somewhat hard. I did die several times until I got the dodge windows down. I feel like my controller has a bit of a delay to it haha (DS4Windows with a DS4). But it feels rewarding to kill the enemies. In contrast other games would still give you basic tutorials at this point (looking at you Final Fantasy X Besaid Island)
 
No hdr right? Is it me or the game looks kinda off, like soft. Quality looks a tad better but performance mode runs way smoother

But it just feels like it looks kinda off, can't put my finger on it

Anyone else? I'm on series X. Should I do something in the graphics settings? I turned all the stuff there off like motion blur, should I mess with brightness and such?

Kinda blurry too
 
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This game has GotY bait written all over it.

The intro is weird. It feels like this is the second half of a game that doesn't exist. They're going for all this emotional bravado but it's not earned at all in my opinion.

I think the QTE combat flies in the face of all the graphical flare and style. I'm too busy looking at the QTE prompts and not the actual game.
 
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Thinking about turning these off. I get the artistic vision side, but I'm not a fan of these features in some details
I turned it of, it looks better that way. Image is a bit cleaner. I do understand the artistic idea, but the effects dont look good with real time computing.
 
I am not feeling this game so far, visually the game has too many flaws and the constant cutscenes and interruptions are very annoying. I am getting flashbacks from ReFantazio where you are just watching a movie and play 5 minutes in between
 
I am not feeling this game so far, visually the game has too many flaws and the constant cutscenes and interruptions are very annoying. I am getting flashbacks from ReFantazio where you are just watching a movie and play 5 minutes in between
Played for an hour and if this is how the game is the entire time I'm just gonna stop playing.
 
This game has GotY bait written all over it.

The intro is weird. It feels like this is the second half of a game that doesn't exist. They're going for all this emotional bravado but it's not earned at all in my opinion.
How do you know without having played through it? Maybe this hits harder after some revelations.

I liked the intro. Feels like people with actual relationships, bonds and feelings. Not just someone giving you a tutorial (which some of them also do).
I think this is a nice way to get around a lengthy exposition that most jrpg kinda struggle with. They dont need a 2 hour setup time. And yeah maybe if you come around for a second playthrough (or watch someone) you can connect to the atmosphere on another level
 
Was able to pick it up this morning after having to wait in a line of smelly grown adults trying to preorder the switch.

It was all worth it though, few hours in and this doesn't disappoint. Absolute banger
 
This game has GotY bait written all over it.

The intro is weird. It feels like this is the second half of a game that doesn't exist. They're going for all this emotional bravado but it's not earned at all in my opinion.

I think the QTE combat flies in the face of all the graphical flare and style. I'm too busy looking at the QTE prompts and not the actual game.

That's what I love about the intro is they just throw you into the world and don't give you much info. You kind of have to put things together from the conversations you have. The QTE is great and makes the combat more interactive. Graphical flare and style is nice but at the end of the day it's a video game meant to be played.
 
I am not feeling this game so far, visually the game has too many flaws and the constant cutscenes and interruptions are very annoying. I am getting flashbacks from ReFantazio where you are just watching a movie and play 5 minutes in between
Hmm understandable, but this is every jrpg style game ever. Metaphor is much worse in my opinion, or persona games in general because the gameplay to story bits are so unbalanced at times (meaning 2h dungeon grind followed by 1 hour of social link stuff instead of mixing it up a bit more).

Some western RPG's are not like this, Oblivion would be one of those, or just Bethesda games in general are good about leaving you alone at the cost of usually having a bad story and forgettable characters.

Out of curiosity, is there a game like this (jrpg, turn based, that kinda thing) that made you think this one would be different or are you just not that used to the genre?
 
I plsyed it until you meet your old girlfriend and... OH MY HOD! just bought it on Playstation as I can only stream it with GPU - not worth the fidelity drop when network drops the spees.

Gorgeous game - cannot wat for the gsme to be delivered so I san play on my big tv instead of this small ass laptop I have
 
That's what I love about the intro is they just throw you into the world and don't give you much info. You kind of have to put things together from the conversations you have. The QTE is great and makes the combat more interactive. Graphical flare and style is nice but at the end of the day it's a video game meant to be played.
Yep, the intro is masterfully done. It sets up the stakes, throws you into the world and character relationship without much exposition , treats you like an adult..mixes in tutorial well. Don't need hours of a super slow paced intro. I'm sure there will be "earned" moments later.
 
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Different audiences? I'm not into Oblivion but will absolutely play 33.
Yeah, I would find it incredibly hard to believe an adult had to choose between 2 completely diff games. Both RPG's yes, but that is where the similarities end.

Dark Souls is also an RPG (right?)

But that game isn't compared against E33 or Oblivion either
 
17 hours in and this is really something special.

