Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

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Question about the gameplay
I have been hearing good things about this but I wanted to ask about the gameplay.

Quick background on my preferences/experiences. I like turn-based jrpgs. Not my most favorite genre but I do really enjoy them when I'm in the mood for one. However, I greatly dislike ATB systems. If any game has one, I won't play it. I heard this game is a splice between jrpg and some kind of "active" mechanics (dodging and moving while fighting)? Is it akin to FF7R in concept?

I feel that FF7 Remake is a very poor game in story and gameplay. So, is this game very similar to that? Where the ATB x Hack n Slash blend is botched so that the hack n slash sucks, but the turn based stuff is a slog, and the dodging/blocking is worth while only half the time? If you couldn't tell I had a very unfun time with that game lol.

Overall, what blend of gameplay is present here? And, is it well executed? By well executed I mean the gameplay/difficulty feeling fair and balanced, even in the challenging bits (like getting dumpstered by a boss, but understanding why and how to improve, and upon return being able to execute on that knowledge and press onward). Progression being well paced as well.

Thanks in advance! And the reason I haven't gone in depth into googling this is because I don't want spoilers, so no spoilers please!
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Showing 1-7 of 7 comments
Its much better than FF7 Remake.
It has distinct turns. When it's your turn the game pauses for you to attack. When it's the enemies turn to attack they will attack and you will attempt to either dodge or parry.
Deluxe Apr 27 @ 3:18pm 
It's not ATB, but it also kinda is. The best way to describe this game is Turn based with huge emphasis on dodging or parrying attacks like in Souls games. There is no active timer that ticks down that you need to time the activation of your abilities against enemies' order of action, but each turn an enemy takes action, you are encouraged to dodge or parry to avoid damage. There is also a blend of QTE within abilities and actions.

It's really an action game disguised as a turn based game. It has a steep learning curve, and people who dont enjoy reactive gameplay will most likely have a bad time. But if you are willing to try it out and learn, I think you are going to experience one of the best writing and unique gameplay designs in the past few years.
It's like, Nier Automata + Dark Souls + FF7 Rebirth + Legend of Dragoon.

Wow - it's hard to define this game.

Put it this way, if you don't do well in Parry games like Sekiro then you probably won't like this. The parry mechanic is sort of required (not really, but in order to have a more successful time) and if you are not good at specific timings you will struggle.
Originally posted by NewYears1978:
It's like, Nier Automata + Dark Souls + FF7 Rebirth + Legend of Dragoon.

Wow - it's hard to define this game.

Put it this way, if you don't do well in Parry games like Sekiro then you probably won't like this. The parry mechanic is sort of required (not really, but in order to have a more successful time) and if you are not good at specific timings you will struggle.

I heard nier and dark souls lol, already sounding good. I am also pretty good at parries (when there's no delay/goofiness with controls). How to the jrpg mechanics play into this? Is it more hack n slash with a touch of team abilities that can be strategically used?
Originally posted by pixel.was.taken.so.i.used.this:
Originally posted by NewYears1978:
It's like, Nier Automata + Dark Souls + FF7 Rebirth + Legend of Dragoon.

Wow - it's hard to define this game.

Put it this way, if you don't do well in Parry games like Sekiro then you probably won't like this. The parry mechanic is sort of required (not really, but in order to have a more successful time) and if you are not good at specific timings you will struggle.

I heard nier and dark souls lol, already sounding good. I am also pretty good at parries (when there's no delay/goofiness with controls). How to the jrpg mechanics play into this? Is it more hack n slash with a touch of team abilities that can be strategically used?
This is a turn-based game, not an action RPG the likes of DS or Nier; when its the enemies turn and they attack you, you can doge, jump or parry each attack.
Last edited by ragnarok666; Apr 27 @ 6:14pm
Originally posted by ragnarok666:
Originally posted by pixel.was.taken.so.i.used.this:

I heard nier and dark souls lol, already sounding good. I am also pretty good at parries (when there's no delay/goofiness with controls). How to the jrpg mechanics play into this? Is it more hack n slash with a touch of team abilities that can be strategically used?
This is a turn-based game, not an action RPG the likes of DS or Nier; when its the enemies turn and they attack you, you can doge, jump or parry each attack.

Ah, so it added another method of mitigating damage? Sounds cool.
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Date Posted: Apr 27 @ 3:08pm
Posts: 7