(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)
The most thrilling aspect of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an exquisite French JRPG resplendent with enchanting music, captivating characters, surprising twists, and breathtaking vistas, is the ability to customize your party. By nature, a true buildcrafter resides within me. The Pictos and Luminas—passive abilities gathered throughout the game—allow for rules of engagement in Clair Obscur to be redefined in such an alluring way.
Equipping a Lumina on each member alters the dynamics, such as healing the entire team upon a successful parry. The right combination of Pictos enhances stats to bolster each character’s unique play style, whether they’re steering towards damage dealing or embodying a healer and buffer role. In an unexpected twist, my attempt at sequence breaking gifted me with a character that seemed practically immortal.
Each Picto carries its own level, with the more advanced ones offering significantly enhanced stats. Interestingly, any character can use Pictos of any level, provided they are discovered. Although usually hidden behind narrative arcs or inaccessible zones until certain abilities are unlocked, some high-level Pictos lie waiting for a brave soul to stumble upon them prematurely. Through sheer determination and a bit of stubborn exploration—darting past foes while channeling Lune—I inadvertently collected these extraordinarily potent Pictos, disrupting the challenge intended by the game.
A mere trio of these powerhouse Pictos sufficed before I consciously abstained from further acquisition. I later realized even more lurked just out of view, but three were ample. To frame my situation, at the time, my character stats oscillated between 200-400 defense, 1,000-1,500 HP, and 800-1,000 speed. The Pictos I acquired—from the Dark Shores at the map’s southern tip and within the Frozen Hearts—granted an explosive 1,300 defense, 1,500 HP, and 800 speed, along with substantial crit rate advantages.
The Pictos in question were In Medias Res (providing three initial shields but reducing max HP), Burning Break (imposing burn status on breaking enemies), and Burn Affinity (increasing damage to burning enemies by 25%). Discovered at levels around 21-23, these Pictos revolutionized my gameplay, prompting me to recount how I stumbled upon this accidental godhood, confirmed through online sources and my personal notes.
The transformation was like discovering nuclear technology in the initial stages of a Civilization game. With a meteoric rise in defense, enveloped in mighty stats that doubled immediately, resistance to this seemingly unfair advantage was futile. I indulged in this early overwhelming advantage, elevating my party to an invincible state. Even the fiercest bosses managed a paltry 10% damage, despite being played on Expert difficulty.
This altered state of the game, initially exhilarating, soon became lackluster. Without challenge, turn-based combat loses its thrill. Unlike frenetic action games, where visual and visceral feedback infuse enjoyment, a too-easy turn-based battle feels as commendable as outplaying toddlers at a sport. I quickly relinquished my divine status.
Lacking genuine danger robbed the game of depth, and the joy of buildcrafting dissipated. Confronted with an anticlimactic existence, I opted for a return to relative mortal peril. I continued using the overpowered Pictos long enough to unlock their Lumina forms, as it enriched the crafting experience. Surely, my gaming acts were beyond recrimination by then.
Among the amusing memories in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 were moments of spontaneous improv that added delightful unpredictability to the adventure.