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

See, I kind of go back and forth on this.

I have really disliked the paint by numbers formula we've gotten from games the last several years. The way the story plays out is incredibly creative regardless of how anyone feels about it. For that I am grateful when you consider how the industry has been putting out lazy slop for years at this point.

I also felt like the plot twist about the painted world was a well executed plot twist. In a lot of ways the story felt like the show Lost with mystery after mystery with no explanation and then BOOM! we finally get things explained. And I think it was well executed. But after finishing the game I kind of wish they had gone in a different direction narratively.

Instead of going with everything being a painted world I think I'd have preferred if they did something more along the lines of the Dessandre family was experimenting with chroma to see if they could harvest its power and something went wrong and caused the Fracture. The experiment that went wrong could still have caused the Fracture and the fire and destroyed the Dessandre family. But instead of the painted world Renoir became infused with chroma and the power it brought and Aline was trying stop him. And then from there you could do something else narratively with the idea that the experiment went bad and chroma caused fake verso, Maelle etc.

None of this really takes away from my enjoyment of the game but I'd have preferred the game stayed with the idea of The Paintress as this deity like figure who was wiping out society and the need to stop her vs the fake reality twist.

I still appreciate what the game does narratively in the sea of lazy slop we tend to get otherwise.
I agree that the 70% up to that reveal was WAY better than 95% of the shit we have been shoveled recently. I'm going to finish it eventually, just less motivated or enthused to do so after that moment. I still think that type of storytelling is lazy.
i.e- It was all a dream. Like US mario bros 2 or links awakening.
 
Finally started this.
I'm 4 hours in.

The battle system is excellent. I expect it to be copied a lot in the future.
The story setup was also very well done in the prologue.

However I find myself bored already.
Outside the battles there is nothing interesting so far. Just beautiful locations with the most generic level design possible.

I hope it gets better soon.

focus on the main mission, the game ll open after act II and you ll have lots of things to do
 
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I'm midway ACT II and I'm enjoying this a lot. I would have probably let it pass if it wasn't in Gamepass.

The gameplay is OK but the writing is so refreshing and well done. The conversations between the characters is truly great, I enjoy the interactions even if they are inconsequential like Verso and Monoco's discussions about who is better at anything.

I love the acting for Esquie although I feel like they haven't exploited how he is supposed to talk in code and metaphors.

It is truly a special game with a lot soul. I'm looking forward to more of this studio.
 
I agree that the 70% up to that reveal was WAY better than 95% of the shit we have been shoveled recently. I'm going to finish it eventually, just less motivated or enthused to do so after that moment. I still think that type of storytelling is lazy.
i.e- It was all a dream. Like US mario bros 2 or links awakening.
I get that people can feel that way but I didn't felt like that.

It's not like a dream. Everything is real even if it's inside a painting.
Painters are putting they real life in suspension while on the painting which has some implications with the war they're fighting.
Inhabitants of the painting are also real and sentient.

But I get why some see it like a dream
 
After 13 hours…one of the best games i played in a long time. If this keeps up, top 3 this decade
The emotional highs and lows really captivate. It's unpredictable and the twists the story takes are great payoffs. It doesn't do too much new, but puts a lot of ideas together well to have a well balanced story that reveals itself in a perfect pace. It's linear, but there's also times to explore and every environment, even the side content is interesting and relates to the story. 10/10 and deserves all the praise. I'm playing through DK Bananza right now, and that game is stealing my GOTY from this, but E33 was a huge step forward in interactive storytelling and just damn fun to play.
 
One thing this game absolutely nails is UI.

Sure, it has a bunch of puzzling terms like pictos, chroma etc, but when I open a menu, everything is clearly labelled and I know exactly what does what.

Especially battle screen. Each character so far plays quite differently and its kinda complex how to make most of each one. But battle screen provides enough info so that I can come back later and pick up quite easily.

This is one area where Japanese games are downright garbage. MH Rise doesn't even bothers writing descriptions of decorations, what each one does, forget about explaining complex concepts via simple UI.

Hats off to these devs.
 
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Just did a couple of boss fights.

Kinda disappointed that my chances of win are purely based on me nailing dodge/parry.

Turn based system is quite deep but there is really no need to explore it fully if I get good at dodge/parry.
 
Just did a couple of boss fights.

Kinda disappointed that my chances of win are purely based on me nailing dodge/parry.

Turn based system is quite deep but there is really no need to explore it fully if I get good at dodge/parry.
Nailing dodge and parry makes the game a walk in the park. The thing is, there's so many types of enemies that once i get good at parring one type of enemy i move on to another section.
 
