Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 doesn't require reflexes, says player who beat the game without dodges or parries
"Despite the hype, this is not Elden Ring."
Yes, yes, I'm opting for the scoundrel's gambit and reporting on a Reddit post. Of a self-imposed challenge run, no less! But I adored the bejeezus out of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and figured this was worth sharing in case it convinces a couple of you to give it a go. Redditor HunterIV4 has chronicled their journey to beat the RPG without dodging, parrying, or even using the powerful gradient parries, in a bid to show that Sekiro reflexes aren't as crucial to success as they might seem. Thanks, cheery RPS fanzine PC Gamer.
Tackling the game's story mode, HunterIV4 took the approach of bumping up their party's health as much as possible. It sounds like they had a fairly easy time through the game's first act, although they had to focus more heavily on effective builds for the latter portion. Personally, I enjoyed the buildcraft in Clair Obscur so much it's been a little disheartening to see it overshadowed by the Sekiro comparisons and what not. I do think this is partially a quirk of the design, since you can technically make the character building meaningless by just getting very good at button pressing. Still: good to hear that it does have the capacity to play like a more traditional turn-base 'em up.
HunterIV4 ended the second of their two posts with screenshots of both final bosses beaten with zero parries or dodges. "Don't let concerns about a 'hardcore' experience prevent you from playing this awesome game and experiencing the story first-hand," they wrote. "Despite the hype, this is not Elden Ring."
Granted, this doesn't sound like the best way to experience the game - Act I took them much longer that they'd have like, apparently. But, hopefully it's tempted a few more of you to join the cult of Esquie's magnificent ass. The time of the airship is over, now is the age of the dump truck.