The multiple endings of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are perhaps the RPG’s most celebrated moments, perfectly capturing the themes of a long journey. That being said, at least one developer has felt that the last act of the game could’ve been better, based on how players approached the finale. Unexpected actions might have warranted something extra at the story’s end, especially in regards to the concluding battles that determine the ending.
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An interview with Edge Magazine saw lead game designer Michel Nohra and lead programmer Tom Guillermin speak about one aspect of the game fans are somewhat divided on — Act 3’s difficulty. The developer mentioned how the team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn’t expect players to try and complete all the side content, saying that “it was a surprise [that] people were doing every single thing there is to do in the game.” Players that did this became far stronger than intended for the final boss, making it far easier to beat the game without too much of a challenge.
Endgame Difficulty Didn’t Account For Many Player’s Obsession To Complete Everything
Nohra stated that “the only thing I regret is not making it clearer that if you want the intended difficulty for the boss, you have to go beat it now.” For players who went around exploring for every side quest, NPC mission, or additional content, bosses weren’t nearly as tough in later Acts as they were earlier in the game. Nohra explains further that “people that wanted a challenging boss fight feel a bit disappointed,” expressing regret that there weren’t more in-game signs explaining how your choices might affect those battles.
Most of this regret surrounded the final dungeon, but this is hardly surprising to hardcore RPG fans. Even if the developers behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 weren’t expecting players to go off the beaten path, hit games in the genres tend to inspire players to finish everything in sight. Programmer Guillermin provides a quote saying “We weren’t sure if our game was going to be that good,” implying that the design team weren’t sure if players would engage in any side content, let alone all of it before the credits.
Given how talented Sandfall Interactive studio has shown to be with their debut title, this seems level of humility is somewhat surprising, but earnest. Even if the Act 3 final fights aren’t as difficult as the first two story parts, the narrative weight of that portion of the game still makes every battle impactful. Even if the developers regret this outcome, it’s far better a problem to have than other design choices that derail other titles in the genre.
Even now, Sandfall Interactive is taking steps to ensure that quirk of their games doesn’t happen again, increasing the difficulty of DLC bosses to match the rise of the player’s power better. Future games from the studio will likely learn from this regret as well, but all in all, it doesn’t detract from how excellent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s endings are once players reach them after a harrowing adventure.
What do you think about the difficulty of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s last Act? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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