Nailing dodge and parry makes the game a walk in the park. The thing is, there's so many types of enemies that once i get good at parring one type of enemy i move on to another section.
If you build Maelle properly and use the right Picto's and skill (I did a lot of experimenting and a lot on a Maelle build and Lune while I was jerking...emmmmmmmm......out of a sound sleep)and have her solo everything then the game isn't even a walk in the park any more, you don't even have to walk. You basically 1-shot everything even at the highest difficulty, but I changed things up a bit because it was sucking the fun out of the game, but seeing multiple damage numbers in the millions is quite the sight to behold.
 
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Nailing dodge and parry makes the game a walk in the park. The thing is, there's so many types of enemies that once i get good at parring one type of enemy i move on to another section.
Yeah, am mostly fighting enemies with a varied move set. Even if I don't nail parry, still can get by.

I do feel some "pure turn based system" games from Square Enix like Bravely Default have better gameplay. Mostly cause it depends on my strategy and rolls that I get, so that I barely scrap by in some of difficult encounters.

Here, they have build a pretty robust system, but in scrappy battles, its all about parry instead of how much am making out of the turn based system.

Still game is a lot of fun.
 
If you build Maelle properly and use the right Picto's and skill (I did a lot of experimenting and a lot on a Maelle build and Lune while I was jerking...emmmmmmmm......out of a sound sleep)and have her solo everything then the game isn't even a walk in the park any more, you don't even have to walk. You basically 1-shot everything even at the highest difficulty, but I changed things up a bit because it was sucking the fun out of the game, but seeing multiple damage numbers in the millions is quite the sight to behold.
I just got my last playable character yesterday, so i'm still experimenting. But my favorite one is actually Lune. What a beast of a character. And she's a great healer as well. I dunno how she's the best one at everything but i really did that lol.
Yeah, am mostly fighting enemies with a varied move set. Even if I don't nail parry, still can get by.

I do feel some "pure turn based system" games from Square Enix like Bravely Default have better gameplay. Mostly cause it depends on my strategy and rolls that I get, so that I barely scrap by in some of difficult encounters.

Here, they have build a pretty robust system, but in scrappy battles, its all about parry instead of how much am making out of the turn based system.

Still game is a lot of fun.
I actually think it's refreshing that you can do a turn based game and don't have to stand there like an idiot while you get hit by attacks. Also...dunno if your sound system is decent but some of those parry are orgasmic. The sound design in this game is through the roof!
 
I actually think it's refreshing that you can do a turn based game and don't have to stand there like an idiot while you get hit by attacks.
Am also enjoying it.

Just that its OP and kinda undermines otherwise very good turn based system underneath. I suspect it could have needed a lot more dev time to perfect it. So took the easy route with dodge and parry.

Also...dunno if your sound system is decent but some of those parry are orgasmic. The sound design in this game is through the roof!

Yes sound design is stellar. Am using Sennheiser HD599 directly connected to monitor hp jack. Good enough for gaming purposes. Its especially good for great music this has.
 
Here's a sneak peek at the Expedition 33 official artbook that the guys over at Pix'n Love Games are working on. 👀

Gw9UUiXXUAgIb9z
 
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just a tip for how to build CIEL as a buffer,its very effective!

weapon of choice,Sadon.there is a picto that gives you like 3 armor on battle start,its a must for Ciel.

All set = SHELL POWERFUL RUSH group buff use Greater and Longer Pictos

Dark Cleansing = cleanses ally of all status effects AND PROPAGATES ALL BUFFS TO PARTY(use this when buffs about to run out)

Intervention = targeted character gets to play and gets 4 AP.

Grim Harvest = Group Heal,worth picking up because you will have alot of Foretel stacks bc of Sadon & Focused Foretell.
Use pictos that buff your healing aswell.

Fortunes Fury= DOUBLE DAMAGE for 1 turn on ally,enough said.

Thats about it but i used Final Path in 6th slot ..yes its 9ap but i had ap on turn pictos stacked so it was no issue.


Fyi rest of my party was Maelle fire/physical and Lune all elements.
 
Just did a couple of boss fights.

Kinda disappointed that my chances of win are purely based on me nailing dodge/parry.

Turn based system is quite deep but there is really no need to explore it fully if I get good at dodge/parry.
Are you playing on expert ? Cause Dodge and parry windows are waaay bigger in lower difficults, this game is mesnt to be played on expert If you want some real challanges.
 
