Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Patch 1.300 Out Now on PS5, Makes Big Balance and Difficulty Adjustments

Simon rematch after how long it took me to beat him on Expert….

Common Expedition 33 W, sad there is no photo mode yet (I understand it's easier said then done), very interested in the challenge modifiers and if they add more in the future. still my biggest request is for a retry option in fights.

@DonJorginho Don't worry Melle + gommage still puts in the work

I'll be giving up on those maps, I guess.

@Lup I get the annoyance, but I truly don't think the game needs a mini map.

Just finished installing this, gonna dive in after dinner!

Waiting days for the RNG to kick in for Maelle against Simon was infuriating.

@Oram77

Mini map, full map with a button, I would take anything.
Sadly, I couldn't enjoy it as it is.

Not playing the game yet but I have watched my kid play it for maybe 30 hours, so my reactions based on that.

I can't recall a Simon. My kid has been finishing up everything in chapter 3 before heading to what we think the game is telling us is the end. Currently attempting what's behind the locked door. Not going well. Oh and Shenron, but he seems doable.

I'm planning on playing myself some day, probably on story, so I'm glad that's been nerfed. Still hoping for a dungeon map b/c every trip back to talk to Golga involves at least 2 or 3 wrong turns. Oh and the 4 fight area to unlock that door. And Cold Harbor. (No wait that's Severance.) The handhelds need to not be so camouflaged. Need more glowy bird droppings.

Game is great, needs to win many awards. My kid is playing on a laptop hooked up to our TV and it's most impressive. I still need to look up the power compared to PS5 but I'd be fine with equal.

@themightyant Maybe a toggle option would be the best to keep both sets of players happy.

@themightyant @Oram77 @Lup I haven't finished the game yet but I do think the environment design can be a bit vacuous. Some maps feel too big for how much is actually in them, and that can make navigation more difficult than it needs to be.

I'm not sure it needs a minimap, but some kind of direction would be nice, I think, even if it's just so you know which path takes you towards the objective, instead of having to backtrack to find treasure and stuff.

@Oram77 If we're still talking minimap then yeah toggle option seems a given. I feel like most games I've played w/ a minimap have options for big, small, off. As well as rotate or point north. A rotating map is worse than no map for me. 😝 Game would probably be fine w/ a compass bar across the top, flag jumping does lead to going the wrong way occasionally. And it seemed like a few areas were just a room w/ a record, so no map there, unless those open later. Mansion doesn't need a map, it's just a rectangle.

@themightyant Wow harder than Clea? My masochist child will be very excited. They're already worried Renoir is going to be a piece of cake at level 80+, history and the game feels like Renoir would be a good level 60 fight. Maybe 70. Game doesn't feel like it scales. They are playing on hard (expert?) so maybe. Will keep an eye out for Simon. For my kid. Some day when I play this I'll be skipping all these optional hard fights, not my thing. Just the side quests red Xs on the map, they seem relevant story wise.

Honestly I would have been fine if the game ended w/ chapter 2. Chapter 3 is a bit confusing for my old addled brain, and feels more boss rush than anything. But that's just me. 😁

@rjejr I always up for people to have more options/toggles in their game, the one I voice the loudest about the most is yellow paint, Like I get the point of it and I know some people love it, but I personally would like the option to turn it off

@ShogunRok I've always liked the way Dead Space implemented the way point system, but sometimes I was spamming it too much (could be me a thing) and wasn't looking around at the amazing level design/atmosphere and just following the line.

@DonJorginho
Rematching Simon is potentially a huge gain of time.
You can't have the fight lasting too long because of his ultimate so, once you've got the tech to beat him, if you still get the experience points, rematching him could be pretty cool to farm up to level 99.
Or just test the viability of your builds

Nice looking forward to pushing the difficulty beyond expert on this masterpiece for ng+. I'll probably finish plat and get around to that later this summer.

Currently loving Tainted Grail after putting over 80 hrs into my first exp33 playthrough.

Finally might be able to beat game. The whole dodge and parry too difficult for me even on stoey mode 😂

I agree with the comments that yearn for a minimap. I think the exploration does suffer from this sense of wandering around aimlessly hoping you’re going in the right direction but never really being sure. It usually ends up working out (because I usually find loot/worth), but at times it feels like this game moves forward at a sluggish pace because I’m running in circles.

