We Asked, You Answered : Key Takeaways From Our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Player Survey

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 released on 24th of April and the community welcomed the game with 94% positive rating on steam alone as of writing this article. We thought it's a perfect moment to ask the community what they think of this game and what they love the most. This article will also let you know if it was money well spent for those who bought the game or if you a planning to buy it, will help you make the decision.

To better understand community experiences and gather valuable feedback, we recently conducted a player survey. A huge thank you to everyone who participated! Today, we're excited to share some of the key insights and common themes that emerged directly from your responses."

Survey

Balanced Overview Structure

We thank you for sharing your expeditions with us, the overall sentiments of your journey have been a great inspiration to "Sandfall Interactive" and the installment "Clair Obscur: Expedition 33" itself.

The game highlighted great mechanics, like turn based combat systems, immersive words with unique art-style and very compelling and connected storylines of each character. You can also read full release overview of the game here.

Community Structured Feedback

How Players Responded To The Game

I. Game Art style & Storytelling:

One of the most compelling features was the deep emotional storyline of each character who have different interests but are joined together on a mission that binds them all together. Theart direction is influenced by Belle Époque encapsulating a dreamlike atmosphere. The soundtracks and voice acting has been a topnotch feature also.

💬Players Feedback Highlights

• “God this game is amazing the soundtrack is beautiful, the combat is top notch it cured my turn-based games fatigue not to mention the story is compelling. It made me wish French people were real”
• “One of the best games I have played in a very long time. Right from the start, the story, music, and especially the voice acting was amazing, then once you fully learn the combat and get parrying down, it just gets better and better.”
• “Not sure if it's just my mental state, but the opening 30 minutes made me ugly cry”

II. Combat Design & Gameplay:

A combination of classic turn-based combat with real-time inputs was very fascinating to the players. Players also Highlighted timing mechanics for parrying and dodging which created a further elevated challenge for players. But some players said that the hybris system introduced some inconsistency and difficulty due to the timing issues.

💬Players Feedback Highlights

• “Parrying is a must to survive”
• “then once you fully learn the combat and get parrying down, it just gets better and better”
• “Timing-Based Actions: Attacks and defenses involve real-time button presses. You can perfectly parry, dodge, or enhance your attacks if you nail the timing—similar to Legend of Dragoon or Paper Mario.”
• “The combat is deeply engaging. It’s easy to see why so many are calling this one of the best JRPG games of our time.”
• “I love what they did for the combat. It reminds me of classical Mario RPG, which are my favorite kind of RPG, so I might be biased. I think that the "timing mechanic" makes the gameplay much more satisfying and complex.”
• “Terrible parry timing indicators and totally not consistent at all. Considering how that's the ideal way to play this game, I'm surprised no one in QA ever pointed out how bad the system was.”
• “Half JRPG, half Elden Ring and not in a good way. […] The whole combat is decided by the action element. If you do it well you are invincible and if you fail the characters die very quickly…

III. Game Technical and Developer Performance

The technical performance of the game had missed reactions, while mostly had smooth experience especially those with high end PC, some did face CTDs, UI bugs, and optimization challenges.

💬Players Feedback Highlights

• “This brilliant RPG game is what Ubisoft dev's are capable of when they aren't shackled by that terrible company.”
• “These dev's left Ubisoft and the first game they make is a masterpiece.”
• “The game locks itself to 30 FPS and hides most advanced settings when it detects the Deck. But here’s the good news: you can unlock full settings and fine-tune the experience for smooth gameplay.”
• “This game is fine! Don't let people scare you from playing if it's about specs. I have a 6650XT and am getting a smooth 79-80fps at 1440p.”
• “Global FOV broke as soon as the fight ended. Restarting the game was the only way to fix and that is until another fight gets completed.”
• “Another game ruined by pointless platforming challenges and poor accessibility features.

Final Thoughts

What to Expect

While the game is widely accepted by the gaming community, like any other game, it has its short comings. This game does shines in its art direction, music, and nostalgic charm, it still slightly falls short in key areas like accessibility, combat balance, and technical polish. We believe that developers poured their heart into the experience, but without proper support for diverse playstyles and player needs, it limits who can truly enjoy it.

If you’re a player who thrives on fast reflexes, loves challenging turn-based combat, and can look past technical hiccups, there’s a lot to love here. But for others—especially those seeking a more inclusive, strategic, or laid-back JRPG experience—this game may prove more frustrating than fun. Let us know what you think of this game, your feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks.

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