I agree that the 70% up to that reveal was WAY better than 95% of the shit we have been shoveled recently. I'm going to finish it eventually, just less motivated or enthused to do so after that moment. I still think that type of storytelling is lazy.
i.e- It was all a dream. Like US mario bros 2 or links awakening.
Its not a dream though but a fully realized world that exists whether the painters are in it or not. They are kinda like the Greek or Norse gods of the world you are in. Also the world being a creation has pay-off further down the line.
 
Are you playing on expert ? Cause Dodge and parry windows are waaay bigger in lower difficults, this game is mesnt to be played on expert If you want some real challanges.
Normal.

Dodge parry windows are fine. Am not looking for challenge. This gives good balance.

Just that presence of these mechanics means less emphasis on turn based systems. And they have good ones in this.
 
Its not a dream though but a fully realized world that exists whether the painters are in it or not. They are kinda like the Greek or Norse gods of the world you are in. Also the world being a creation has pay-off further down the line.

I get that it's not a dream, I was comparing the twist to that style of storytelling. The painted world is a fabrication of Verso's and then becomes a coping mechanism for the grieving mother. It doesn't change the fact that they had a very unique hook, world, plot going on and they, IMHO, made it way less interesting with the revelation of that world not being the "real" world. It's still one of the better games I've played this year but fell of my personal GOTY list the moment the story took this turn.
 
1.4.0 patch dropped. (Source)
Expeditioners,

We're SUPER excited to bring you the Battle Retry option in this update, which has been one of our most requested QoL additions! We're also thrilled to have added Frame Generation and Low Latency on compatible NVIDIA and Intel GPUs. We are still exploring support for FSR, but we need more time to work on it. Stay tuned for more updates on that in a future patch!

Take a look at the biggest changes in this update:

Performance & Visuals

  • DLSS & XeSS Enhancements: Added Frame Generation and Low Latency Mode support for both DLSS and XeSS (compatible GPUs only). Enjoy smoother gameplay and lower input lag!

Quality of Life Improvements

  • Battle Retry Prompt: A new pop-up window appears after defeat, giving you the option to quickly retry the battle.
  • Lumina Cost Display: The Pictos menu now clearly displays the Lumina cost of each ability for better planning.
  • Autoplay Dialogue: Added an optional autoplay feature for dialogues outside cutscenes. You can toggle it in the settings and during dialogues.
  • Separate Volume Sliders: Audio settings now lets you independently adjust the volume for exploration and combat phases.

Accessibility

  • Added icons to Lune's Stains to improve readability and accessibility for colorblind players

COMBAT

  • Lune's "Thermal Transfer" skill will no longer grant an extra turn without meeting the Stain consumption requirements
  • Characters will no longer gain immortality when using the Second Chance pictos combined with Healing Boon and Protecting Death

MISC

  • Fixed the Rocher holding a crystal occasionally despawning after reentering the Stone Wave Cliffs
  • Fixed some players being teleported behind the Monolith upon loading a save
  • Fixed Gameplay modifiers being applied to a New Game save when enabled on other saves
  • Fixed landing as Esquie without the party spawning, leading to input loss
  • Fixed the Fog on Flying Manor covering the screen and blocking the view on Steam Deck

Achievements

  • Fixed journals vanishing after loading a Save File that was created at the exact moment of picking up that journal
The following two trophies should now pop for you when you load your save if you were effected by these bugs:
  • Fixed "Expeditioner" and "Trailbreaker" achievements not unlocking if the characters reach a level higher than 33 or 66 after a battle
  • Fixed 'Connoisseur' and 'Follow The Trail' achievements not unlocking after collecting all required items on some savefiles

Environmental Polish

  • Various environmental bugfixes, tweaks and visual polish across multiple levels for a more immersive experience.
Thank you all for your continued support for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! Of course, there is more to come in the future…

Until then,

Tomorrow comes!

~ The Expedition 33 Team

There are a bunch of new QOL changes. The standout combat change is fixing Thermal Transfer. Anyone who used it before knew that it checked for burn on targets to trigger its secondary effect but didn't actually consume or even check for two Earth stains, meaning that for much of the game you could fire off a 2 AP spell to recover 4 AP, get a free turn immediately (and another AP), and even deal some light Ice damage for basically free considering how easy applying burn is. It was so busted I kept it on my Lune up to the final act, where free turns and AP could be generated through better value actions.
 
them paying attention and actually doing patches for a single player game well after the 'honeymoon' boom of players is another + for the studio that triple AAAs don't even bother doing anymore
 
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