- Combat system might be (one of) the best ever created in the genre
- Musics are wonderful
- Art Direction is incredible and every zone is a joy to discover
- The characters are great
- Writing is excellent and dialogue feel genuine (I play in French)
- World map is very cool and has some very funny surprises
- Progression systems are complexe and very engaging : there are some insane builds to find
- Extremely tight game design : they cut all the fat of the genre and made some bold choices that completely pay off (no map, no marker, no quest log... it's you and the game)
- Very touching and engaging story

I am completely in love.
 
SISTERS, any word on the PS5 Amateur performance? Been debating playing this off Game Pass on the Series Ass or paying for the PS5 version, I'm yet to see any definitive answer!

In case anyone is wondering, our bro Maurice took a lot at it:



Runs at 60, good looking, good running, good stuff!
 
Haven't had this game on my list.
It really shows how insanely talented Ubisoft devs are when they're not being held back by a big corporation.
 
I am not feeling this game so far, visually the game has too many flaws and the constant cutscenes and interruptions are very annoying. I am getting flashbacks from ReFantazio where you are just watching a movie and play 5 minutes in between
Visually definitely feels kinda off
 
Do I understand correctly that in order to get Perfect for a QTE prompt I have to hit it just as it comes to the last edge of the prompt (the one that is slightly thicker than the others)?
 
Just finished the harbour part and i already teared up goddamn. This game will be something special indeed

Runs flawlessly on my pc maxed out.
 
Boi i forgot how the french can make depressing art, holy shit the harbour part and the landfall section is just brutal, this is everything ff16 tried to be
 
That's one ugly ass swim suit not to mention not much going on in regards to tits or ass. Maybe I'm just spoiled by Stellar Blade and Tifa in FF7 Rebirth.
Bigger tits and ass isnt making any game better. Just go to pornhub and jack off

Cant wait to start playing this tonight
 
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Boi i forgot how the french can make depressing art, holy shit the harbour part and the landfall section is just brutal, this is everything ff16 tried to be
The prologue is the definiton of Baudelaire's "spleen". As a French man, it felt extremely powerful.

Also, my fiancée's name is Sophie and my mother just passed away after years of a soul ripping cancer. She waiting to die, not even sad or scared, knowing it was inevitable.. exactly like the characters in the prologue.

That hit me like a fucking train and I never felt something like that in a game, except maybe for the ending of Death Stranding.
 
How do you know without having played through it? Maybe this hits harder after some revelations.

I liked the intro. Feels like people with actual relationships, bonds and feelings. Not just someone giving you a tutorial (which some of them also do).
I think this is a nice way to get around a lengthy exposition that most jrpg kinda struggle with. They dont need a 2 hour setup time. And yeah maybe if you come around for a second playthrough (or watch someone) you can connect to the atmosphere on another level
I'm going to remain cautiously optimistic based on review scores alone. The intro just felt off to me.
 
Cutscenes have audio bug, volume stays at 100% despite me turning master vol down to 70%, its night time!

The turn based combat with splice of realtime action, not bad!
 
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Thinking about turning these off. I get the artistic vision side, but I'm not a fan of these features in some details

100% turn them all off. I am usually fine with such post processings.

But for this game, ALL OFF.

Also change DLSS from DLAA to Quality.

Game is way cleaner now.
 
MY GOD THE MUSIC! If this game rubbed for best OST like Octopath did then I'm gonna literally hire a lawyer and sue VGA.
 
MY GOD THE MUSIC! If this game rubbed for best OST like Octopath did then I'm gonna literally hire a lawyer and sue VGA.
Has any other game come out this year that has a nice soundtrack? Only one I can think about is KCD2.
 
my turn off from the game is the no map and no markers its more me then the game i just have a trash sense of direction.
 
Damn, reading through the OT, there are a lot of positive impressions!

I'm still waiting for my physical copy to arrive. Hopefully, it will be here tomorrow before I finish work. 🤞
 
I haven't played KD2 but my fucking god the 33's OST is ANAZING! It has to win to best sound track.
MY GOD THE MUSIC! If this game rubbed for best OST like Octopath did then I'm gonna literally hire a lawyer and sue VGA.
God damn, I guess I'll just have to listen to the OST while I wait for my copy to arrive!

Also, lucky me I guess, because they uploaded the full thing a few hours ago and it's 8 hours long! 😳

 
This OST has no rights to be this good. Like its god tier wtf. Characters are immediately likeable. Writing seems natural so far aswell.
 
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I haven't played KD2 but my fucking god the 33's OST is ANAZING! It has to win to best sound track.
It'll get burned just like Octopath did. Somehow.

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The game is a artistic masterpiece. Engaging Parry, Dodge, Jump mechanics in battle. And learning each attack and when and how to react to it is a challenge but once you got it. YOU GOT IT.

Skills that synergize with character toolkits and also have party synergy. Not to mention weapons scale with different stats which can boost your characters in different ways.

Art direction phenomenal.

Music. Immaculate. Different battle themes per locale/biome.

Atmosphere. Grim dark but also full of beauty.

Likable characters.

Great world setting and mysterious intrigue.

And man oh man when you first get to the Overworld. Peak RPG.
 
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