Nearing the end of Act II (I think)—can’t get enough! Glad to see continued fixes, although my play through has had next to no issues. My only problem has been the terrible shimmering from hair shadows during cutscenes—so immersion-breaking; hopefully they can fix this down the road… Amazing game!

@themightyant I did the same “mistake”. I was expecting a super hard chapter 3 so I got prepared by doing all the side content first, and then …. I basically crushed chapter 3 and the end boss fight in 1h, and it was not even a fight I would say …

Everyone complaining about the lack of map, showing how young they are. Back in my day we didn't have cell phones, let alone cell phones with maps on them! We had to go somewhere and just remember the route!

Kids these days would literally be lost without their Google Maps.

I'm going to go shake my fist at some inanimate object for 5 minutes.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to the patch. On Act 3, haven't finished it yet because I found it a drag to level up for the final boss fight. Maybe this patch will make it less of a tedious grind!

@Oram77 I know I played a game where you could toggle the handheld glow on or off after an update, probably 1 of the Uncharted games, but some game. I think it was too bright after that. I don't need it to be glowing, but a brighter color than a light yellow on tan rocks would be appreciated. In a nature game like Ghost of Tsushima where you are grabbing cliffs it should blend in more but in Clair Obscur it's all built up ladder rungs which where then painted to blend in. A good artistic choice, but not a functionally practical one.

@themightyant "MUCH harder than Clea"

Thanks. When my kid starts the fight I'll ask my kid to wake me up when it's over. 😴

They uncloud/fog the world map as you unlock it in the story, I'd be more than happy if they did that w/ the dungeons. Only show the map after you get to a flag up to that flag. Or even only after you get every flag. If there's no flag the area is too small to care. Even 1 flag is probably small. But the few places w/ 3 or 4 flags, well if it's that big it can use a map. I think they'll add it eventually, the game has legs. Or the compass line that you'd prefer. Something. Tatsuo just gave us the "follow ball" in XCX, watching my kid play that as well, but I don't see how that would help.

100% GOTY but yeah, i thought the easiest difficulty was way too hard for casuals

I'm a bit of an outlier in that Act II is turning into a real slog. I felt like the game in the first act had so much going on and then nothing. Having to push myself to play it a couple times a week even though I enjoy the combat.

Just started this and about 2 hours in and I am enjoying my time with it so far

Still can't find a physical copy.

More accessibility is always a good thing another W for them

Hmm the only obvious bug I've run into on PS5 is the music dropping out occasionally - most often during battle.

The first few times it happened I thought it was a stylistic choice to make a more battle seem more serious (silence in a game with constant orchestral background music is eerie), but then it happened in a couple of trash mob fights with no serious threat and also while running around the map in a few areas and I realized it was a bug.

I just started it yesterday. This is the RPG I've been waiting for since Lost Odyssey. Absolutely brilliant.

Deos anyone know if the act 3 requirement for the difficulty modifiers applies to NG+? Want an excuse to play this again despite getting the plat (which almost never happens, I'm usually very much done with something after that).
The issue is that the early game in NG+ is way too easy for an endgame build even with cranking the difficulty up.

Some way to tune from the start on NG+ would be appreciated.

Im happy to see them making story easier. I actually died twice on an optional boss before I could learn his pattern. I dont want that kind of annoyance on story.

I really wish they could switch the option button and touchpad function. The small button for the most used menu is not really optimal :/

@themightyant I read that the recommended level is 81+ for the final fight, and I'm level 50. That being said I just started the Lumiere section and was one-shotting enemies with Maelle, so...

@ZeroSum Honestly I think the final fight is ok at lvl 50. Upgrading your weapons is probably more important than the lvl of your team. Also the whole path to the final fight is full of upgrades so that you get ready. For me it is too easy compared to the side content that can be very brutal with very long fights that requires your concentration to perfectly dodge each attack.

Loving the game so far. I was a bit worried about the parry difficulty, but even on normal it just takes a bit of practice per mob. I'm nearing end of act 1 I believe. We will see how I'm liking after I finish.

I was playing on story mode and was struggling at a boss and got defeated. Didn't bother to try again. So hopefully this update helps me survive now.

@rjejr 30 hours wow that's impressive I finished on 70!

@Oram77 as an adult with minimal that has to try and figure out which direction to go in every time I start the game a map would be beneficial. Its basically an accessibility option.

