Beat the final optional boss tonight and that wraps up this playthrough. Still a couple undiscovered records and journals but I also missed the first Mime in Luminaré Prologue so I can’t 100% it anyway and those can wait for a NG+ run if I do one.
I just did Maelle’s sidequest, if you would. I enjoyed her dungeon, which was kind of a tower being assembled(and disassembled) more than any other are in the game. It had clear paths for me and I struggle spatially. I felt safe going down side-paths more because I understood its layout.
I figure I’ll do the other available character quests and then go to the final boss.
We’re only level 55 and that is with my primary group. My side-crew is about 48.
I finished it just a few minutes ago.
What did you all choose?
I chose Maelle. Keep everything going in Lumiere. Ugh, the ending was painful, though. Obviously not a clear cut positive ending.
I’ll watch the Verson ending online later.
Are we assuming anyone 63 posts into the thread is expecting spoilers at this point?
Ending
I picked Maelle as my ‘canonical’ ending despite knowing it was probably morally worse. Heck, I picked it because I figured it would be morally darker. Was not disappointed!
The Verso ending has its questionable aspects as well but ultimately the fact that the Canvas is being powered off the tortured soul of a young boy who really wants to finish dying already sort of overrides the other aspects in my opinion. That said, I’ve seen way too many internet debates that are way too impassioned to the point of accusing players of accepting genocide and shit. Settle down nerds, it’s just a video game.
I wonder if they will make another JRPG now that this one is done. It was pretty impressive.
I doubt anyone on the fence is reading this far down but they just patched the game so the easiest mode now has a +40% window for dodge/parry and -50% damage taken when hit. So it should be pretty generous for those just wanting to casually explore the story.
Most likely it’s telling you the linear amount of time you’ve played on that save of actually being in-game and advancing that save. So let’s say you play 20 hours on that save, but you die 10 times and each time you have to go back and do the 6 minute fight again. Since an hour of the time you played is actually repeated (not advancing the clock on your save), you’ve got 20 hours in steam but 19 on that save. Now if you started a new game on a different playthrough and played 10 hours, you’d have 31 hours in steam, 20 on save one, and 10 on save 2. You’d also have a few minutes here and there spent on the menu or otherwise not making progress/time on a specific save.
I would appreciate still keeping plot things spoiled, as I read the whole thread even though I just started act 2 because I thought I might pick up some mechanical tips or other general commentary
When I wrote down my final gameplay time, I used the Steam time since it includes everything. It took me:
38.8 hours to finish, but I did not do all the side content. Just the stuff I felt was essential to me personally, like character sidestuff, etc.
Just finished this the other day. It’s exactly the kind of game I have to complete 100%, and I clocked in just under 50 hours total. Builds were fun to figure out - Maelle worked with either a burn-based build with the right weapon (apply double burns, burns do double damage, and a skill that does more damage based on the number of burns applied) or a one-trick one-shot (every possible bonus damage boost available, including buffs and debuffs from other characters, combined with Stendahl) that nuked the biggest superboss in one hit. Didn’t generally use Monoco or Sciel unless I needed to for achievements, their mechanics never really clicked for me. Probably my favorite game this year, though I don’t know that I feel the need to replay it.
To celebrate reaching five million copies sold (and I’m sure to help get their name refreshed during GOTY award season) they’re “working on” an update with:
A new, playable environment, taking the characters of Expedition 33 to a brand-new location with new enemy encounters and surprises to discover.
Challenging, new boss battles for late-game players to overcome.
New costumes for each member of the Expedition, giving even more customization options for players throughout their adventure.
Also, they have preorders for a six album sound track that’s just lovely (as well as 2 disc and CD variants)
FWIW:
There are still secrets in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 fans are yet to discover, but its director won’t give any hints.
< snip >
But are there other secrets yet to be uncovered? “There are, but I don’t want to say them because they won’t be secrets anymore,” Broche told Eurogamer. “Maybe they have been found, but I haven’t seen anything about it. There are still a few things, yeah.”
So get to work! 
FWIW: Clair Obscur is winning big at the gaming awards this year. Mostly I think it deserves it but it is a shame some otherwise good games get overshadowed by it.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has swept the Golden Joystick Awards - picking up seven gongs including the main prize.
The critically acclaimed role-playing game (RPG) won Ultimate Game of the Year at the event - one of the oldest and biggest public-voted gaming award shows.
Likely to do exceptionally well at the Steam Awards too.
Honestly this is the first game ever I actually want the soundtrack to. Not that others have not had excellent soundtracks but generally nothing I want on a playlist. These songs I do. (Here’s one if anyone is interested: https://youtu.be/LpNVf8sczqU )
It’s the first game where the soundtrack stuck with me in any meaningful way. I know people who are really into video game music and see soundtracks commonly now (local record store has a display of just game soundtracks) but it just had no traction with me at all. I preordered the soundtrack album set for this and have no second thoughts about it weeks later. Not that other games don’t have great music, this is the just the first one to penetrate my brain like that.
I’ve said before I just didn’t enjoy this game, as a game. But I do think it can be enjoyed like a movie, and from that perspective it’s amazing. It’s beautiful, music is fantastic, the acting is great, and it was well-written.
The only other game I’ve ever played that I could enjoy in that way was Star Wars: Knights of the Republic. And the graphics in that game are of course very dated.
Yeah, it’s one of the only games I really appreciate the storytelling for, but still can’t bring myself to play through. The parry system is so annoying in a turn-based RPG… I gave up after an hour.
That said, it’s truly a labor of love that deserves the awards. I’ll watch someone else play through it someday.
That’s what is holding me back too.
Set the game to easy. Makes it more doable.
I did and still suck at it 
It’s just not my thing… same reason I can’t play soulslikes or Arkham style games. Funny, IRL I practice some martial arts, and in sparring I can’t parry or dodge worth a damn either. Slow reflexes… and they only get slower after a few concussions…
Me too. I can only barely manage. I love the environment and story but even “easy” mode is not easy. I tried.