@Robinsad Like I've said above, I want players too have as many options as possible as a toggle system so everybody wins.

@B0udoir @ZeroSum @themightyant That's always been a RPG problem - do the side quest = become way to strong for the main quest, I personally don't mind that.

@themightyant If you remember in the other article I was defending their decision to nerf that OP move as it was clearly broken, but if people do the grind/side quests and come up with builds that are strong then their time should be respected, imo of course.

No spoilers but those endings damn. At a stretch you could say bitter sweet but sheesh.

@Toot1st 30 is just a guess based on my kid playing it about 10 nights 3 hours a night. May have been 8 nights of 12. The 3 hours is pretty consistent, 8-11, but occasionally starting closer to 7 or ending closer to 12. They're playing on their laptop on Gamepass so I'm not even sure I can check. I'll ask them when they're done, should just be a few more nights now from what I've been reading.

Still can't find a physical copy in Canada.

I really like this game but I'm not sold on the parry and dodge, I can do it but I feel there are places where they nigh on force it with Clea being the pinnacle. I couldn't be bothered after 2 goes and I refuse to just make some cheap shot build to overcome a challenge when it should be more than doable without it. I've never been good with theory craft etc so I'm just going with what works for me which requires I use dodge and parry all the time, luckily I'm not to bad with it.

I do like the removal of a mini-map in areas outside the overworld as what others noted it heavily encourages exploration, and there are landmarks to help with navigation. In fact, there is a distinct indicator on where to go for the main mission. They are lamppoles.

What does need work on is the parkour / platforming. I tried the platforming in Gestral Beach, and its frustrating, so I left. At least it's optional, but I do want those swimsuit outfits!

@GigaGaia If yoyr in the USA or want it from the USA Try Amazon, been seeing copies coming in and out all this week

@themightyant There are often lanterns throughout the world that for the most part lead you in the correct direction. They use these environmental markers in lieu of a map. When there aren't lanterns, there aren't that many routes you can go down anyway. Using these with a little bit of spacial awareness and a willingness to explore, navigating the world isn't that hard. My biggest complaint when it comes to navigation is that after talking to someone (and I think when you use a flag to rest) it will change the way you are facing, which disorients which way you're making your way through an area.

@GigaGaia Same in Ireland, had to order a copy form the UK.

@Toot1st So, I asked my kid last night how long they'd been playing Clair Obscur and they said, and my wife agreed, about 60 hours, so I was way off w/ my guess if 30.😂

Guess they'll be close to your 70 when they're done, depending on what awaits us in Lumeire. Think we're heading their tonight, spent the last 2 nights playing XCX, which we do when the other kid is around.

Maybe I'll remember to let you know the rally when they finish. But probably not.😂

I agree with the calls for a minimap or some kind of markers.
The environments are way to confusing to navigate. I spend way too much time in the game accidentally backtracking.

Kinda torn here. I originally beat the game on Expeditioner (normal) at launch but admittedly dropped it down to Story for Clea and Simon. Goofing off in Story difficulty, it was immediately apparent that it was much more forgiving with the parry and dodge timings and overall damage. Adding 40% more to the parry/dodge windows will almost take away any challenge from Story mode whatsoever, outside of the hardest encounters that is.

@Nydius that's the point. It will benefit many!

@SingleStooge If you mean the one with the logs over the sea, that one isn't actually that bad. There's one later where you have to keep going higher and higher, some really specific jumps, and it takes ages to do. If you fall off it's likely you'll have to redo the whole thing unless you happen to land on an earlier part. One of the most tense things I've ever done in a game.

I hope they add a photo mode; this is the kinda game that could really benefit from one imo.

@Toot1st So my kid checked their play time on Clair Obscur and it was 48 hours, so not 30 or 60. What we can't decide though is if that includes all of the time spent dying, b/c that would be several extra hours if it doesn't. And they aren't finished yet, spent the whole night climbing up some snowy mountain to get some ice. I'm never playing this game if the dungeons don't get minimap or a compass.😂

I'm not surprised that they had to increase parry window by that much.
From perspective of someone who finished this game on expert difficulty - I have never seen before such a lack of consistency with parry windows and animation of attacks, I had to re-learn it for the half of enemies in the game, seriously annoying , completely gave up on any post game content because of that.